The Akkadian Empire was the first ever Empire of the world, succeeding the long-lived city-states of Sumer. Centered on the city of Akkad (/ˈækæd/) and its surrounding region, the empire united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers … See more

Identifying architectural remains is hindered by the fact that there are sometimes no clear distinctions between features thought to stem from the preceding Early Dynastic period, and those thought to be Akkadian. Likewise, material that is … See more

Pre-Sargonic Akkad
The Akkadian Empire takes its name from the region and the city of Akkad, both of which were localized in the general confluence area of the See more

Epigraphic sources from the Sargonic (Akkadian Empire) period are in relatively short supply, partly because the capital Akkad, like the capitals of the later Mitanni and See more

So great was the Akkadian Empire, especially Sargon and Narim-Sin, that its history was passed down for millennia. This ranged on one end to purported copies of still existing Sargonic period inscriptions to literary tales made up from the whole cloth at … See more

The Akkadian period is generally dated to 2334–2154 BC (according to the middle chronology). The short-chronology dates of 2270–2083 BC … See more

The Akkadian government formed a "classical standard" with which all future Mesopotamian states compared themselves. Traditionally, the ensi was the highest functionary … See more