Elam (/ ˈ iː l ə m /) [a] was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of southern Iraq.

Feb 18, 2025 · Elam, ancient country in southwestern Iran approximately equivalent to the modern region of Khuzestan. Early on it was culturally tied to Mesopotamia. The Elamites’ golden age of conquest began in the latter part of the 13th century BCE and ended with the capture of Susa by Nebuchadrezzar I of Babylon.

Aug 27, 2020 · Elam was a region in the Near East corresponding to the modern-day provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan in southern Iran (though it also included part of modern-day southern Iraq) whose civilization spanned thousands of years from c. 3200 - c. 539 BCE.

Aug 27, 2020 · Elam, located in the region of the modern-day provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan in Iran, was one of the most impressive civilizations of the ancient world. It was never a cohesive ethnic kingdom or polity...

The south-west corner of Iran was known in the ancient world as Elam. It was made up of a low-lying plain located in the west, a region which much later in history was called Susiana, a useful term which we shall use here.

Dec 12, 2024 · The Elamites were a significant ancient civilization that thrived in the southwestern regions of modern-day Iran and parts of southern Iraq. Spanning from approximately 3200 BCE to 540 BCE, Elam played a pivotal role in the political, cultural, and economic landscape of the Ancient Near East.

Aug 18, 2016 · During the several millennia of its history the limits of Elam varied, not only from period to period, but also with the point of view of the person describing it. It seems that Mesopotamians in the late 3rd millennium B.C.E. considered Elam to encompass the entire Persian plateau.

Feb 28, 2025 · The Elam Empire, one of the oldest civilizations in the Near East, thrived on the southwestern Iranian plateau, encompassing what is today Khuzestan and extending into parts of Fars and Kermanshah. The history of Ancient Elam spans millennia, featuring multiple periods of cultural and political growth.

The land of Elam was situated in south-western Iran, on the east (left) bank of the Tigris and opposite modern Kuwait, Iraq's city of Basrah, and the northern part of the Persian Gulf. This area approximately covers the modern Khuzestan and Ilam provinces, the latter of which inherits the former kingdom's name.

Little is known of the cultures of Iran during the early Bronze ages. However, it is clear that during these early periods, the rugged broken landscape of the Iranian Plateau, forced man into a variety of relatively isolated cultures.