An Introduction to Akkadian Civilization

The Akkadians were a group of Semitic people of the Arabian Peninsula at the time when the great Sumerian city-states were flourishing. These people eventually migrated north, where they encountered the Sumerians. Around 2350 BC, an Akkadian military leader, Sargon (sharukkin-“the rightful ruler”) conquered the Sumerian city-states and built an Akkadian empire, creating the world’s first empire. It included most of Sumer and extended into Lebanon, Syria, Anatolia, and western Iran. akkad (from Agade) was the capital, which became the basis for the name of the town and the language.

The Akkadian Empire had a centralized government under the authority of the king, the royal court, and the high class of priests. Sargon was primarily responsible for this development. A strong economy was the foundation of the empire and Sargon and his court were in the thick of economic activity, unlike in Sumer where the priests had more of a say in economic affairs. Its economy depended heavily on agriculture; their farmland was highly productive thanks to an efficient irrigation system. The productivity of its farmland allowed the empire’s population to increase. Its agricultural products were abundant, but the empire lacked everything else. Timber, metal ores, and building stones had to be imported. Sargon’s military conquests, however, expanded the empire’s boundaries, eventually including the regions that were sources of these precious commodities. The king brought great wealth to the empire, spawning a large number of bureaucrats and administrators, in the process of creating the first bureaucratic organization. This bureaucracy allowed him to rule the empire more efficiently.

The Akkadian civilization was an extension of the Sumerian civilization; their society was similar to that of the Sumerians. The status of women in general was similar to that of women in Sumer, although the legend of the “holy woman” began during this period. Sargon even named his daughter Enheduanna as high priestess of the goddess inana. On the way, Enheduanna he may have been the world’s first published poet. His poems, praising gods and goddesses, are estimated to be around 4,300 years old.

Sumerian gods and goddesses were given Akkadian names. However, the role of the temple priests and priestesses was diminished. Sargon became the mediator between the people and their gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses had human form and human qualities; they can be silly, smart, shy, funny, jealous, or angry. These deities were derived from nature, which was understandable considering that life in Mesopotamia was controlled by nature. In trying to understand nature, they gave human forms to the forces of nature. So they had Yearsky god, Enlilthe god of air, lullabythe moon god, and utu the sun god The Mesopotamians believed that these gods created the universe and everything in it, including, of course, humans. They also believed that men and women were created by the gods to serve the gods, to sacrifice, clothe, honor, and obey them. This religion, however, had no laws on ethics or morality. Good and evil were left for people to discover on their own. Humanity, according to the early Mesopotamians, exists to serve the gods, who were responsible for the smooth running of the affairs of humanity and the world in general. They ruled the world through their representative; in the Akkadian civilization, this meant Sargon.

In addition to having a comparatively sophisticated agriculture that included irrigation and the use of plows, the Akkadians had also discovered a method of smelting bronze. They also used mud bricks in the construction of houses and temples, and had an advanced pottery industry.

Formal education during this time was practical and aimed primarily at training priests and scribes. Education started from basic reading, writing and religion, then higher studies in law, medicine and astrology. Upper-class young men were generally groomed to become scribes, from copyists to librarians to teachers. Excavations also revealed that schools for priests were as numerous as temples, indicating not only the importance of priests in Mesopotamian society, but also the thoroughness of priestly training.

The art of the Mesopotamian people, including the Akkadians, had reached a high degree of refinement during this period; a bronze head of a king, which scholars believe may be Sargon’s, was excavated at Nineveh (ancient capital of the Assyrian empire). It is believed to have been around 2300 to 2200 BC. This head is considered one of the great masterpieces of ancient art. Another example is the two cylinder seals dating from the time of Sargon, which are among the most beautiful examples of their kind. A relief sculpture of naram sin (Sargon’s grandson) shows him in one of his military triumphs. Many clay tablets that were excavated from various locations in Iraq contained literature from the ancient Mesopotamians, mostly poems and hymns to their gods and goddesses.

Sargon reigned for fifty-six years (from 2335 to 2279 BC) and his son Rimush, who was later killed in a palace revolt, succeeded him. Another son, Manishtushu, was also killed in another palace revolt. The last king of the Akkadian dynasty, which lasted about a century, was Naram-Sin, and he was the first to claim kingship by divine right. His downfall, and that of the entire empire, was thought to be due to invading armies from the east, called Guthians. However, recent finds found evidence that a 300-year drought was the primary cause of the empire’s demise.

Scientists discovered evidence that the fall of the Akkadian Empire began around 2200 BC. This civilization depended heavily on agriculture; a drought that occurred during this period severely weakened production and subsequently caused the fall of the empire. People fled and moved south, where agriculture was still sustainable. There was a revival of the former glory of the Sumerians, but it did not last long. Finally, new conquerors followed in Sargon’s footsteps and unified the city-states of the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia).