Susiana Susiana | |
|---|---|
Historical region | |
 | |
  Susiana Location of Susiana in Iran | |
| Coordinates:31°20′19.6″N48°41′51.3″E / 31.338778°N 48.697583°E /31.338778; 48.697583 | |
| Country | Iran |
| Modern province | Khuzestan Province |
| Historical period | 3rd millennium BC |
| Founded by | Elamites and early inhabitants of the Susa Plain |
| Major city | Susa |
| Region | Khuzestan Province |
| Civilization | Elam |
| Achaemenid satrapy | Susiana |
Susiana (Persian:سوزیانا;[ʔæhˈvɒːz])[a] was an ancient cultural and geographical region located in southwesternIran. It broadly corresponds to the alluvial lowlands surrounding the city ofSusa, forming the core area of the earlyElamite civilization, which today make up most of modernKhuzestan Province.
Susiana is best understood as theSusa plain, an ecological and cultural zone influenced both by the Iranian plateau and byMesopotamia. Archaeological surveys show continuous settlement in the region from the Neolithic period onward, especially at sites such asChogha Bonut andChogha Mish. Recent excavations atTappeh Senjar have added substantial data on the development of Susiana from the Proto-Elamite to theShimashki periods.[1]
In the3rd millennium BC, Susiana formed the central lowland zone of the Elamite Kingdom.[2] During theAchaemenid Empire, Susiana was organized as a formalsatrapy, and in later periods it was frequently associated with or identified asElymais. Due to shifting borders and ambiguous terminology in historical sources, the exact relationship betweenSusiana,Elam, andElymais remains debated.[2]
The territory of Susiana corresponds roughly to the present-dayKhuzestan Province in southwesternIran. The region includes theKarkheh andKarun river basins and the extensive Susa plain.[3] This fertile lowland functioned as a cultural crossroads between highland Iran andMesopotamia.[2]
Neolithic andChalcolithic occupation is well documented at sites such asChogha Bonut andChogha Mish, which illustrate early administrative and cultural connections with Mesopotamia. The emergence of Proto-Elamite administrative systems is attested throughout the Susa plain.[1]
For many decades, scholars equatedElam with Susiana, assuming that Susa represented the political center of all Elamite polities. Two major developments have changed this view:
After the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur in 2004 BCE, Susiana was annexed by the Elamites. The Epartid (sukkalmah) dynasty originated in the highlands but ruled over Susiana and the Susa plain. During the Middle Elamite period (1500–1100 BCE), rulers titled themselves “Kings of Anshan and Susa,” controlling territories equivalent to modernKhuzestan,Fars, and portions ofBushehr.[4]
Susiana is one of the best-documented archaeological regions ofIran. Major sites include:
The region preserves crucial evidence for early writing, administrative tokens, pottery industries, and long-distance trade with Mesopotamia.
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.