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# Akkadian Empire

# Akkadian Empire

## Overview
The Akkadian Empire (~2334–2154 BCE) was the first empire in Mesopotamia, unifying Sumerian and Akkadian-speaking city-states under Sargon of Akkad. It established a model for subsequent Mesopotamian empires.

## Key Facts
- Region: Mesopotamia, extending from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean
- Period: ~2334–2154 BCE
- Capital: Akkad (location still undiscovered)
- Language: Akkadian (Semitic), alongside Sumerian
- Founded by: Sargon of Akkad

## Notable Rulers
- Sargon of Akkad (~2334–2279 BCE): Founder, conquered Sumerian city-states [^1]
- Naram-Sin (~2254–2218 BCE): Grandson of Sargon, expanded empire, declared himself divine

## Achievements
- First multi-ethnic empire in recorded history
- Standardized weights and measures across Mesopotamia
- Akkadian became the lingua franca of the ancient Near East
- Produced significant art including the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

## Decline
Collapsed ~2154 BCE due to internal revolts, Gutian invasions, and possibly severe drought linked to the 4.2-kiloyear climate event [^2].

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[^1]: Westenholz, J.G. *Legends of the Kings of Akkade* (1997)
[^2]: Weiss, H. et al. "The Genesis and Collapse of Third Millennium North Mesopotamian Civilization" *Science* 261 (1993)
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## Review Queue

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- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Region: Mesopotamia, extending from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Period: ~2334–2154 BCE" - when was this true?
> 2154 BCE event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Capital: Akkad (location still undiscovered)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Language: Akkadian (Semitic), alongside Sumerian" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 14: "Founded by: Sargon of Akkad" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Sargon of Akkad (~2334–2279 BCE): Founder, conquered Sumerian city-states [^1]" - when was this true?
> 2279 BCE event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Naram-Sin (~2254–2218 BCE): Grandson of Sargon, expanded empire, declared h..." - when was this true?
> 2218 BCE event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 21: "First multi-ethnic empire in recorded history" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Standardized weights and measures across Mesopotamia" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Akkadian became the lingua franca of the ancient Near East" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Produced significant art including the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Westenholz (1997) [^1]; Weiss (1993) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Region: Mesopotamia, extending from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Period: ~2334–2154 BCE" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Capital: Akkad (location still undiscovered)" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Language: Akkadian (Semitic), alongside Sumerian" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 14: "Founded by: Sargon of Akkad" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Naram-Sin (~2254–2218 BCE): Grandson of Sargon, expanded empire, declared h..." - what is the source?
> Weiss et al. (1993) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 21: "First multi-ethnic empire in recorded history" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Standardized weights and measures across Mesopotamia" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Akkadian became the lingua franca of the ancient Near East" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Produced significant art including the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin" - what is the source?
> Westenholz (1997) [^1]
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 17: "Sargon of Akkad (~2334–2279 BCE): Founder, conquered Sumerian city-states [^1]" - Westenholz source from 1997 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Sargon chronology is well-established.