Tell Haddad — Ancient Meturan Mound on the Diyala
Tell Haddad · Me-Turan · Meturna
Early Dynastic to Old Babylonian (3000–1750 BCE)·Akkadian, Eshnunna, Babylonian·🇮🇶 Diyala Governorate, Hamrin Basin, Diyala River valley, Iraq
About
About Tell Haddad — Ancient Meturan Mound on the Diyala
Provincial capital of Hamrin–Diyala corridor identified as Me-Turan, twin to Tell Haddad and Tell al-Sib excavated 1977–87 by Iraqi State Board before Hamrin Dam, yielding 3000 cuneiform tablets of Sumerian literature (including Temple Hymns copies), Old Babylonian temples to Nergal and memorial inscriptions of ruler Haddad. Its dialect tablets form the Hamrin corpus vital for Sumerian literature. Dam construction later regrettably exposed looting; archive in Iraq Museum.
Why it mattersLargest Old Babylonian literary tablet find outside Nippur; Diyala regional kingdom capital.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Extent of Eshnunna vs Me-Turan autonomy
Theories
- 01Me-Turan was semi-independent city-state under Eshnunna hegemony
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3000 BCE, peak c. 2200–1760 BCE as Me-Turan
- Period
- Early Dynastic to Old Babylonian (3000–1750 BCE)
- Culture
- Akkadian, Eshnunna, Babylonian
- Purpose
- Regional capital Me-Turan on Diyala frontier — Isin-Larsa city with temples, libraries and archive, now twin tells Haddad + Tell al-Sib
- Excavation
- Excavated
1977
Iraqi rescue before Hamrin Dam
1983
Nergal temple tablet library discovered
On the ground
Structures & features
34.0000° N · 44.9000° E · 120 m · 2 mapped features
Nergal temple library annex
templeTemple courtyard with scribal library tablets in situ
34.0005° N · 44.9005° ETwin tell settlement mound Sib
moundAdjacent mound forming Me-Turan twin city, houses and canal
33.9995° N · 44.8995° E