Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis
Tell Leilan · Shubat-Enlil
Early Bronze to Old Babylonian (2600–1700 BCE)·Amorite (Shubat-Enlil)·🇸🇾 Hasakah, Khabur Triangle, near Qamishli, Syria
About
About Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis
Weiss excavations 1979–, 4.2 ka BP abrupt arid collapse 2200 BCE evidence and Shamshi-Adad 1800 BCE correspondence.
Why it mattersKey Amorite (Shubat-Enlil) tell with stratified sequence and regional typology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function of enclosure
- 02Chronology and phasing
Theories
- 01Defensive stronghold
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. 2600 BCE; Shamshi-Adad palace 1800 BCE
- Period
- Early Bronze to Old Babylonian (2600–1700 BCE)
- Culture
- Amorite (Shubat-Enlil)
- Purpose
- Capital Shubat-Enlil of Shamshi-Adad with 600 m lower town wall — Amorite royal archive provenance
- Rediscovered
- Modern excavation 1937
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 2600 BCE; Shamshi-Adad palace 1800 BCE
Initial construction / first occupation at Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis
c. 400 BCE major extension
Major expansion / refurbishment at Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis
On the ground
Structures & features
36.9560° N · 41.5080° E · 400 m · 3 mapped features
Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis — Principal Palace
palacepalace at Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis — hydraulic feature
36.9557° N · 41.5089° ETell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis — Temple Annex 2
templetemple at Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis — subsidiary complex
36.9547° N · 41.5065° ETell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis — Southern Gate
gategate at Tell Leilan — Shamshi-Adad Palace Acropolis — outlier feature
36.9552° N · 41.5077° E