Tegarama
Tegarama (Old Assyrian: Tergarma; Hittite: Takarama; Luwian: Lakarma/Lukarma) was a city in Anatolia during the Bronze Age. It is often identified with Gürün and biblical Togarmah.
A fortified city in Kammanu (on the border of Tabal) mentioned in Neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions of the ninth, eighth, and seventh centuries BC (reigns of Shalmaneser III, Sargon II, and Sennacherib) as Til-garimmu/Til-garimme.
Middle Bronze Age[edit]
The city contained a palace, a karum and an Assyrian colony office.[1] It was important in terms of trade which included tin, textiles, wool, slaves and wine. The city was inhabited during the Old Assyrian Kingdom and Hittite Empire.[2]
Late Bronze Age[edit]
Reign of Tudhaliya III[edit]
The city was sacked by Isuwa during the early reign of the Hittite king Tudhaliya III on the eastern border.
Reign of Suppiluliuma I[edit]
During his victorious campaign against Mitanni, Hittite king Suppiluliuma I halted in Tegarama and inspected his forces before attacking and capturing Karkemish.[3] Consequently, city must have been on the road from Hattusa to Karkhemish.
Theories[edit]
The exact location of the city in Anatolia is disputed. Oliver Gurney placed Tegarama in Southeast Anatolia.[4] Others have located it in central Anatolia near the town of Gürün, Sivas about 90 miles (140 km) east of Kanesh.[5][6]
Gürün[edit]
Til-garimmu is usually identified with modern Gürün, biblical Tōgarmā, classical Gauraene/Gauraina, Old Assyrian Tergarama, Hittite Takarama, and Luwian Lakarma/Lukarma. However, no pre-Roman remains have been discovered at Gürün.
Akçadaǧ[edit]
Akçadaǧ, ca. 30 km west of Malatya, has been tentatively suggested as an alternate location.
Changing location[edit]
One theory is that the name of the city was 'moved' to another settlement during the history.[7]
Biblical tradition[edit]
The city is sometimes associated with Biblical Togarmah.[8][9][10]
Bibliography[edit]
- YAMADA, SHIGEO. "The City of Togarma in Neo-Assyrian Sources" Altorientalische Forschungen, vol. 33, no. 2, 2006, pp. 223-236. https://doi.org/10.1524/aofo.2006.33.2.223
References[edit]
- ^ Veenhof, K.R., Eidem, J., Wäfler, M. Annäherungen: the Old Assyrian Period. Mesopotamia Saint-Paul, 2008 ISBN 3525534523
- ^ Bajramovic, Gojko Historical Geography of Anatolia in the Old Assyrian Colony Period p.133, Museum Tusculanum Press, 2011 ISBN 8763536455
- ^ Burney, Charles Historical Dictionary of the Hittites Scarecrow Press, 2004 ISBN 0810865645
- ^ map on inside cover of Gurney, The Hittites, Folio Society edition
- ^ Burney, Charles. Historical Dictionary of the Hittites. Scarecrow Press, 2004 ISBN 0810865645
- ^ "Hittite Monuments - Gürün".
- ^ Bajramovic, p.131
- ^ Bajramovic, p. 312
- ^ Austerlitz, Eddie History of the Ogus p.36, 2010, ISBN 1450729347
- ^ Srinivasan, Liny Desi Words Speak of the Past p.175 Author House (2011?), ISBN 146709479X