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

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

Reign of Tudhaliya III

The city was sacked by Isuwa during the early reign of the Hittite king Tudhaliya III on the eastern border.

Reign of Suppiluliuma I

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.

Iron Age

Reign of Sargon II

The vassal ruler of Melid, Tarḫun-azi, revolted against Sargon's rule, seeking assistance from king Midas of Phrygia.[4] After Sargon sacked Melid, Tarḫun-azi sought refuge in Til-garimme. Sargon eventually captured the city, imprisoned Tarḫun-azi and his family, and incorporated the city into the empire.[5]

Reign of Sennacherib

The city seems to have been occupied by the armies of a certain king called Gurdî, king of the city Urdutu (possibly identical to Gurdî the king of Kulumma), who was warring against Sennacherib. Sennacherib besieged the city, incorporated the use of battering rams. Sennacherib claims to have destroyed the city, turning it into a "mound of ruins"[6] (lit. tīlli-ù-karme, which some scholars speculate to be a pun).[7] It is possible this pun was used previously by Tiglath-pileser III in reference to the city,[8][9] which he located in Gurgum.[10]

Theories

The exact location of the city in Anatolia is disputed. Oliver Gurney placed Tegarama in Southeast Anatolia.[11] Others have located it in central Anatolia near the town of Gürün, Sivas about 90 miles (140 km) east of Kanesh.[12][13]

Gürün

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

Akçadaǧ, ca. 30 km west of Malatya, has been tentatively suggested as an alternate location.

Changing location

One theory is that the name of the city was 'moved' to another settlement during the history.[14]

Biblical tradition

The city is sometimes associated with Biblical Togarmah.[15][16][17]

Bibliography

- 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

  1. ^ Veenhof, K.R., Eidem, J., Wäfler, M. Annäherungen: the Old Assyrian Period. Mesopotamia Saint-Paul, 2008 ISBN 3525534523
  2. ^ Bajramovic, Gojko Historical Geography of Anatolia in the Old Assyrian Colony Period p.133, Museum Tusculanum Press, 2011 ISBN 8763536455
  3. ^ Burney, Charles Historical Dictionary of the Hittites Scarecrow Press, 2004 ISBN 0810865645
  4. ^ http://oracc.org/rinap/Q006482
  5. ^ http://oracc.org/rinap/Q006482
  6. ^ http://oracc.org/rinap/Q003491
  7. ^ Borger, HKL 1 p.319
  8. ^ http://oracc.org/rinap/Q006333
  9. ^ Yamada AoF 33 (2006) p.232
  10. ^ http://oracc.org/rinap/Q003448
  11. ^ map on inside cover of Gurney, The Hittites, Folio Society edition
  12. ^ Burney, Charles. Historical Dictionary of the Hittites. Scarecrow Press, 2004 ISBN 0810865645
  13. ^ "Hittite Monuments - Gürün".
  14. ^ Bajramovic, p.131
  15. ^ Bajramovic, p. 312
  16. ^ Austerlitz, Eddie History of the Ogus p.36, 2010, ISBN 1450729347
  17. ^ Srinivasan, Liny Desi Words Speak of the Past p.175 Author House (2011?), ISBN 146709479X