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

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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

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Reign of Tudhaliya III

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

Reign of Suppiluliuma I

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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

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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

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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

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

Changing location

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One theory is that the name of the city was 'moved' to another settlement during the history.[7]

Biblical tradition

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The city is sometimes associated with Biblical Togarmah.[8][9][10]

Bibliography

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- 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

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  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. ^ map on inside cover of Gurney, The Hittites, Folio Society edition
  5. ^ Burney, Charles. Historical Dictionary of the Hittites. Scarecrow Press, 2004 ISBN 0810865645
  6. ^ "Hittite Monuments - Gürün".
  7. ^ Bajramovic, p.131
  8. ^ Bajramovic, p. 312
  9. ^ Austerlitz, Eddie History of the Ogus p.36, 2010, ISBN 1450729347
  10. ^ Srinivasan, Liny Desi Words Speak of the Past p.175 Author House (2011?), ISBN 146709479X