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The Awan dynasty was the first dynasty of Elam of which very little of anything is known today—appearing at the dawn of recorded history. The dynasty corresponds to the early part of the first Paleo-Elamite period (dated to ); additionally, succeeded by the Shimashki () and Sukkalmah dynasties (). The Elamites were likely major rivals of neighboring Sumer from remotest antiquity—they were said to have been defeated by Enmebaragesi of Kish —who is the earliest archaeologically attested king named on the Sumerian King List (SKL); moreover, by a later monarch, Eannatum of Lagash . Awan was a city-state or possibly a region of Elam whose precise location is not certain; but, it has been variously conjectured to have been within the: Ilam province and/or Fars province provinces of what is today known as the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the north of Susa (in south Luristan), close to Dezful (in Khuzestan), or Godin Tepe (in the Kermanshah province).
A royal list found at Susa gives 12 names of the kings in the Awan dynasty. The twelve kings of Awan given in the list are: Pieli, Tari/ip, Ukku-Tanhish, Hishutash, Shushun-Tarana, Napi-Ilhush, Kikku-Siwe-Temti, Luh-ishan, Hishep-ratep, Hielu?, Khita, Puzur-Inšušinak. The twelve kings of the Shimashki Dynasty are: Girnamme, Tazitta, Ebarti, Tazitta, Lu?-x-luuhhan, Kindattu, Idaddu, Tan-Ruhurater, Ebarti, Idaddu, Idaddu-Temti.
As there are very few other sources for this period, most of these names are not certain. Little more of these kings' reigns is known, but Elam seems to have kept up a heavy trade with the Sumerian city-states during this time, importing mainly foods, and exporting cattle, wool, slaves and silver, among other things. A text of the time refers to a shipment of tin to the governor of the Elamite city of Urua, which was committed to work the material and return it in the form of bronze – perhaps indicating a technological edge enjoyed by the Elamites over the Sumerians.
It is also known that the Awan kings carried out incursions in Mesopotamia, where they ran up against the most powerful city-states of this period, Kish and Lagash. One such incident is recorded in a tablet addressed to Enetarzi, a minor ruler or governor of Lagash, testifying that a party of 600 Elamites had been intercepted and defeated while attempting to abscond from the port with plunder.
Sargon's son and successor, Rimush, is said to have conquered Elam, defeating its king who is named as Emahsini. Emahsini's name does not appear on the Awan king list, but the Rimush inscriptions claim that the combined forces of Elam and Marhashi, led by General Sidgau, were defeated at a battle "on the middle river between Awan and Susa". Scholars have adduced a number of such clues that Awan and Susa were probably adjoining territories.
With these defeats, the low-lying, westerly parts of Elam became a vassal of Akkad, centred at Susa. This is confirmed by a document of great historical value, a peace treaty signed between Naram-Sin of Akkad and an unnamed king or governor of Awan, probably Khita or Helu. It is the oldest document written in Elamite cuneiform that has been found.
Although Awan was defeated, the Elamites were able to avoid total assimilation. The capital of Anshan, located in a steep and mountainous area, was never reached by Akkad. The Elamites remained a major source of tension, that would contribute to destabilizing the Akkadian state, until it finally collapsed under Gutian pressure.
By this time, Susa had started to gain influence in Elam (later, Elam would be called Susiana), and the city began to be filled with temples and monuments. Kutik-Inshushinak next defeated Kimash and Hurtum (neighboring towns rebelling against him), destroying 70 cities in a day. Next he established his position as king, defeating all his rivals and taking Anshan, the capital. Not content with this, he launched a campaign of devastation throughout northern Sumer, seizing such important cities as Eshnunna. When he finally conquered Akkad he was declared king of the four quarters, owner of the known world. Later, Ur-Nammu of Ur, founder of the Ur-III defeated Elam, ending the dynasty of Awan.
Kutik-Inshushinak's work was not only as a conqueror; he created Elam's organization and the administrative structure. He extended the temple of Inshushinak, where he erected a statue of her.
After his defeat, the Awan dynasty disappears from history, probably cut down by the Gutian people or Lullubi tribes that then sowed disorder in Mesopotamia and the Zagros, and Elam was left in the hands of the Shimashki dynasty.
The toponym "Awan" only occurs once more following the reign of Kutik-Inshushinak, in a year-name of Ibbi-Sin of Ur. The name Anshan, on the other hand, which only occurs once before this time (in an inscription of Manishtushu), becomes increasingly more commonplace beginning with king Gudea of Lagash, who claimed to have conquered it around the same time. It has accordingly been conjectured that Anshan not only replaced Awan as one of the major divisions of Elam, but that it also included the same territory.
| Early Dynastic IIIa period () | ||||||
| 1st | Unknown | Same person as Peli (?) | Uncertain, | |||
| 2nd | ...Lu | Same person as Tata (?) | Uncertain, |
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| 3rd | Kur-Ishshak 𒆪𒌌 | Same person as Ukku-Tanhish (?) | Uncertain, (36 years) |
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| Early Dynastic IIIb period () | ||||||
| 1st | Peli or Feyli | Founder | Uncertain, |
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| 2nd | Tata 𒋫𒀀𒅈 | Same person as ...Lu (?) | Uncertain, |
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| 3rd | Ukku-Tanhish | Same person as Kur-Ishshak (?) | Uncertain, |
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| 4th | Hishutash | Uncertain, |
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| 5th | Shushun-Tarana 𒋗𒋗𒌦𒋫𒊏𒈾 | Uncertain, |
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| 6th | Napi-Ilhush 𒈾𒉿𒅍𒄷𒄷 | Uncertain, |
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| 7th | Kikku-Siwe-Temti | Uncertain, |
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| Proto-Imperial period () | ||||||
| 8th | Luh-ishan 𒇻𒄴𒄭𒅖𒊮𒀭 | Son of Ḫišibrasini | Uncertain, |
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| Akkadian Period () | ||||||
| 9th | Hishep-Ratep I | Same person as Ḫišibrasini (?) | Uncertain, |
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| 10th | Helu | Uncertain, |
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| 11th | Khita 𒄭𒋫𒀀 | Same person as Hita'a (?) | Uncertain, |
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| Gutian period () | ||||||
| 12th | Puzur-Inshushinak 𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞 | Son of Shinpi-hish-huk | Uncertain, |
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==Gallery==
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