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Look up 𒆠 in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Amarna letters form of ki

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Cuneiform KI (Borger 2003 nr. 737; U+121A0 𒆠) is the sign for "earth". It is also read as GI₅, GUNNI (=KI.NE) "hearth", KARAŠ (=KI.KAL.BAD) "encampment, army", KISLAḪ (=KI.UD) "threshing floor", and SUR₇ (=KI.GAG). In Akkadian orthography, it functions as a determiner for toponyms and has the syllabic values gi, ge, qi, and qe. Besides its phonetic value it also serves as determiner or "Sumerogram" marking placenames.

As a determiner, KI corresponds to Akkadian itti,^[1]

Cuneiform ki is used for syllabic "ki", and also for alphabetic "k", and alphabetic i. It has additional consonant usage for "q", instead of "k", and also "e", "é", and "í" for vowel "i". Its usage numbers from the Epic of Gilgamesh are as follows:^[2] ke-(9), ki-(291), qé-(18), qí-(62), and KI-(288).

Cities of the ancient Near East

The KI 𒆠 determinative was the Sumerian term for a city or city state.^[3] In Akkadian and Hittite orthography, URU𒌷 became a determinative sign denoting a city, or combined with KUR𒆳 "land" the kingdom or territory controlled by a city, e.g. 𒄡𒆳𒌷𒄩𒀜𒌅𒊭 LUGAL KUR ^URUHa-at-ti "the king of the country of (the city of) Hatti".

Architectural organization

Examples

Sortable table of archaeological sites


Ancient name 𒆠 ki	Modern name (Arabic)	Religious precinct 𒂍 e₂	Tutelary deity 𒀭 diŋir
Eridu 𒉣𒆠 eridug^ki	Tell Abu Shahrain	Eabzu 𒂍𒍪𒀊 e₂.abzu	Enki 𒀭𒂗𒆠 ^den.ki
Kuara 𒀀𒄩𒆠 kuara₂^ki	Tell al-Lahm	Irkalla 𒀭𒅕𒆗𒆷 ^dir.kal.la	Nergal 𒀭𒆧𒀕𒀕 ^dnergalₓ(kiš.ab^g)
Ur 𒋀𒀕𒆠 urim₂^ki	Tell el-Muqayyar	Ekishnugal 𒂍𒆧𒉡𒅅 e₂.kiš.nu.ŋal₂	Nannar 𒀭𒋀𒆠 ^dnanna
Kesh 𒋙𒀭𒄲𒆠 keš₃^ki
Larsa 𒌓𒀕𒆠 larsam^ki	Tell as-Senkereh	Ebabbar 𒂍𒌓𒌓 e₂.babbar₂	Utu 𒀭𒌓 ^dutu
Uruk 𒀕𒆠 unug^ki	Tell al-Warka	Eanna 𒂍𒀭𒈾 e₂.an.na	An 𒀭 an
Bad-tibira 𒂦𒁾𒉄𒆠 bad₃.tibira^ki	Tell al-Madain	Emushkalama 𒂍𒈹𒌦𒈠 e₂.muš₃.kalam.ma	Lulal 𒀭𒇽𒋭 ^dlu₂.lal₃
Lagash 𒉢𒁓𒆷𒆠 lagaš^ki	Tell al-Hiba	E-engura 𒂍𒇉𒊏 e₂.engur.ra	Nanshe 𒀭𒀏 ^dnanše
Girsu 𒄈𒋢𒆠 ŋir₂.su^ki	Tell Telloh	Eninnu 𒂍𒐐 e₂.ninnu	Ningirsu 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒅁 ^dnin.urta
Umma 𒄑𒆵𒆠 umma^ki	Tell Jokha	Ebursigsig 𒂍𒁓𒅊𒅊 e₂.bur.sig₇.sig₇	Shara 𒀭𒇋 ^dšara₂
Zabala 𒀊𒈹 zabala₆^ki	Tell Ibzeikh	Esara 𒂍𒊬 e₂.šar	Inanna 𒀭𒈹 ^dinana
Nippur 𒂗𒆤𒆠 nibru^ki	Tell Nuffar	Ekur 𒂍𒆳 e₂.kur	Enlil 𒀭𒂗𒆤 ^den.lil₂
Shuruppak 𒋢𒆳𒊒𒆠 šuruppag^ki	Tell Fara	Edimgalanna 𒂍𒁴𒃲𒀭𒈾 e₂.dim.gal.an.na	Ninlil 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒆤 ^dnin.lil₂
Marad 𒀫𒁕𒆠 marad.da^ki	Tell Wannat es-Sadum	Eigikalamma 𒂍𒁴𒃲𒌦𒈠 e₂.dim.gal.kalam.ma	Lugal-Marad 𒀭𒈗𒀫𒁕 ^dlugal.marad.da
Adab 𒌓𒉣𒆠 adab^ki	Tell Bismaya	Emah 𒂍𒈤 e₂.maḫ	Ninhursag 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒄯𒊕 ^dnin.ḫur.saŋ
Isin 𒅔𒆠 isin₂^ki	Ishan al-Bahriyat	Eshegmeshedu 𒂍𒋞𒈨𒂠𒌌 e₂.šeg₁₂.me.še₃.du₇	Nintinugga 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒁷?𒂵 ^dnin.tin.ugₓ(ezenₓḫal).ga
Eresh 𒉀𒆠 ereš₂^ki
Larak 𒆷𒊏𒀝𒆠 la.ra.ag^ki			Pabilsaĝ 𒀭𒉺𒄑𒉋𒊕 ^dpa.bil₃.saŋ
Kish 𒆧𒆠 kiš^ki	Tell al-Uhaymir	Edub 𒂍𒁾 e₂-dub	Zababa 𒀭𒍝𒂷𒂷 ^dza.ba₄.ba₄
Sippar 𒌓𒄒𒉣𒆠 zimbir^ki	Tell Abu Habbah	Egalmah 𒂍𒃲𒈤 e₂.gal.maḫ	Gula 𒀭𒄘𒇲 ^dgu₂.la₂
Akshak 𒌔𒆠 akšak^ki
Akkad 𒀀𒂵𒉈𒆠 a.ga.de₃^ki		Emush 𒂍𒈹 e.muš	Ama-ušumgal-ana 𒀭𒂼𒃲𒁔 ^dama.ušumgal
Tutub 𒌅𒌅𒌒𒁀𒆠 tu.tu.ub.ba^ki	Tell Khafajah		Mami 𒀭𒈠𒈪 ^dma.mi
Eshnunna 𒀊𒉣𒈾𒆠 eš₃.nun.na^ki	Tell Asmar	Esikil 𒂍𒂖 e₂.sikil	Ninazu 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒀀𒍫 ^dnin.a.zu₅
Ahuti 𒀀𒄷𒋾𒆠 a.ḫu.ti^ki
Ambar 𒆹𒆠 ambar^ki
Arawa 𒌸𒆠 uru×a^ki
Arua 𒀀𒆕𒀀𒆠 a.ru₂.a^ki
Durum 𒂦𒆠 durum^ki			Ninshubur 𒀭𒊩𒌆𒋚 ^dnin.šubur
Irikug 𒌷𒆬 iri.kug^ki			Bau 𒀭𒁀𒌑 ^dba.u₂
Karkar 𒅎𒆠 karkar^ki			Ishkur 𒀭𒅎 ^diškur
Karzida 𒋼𒀀𒍣𒁕 kar.zid.da^ki
Kasura 𒆍𒋩𒊏 ka₂.sur.ra^ki
Kian 𒆠𒀭𒆠 ki.an^ki
Kieša 𒆠𒀊𒆠 ki.eš₃^ki
Kinunir 𒆠𒉡𒉪𒆠 ki.nu.nir^ki
Mashkan-shapir 𒈦𒃷𒉺𒀠𒆠 maš.gan₂.šabra^ki	Tell Abu Duwari
Mari 𒈠𒌷𒆠 ma.ri₂^ki			Mer 𒀭𒈨𒊒 ^dme.ru
Sirara 𒌓𒈣𒀏𒋳𒆠 sirara₃^ki
	Tell Abu Salabikh

Clickable map of archaeological sites

Adab

Akkad?

Akshak?

Aratta?

Assur

Awan?

Bad-tibira

Borsippa

Der

Dilbat

Eridu

Eshnunna

Girsu

Hamazi?

Isin

Kish

Kisurra

Kuara

Kutha

Lagash

Larak?

Larsa

Marad

Mari

Nagar

Nineveh

Nippur

Shuruppak

Sippar

Sippar-Amnanum

Umma

Ur

Uruk

Zabala

A clickable map of the (present-day) Republic of Iraq detailing archaeological sites that were occupied during the EDIIIb.

Population estimates

Measurement units and conversion

	Acres	Hectares
Square feet	1 acre (44,000 square feet)	1 hectare (110,000 square feet)
Acres	1 acre (1.0 acre)	1 acre (0.40 hectares)
Hectares	1 hectare (2.5 acres)	1 hectare (1.0 hectare)
Square kilometers	1 square kilometre (250 acres)	1 square kilometre (100 hectares)
Square miles	1 square mile (640 acres)	1 square mile (260 hectares)

Population density

Author	Discipline	Publication year	Period covered	Region covered	People Per Hectare (pph)
Chandler	Historian	1987	Ancient Near East		75—200
Hassan	Geoarchaeologist	1978	Bronze Age Asia		100
Adams	Anthropologist	1966	Sumer		100—200
Modelski	Political scientist	1997	Ancient Southwest Asia		100—200
Renfrew	Paleolinguist		Early Holocene Eurasia		200
McEvedy	Demographer	1967	Meghalayan	Old World	250
Mallowan	Levantine archaeologist	1967	Bronze Age Iraq		400—500
Yadin	Judaic archaeologist	1963	Ancient Levant		600
Bairoch	Economic historian	1988	Ancient Mediterranean		400—700
Pettinato	Paleographer	1981	Ancient Syria		714
Frankfort	Orientalist	1948	Early Dynastic Mesopotamia		75—494
Wright	Near Eastern archaeologist	1981	Northgrippian	Sumer
Nissen	Archaeologist	1972	Bronze Age	Lower Mesopotamia	100—200
Whitehouse		1977	Bronze Age Asia		75—400

Estimated settlement sizes (in hectares)

Settlement	Nissen	Pettinato	Mallowan	Adams	Roux
Eridu					50—500
Bad-tibira				25	50—500
Larak					50—500
Sippar					50—500
Shuruppak					100
Kish				84+	50—500
Uruk	250			400	50—500
Ur				50	50—500
Nippur				50	50—500
Girsu					50—500
Lagash					50—500
Umma				400	50—500
Kesh				40—200	50—500
Adab				40—200	50—500
Isin					50—500
Larsa					50—500
Zabala				40—200	50—500
Akshak					50—500
Shekhna			100
Nagar			75—100
Ebla		56
Anshan

Estimated settlement populations

Settlement	Pettinato	Chandler	Whitehouse	Frankfort	McEvedy	Thompson	Modelski
Eridu			10,000—20,000
Bad-tibira			10,000—20,000	10,000—20,000
Larak			10,000—20,000
Sippar			10,000—20,000	10,000—20,000
Shuruppak			10,000—20,000			10,000—30,000	17,000
Kish			10,000—20,000			20,000	25,000
Uruk		50,000	50,000			30,000—40,000	50,000
Ur			10,000—20,000		10,000—15,000	10,000
Adab			10,000—20,000			10,000—20,000	13,000
Akshak			10,000—20,000			10,000—20,000
Isin
Larsa			10,000—20,000				10,000
Girsu						40,000—80,000
Lagash			10,000—20,000	19,000	10,000—15,000	30,000—60,000	40,000
Umma			10,000—20,000	16,000	10,000—15,000	40,000	34,000
Eshnunna				9,000
Tutub				12,000
Nippur			10,000—20,000			20,000	20,000
Kesh						10,000	11,000
Zabala						10,000
Assur
Nineveh
Akkad
Mari						40,000
Ebla	≤40,000				30,000
Shekhna							20,000
Nagar						10,000—15,000	15,000
Tell Chuera
Anshan							10,000
Susa					10,000—15,000

Lands of the ancient Near East

Lower Mesopotamia

Main article: Lower Mesopotamia

Sumer

Main article: Sumer

Hammar Marshes

Main article: Hammar Marshes

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Lower Euphrates	Uruk	Muthanna
	Zabala	Dhi Qar
	Umma
	Girsu
	Lagash
	Larsa
	Bad-tibira
	Kesh
	Ur
	Kuara
	Eridu

Gu-Edin

Main article: Gu-Edin

Qurna Marshes

Main article: Qurna Marshes

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Lower Tigris	Dilbat	Al-Qādisiyyah
	Mashkan-shapir
	Nippur
	Marad
	Isin
	Kisurra
	Shuruppak

Hawizeh Marshes

Main article: Hawizeh Marshes

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Lower Tigris	Pashime	Maysan
	Akshak?	Wasit
	Der
	Larak?
	Adab

Central Mesopotamia

Akkad

Further information: Akkad (region)

Greater Syria

Further information: Greater Syria

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Middle Euphrates	Mari	Deir ez-Zor

Baghdad Belts

Further information: Baghdad Belts

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Middle Tigris	Assur	Saladin
Middle Euphrates	Kutha	Babil
	Borsippa
	Sippar
	Sippar-Amnanum
	Kish	Baghdad
ʿAdhaim	Gasur	Kirkuk
Diyala	Akkad?	Diyala
	Eshnunna
	Tutub

Zagros Mountains forest steppe

Further information: Zagros Mountains forest steppe, Zagros Mountains, and Western Iran

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Karun	Shimashki	Isfahan
	Awan?	Lorestan
	Elam?	Ilam

Mesopotamian Marshes

Further information: Mesopotamian Marshes

Southern Iran

Further information: Southern Iran and South Iran Nubo–Sindian desert and semi-desert

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Karkheh	Susiana	Khuzestan
Marun	Susiana	Khuzestan
Karun	Anshan	Fars

Central lands

Land	(Proposed) Locations	People(s)	Language(s) and/or dialect(s) spoken
𒄘𒃼 idigna Idigna (Tigris river) lit. 'running water'
Sumer 𒆠𒂗𒄄 ^kien.gi₄ Kengir (Southern, Central, and Eastern Iraq)
Kengir (Sumer) 𒆠𒂗𒄄 ^kien.gi₄	Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate	Sumerians 𒊕𒈪𒂵 saŋ.gig₂.ga	Sumerian 𒅴𒄀 eme.gi
Gu-Edin 𒄘𒂔𒈾 gu₂.edin.na + Kalam (Sumer) 𒌦 kalam	Dhi Qar Governorate
Mountain of Eanna (Uruk and Eanna) 𒆳 𒂍𒀭𒈾 kur e₂.an.na.bi	Muthanna Governorate
Akkad 𒀀𒂵𒉈𒆠 (Sumerian) a.ga.de₃^ki Agade^ki — 𒌵𒆠 uri^ki (Akkadian) + Kish 𒆧𒆠 kiš^ki Uri^ki
Eastern Iraq
Akkad Agade^ki 𒀀𒂵𒉈𒆠 (Sumerian) a.ga.de₃^ki or Uri^ki 𒌵𒆠 uri^ki	Diyala Governorate	Akkadians	Akkadian
Pashime 𒁀𒋆𒂊𒆠 ba.šim.e^ki	Maysan Governorate
Central Iraq
Kish 𒆧𒆠 kiš^ki + Kengir (Sumer) 𒆠𒂗𒄄 ^kien.gi₄	Babil Governorate	Kishites	Kishite
Assyria 𒀸𒋩𒆠 aš.šur^ki	Saladin Governorate	Assyrians	Assyrian
Euphrates river 𒌓𒄒𒉣 buranun
Western Iraq
Martu 𒈥𒌅 mar.tu	Al Anbar Governorate	Amorites 𒈥𒌅 mar.tu	Amorite
Northern Iraq
Shubur 𒋚 šubur	Nineveh Governorate	Subarians 𒋚 subur
Hamazi 𒄩𒈠𒍣𒆠 ḫa.ma.zi^ki	Kirkuk Governorate
Simurrum 𒋛𒈬𒊒𒌝𒆠 si.mu.ru.um^ki	Sulaymaniyah Governorate
Lulubum 𒇻𒇻𒁍𒌝𒆠 lu.lu.bu.um^ki	Halabja Governorate
Gutium 𒄖𒋾𒌝𒆠 gu.ti.um^ki	Erbil Governorate	Gutians 𒄖𒋾𒌝𒆠 gu.ti.um^ki	Gutian 𒅴𒄖𒋾𒌝 eme gu.ti.um

Tigris-Euphrates drainage basin

Further information: Tigris-Euphrates Drainage Basin

Upper Mesopotamia

Further information: Upper Mesopotamia

Eastern Turkey

Further information: Eastern Turkey

Eastern Anatolia

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Upper Euphrates	Aratta?	Iğdır
Upper Euphrates		Ağrı

Northwestern Iran

Further information: Northwestern Iran

Azerbaijan

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Great Zab	Aratta?	West Azerbaijan

Eastern Syria

Further information: Western Mesopotamia

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Khabur	Urkesh	Al-Hasakah
	Shekhna
	Asnakkum
	Kahat
	Tell Arbid
	Nagar
	Tell Hamoukar
	Sikkan
	Nabada

Northern Iraq

Assyria

Further information: Assyrian homeland and Assyria

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Upper Tigris	Nineveh	Nineveh

Kurdistan

Further information: Iraqi Kurdistan

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Little Zab	Simurrum?	Sulaymaniyah

Western Iran

Further information: Western Iran

Sub-basin	Archaeological site	Administrative division
Diyala	Lulubum?	Kermanshah
	Hamazi?
	Awan?

Northernmost regions described in the earliest writings

Lands and their (proposed) locations	Earliest recorded claimants to make direct contact
Mediterranean Region, Turkey	Gilgamesh (r. c. 2670 – c. 2650 BCE) Lugalannemundu (r. c. 2350 BCE) Lugalzagesi (r. c. 2355 – c. 2316 BCE) Sargon (r. c. 2334 – c. 2279 BCE) Naram-Suen (r. c. 2254 – c. 2218 BCE)
Iginimmashe Aʾabak (Sumerian): 𒅆𒉏𒈠𒊺 𒀀𒀊𒁀 igi.nim.ma.še a.ab.ba lit. 'Upper Sea' Mediterranean Sea
Amanus Mountains (Sumerian): 𒂼𒀀𒈝 𒄯𒊕 ama.a.num₂ ḫur.saŋ Hatay Province
Mashu and the Cedar Forest (Sumerian): 𒆳𒄑𒂞𒋻 kur.^ŋešerin.kud lit. 'Mountains of Cedar-felling'
Eastern Anatolia Region	Enmerkar (r. c. 2775 – c. 2730 BCE) Lugalbanda (r. c. 2730 – c. 2700 BCE)
Hurum Mountain (Sumerian): 𒄯𒊒𒌝 𒆳𒆪𒊏 ḫur.ru.um kur.ku.ra lit. 'Mountain Cave' Mount Ararat, Iğdır Province
Aratta 𒇶𒆠 aratta^ki Ağrı Province

Westernmost regions described in the earliest writings

Land	(Proposed) Locations	People	Language(s) and/or dialect(s) spoken
Mari 𒈠𒌷𒆠 ma.ri₂^ki	Deir ez-Zor Governorate	Mariotes	Mariotic
Sutium 𒋢𒋾𒌝 su.ti.um	Raqqa Governorate	Suteans 𒋢𒋾𒌝 su.ti.um	Sutean 𒋢𒋾𒌝 su.ti.um
Suhum	Homs Governorate	Suteans 𒋢𒋾𒌝 su.ti.um	Sutean 𒋢𒋾𒌝 su.ti.um
Apum	Al-Hasakah Governorate		Akkadian dialect
Armani	Aleppo Governorate	Amorites 𒈥𒌅 mar.tu	Amorite
Amurru	Tartus Governorate	Amorites 𒈥𒌅 mar.tu	Amorite
Ebla 𒅁𒆷𒆠 eb.la^ki	Idlib Governorate	Eblaites	Eblaite

Easternmost regions described in the earliest writings

Land	(Proposed) Locations	People	Most commonly spoken and/or written language
Elam (Sumerian): 𒉏𒆠 elam^ki (Southern, Western, and Central Iran)
Southern Iran		Elamites 𒉏𒈠𒆠 elam.ma^ki	Elamite 𒅴 𒉏𒈠𒆠 eme elam.ma^ki (Language isolate) + Elamite cuneiform
Susiana 𒈹𒂞𒆠 šušin^ki	Khuzestan Province
Anshan 𒀭𒁺𒀭𒆠 an.ša₄.an^ki	Fars Province
Central Iran
Shimashki 𒇻𒋢𒆠 šimaški^ki	Isfahan Province
Western Iran
Elam 𒉏𒆠 elam^ki	Ilam Province
Awan 𒀀𒉿𒀭𒆠 a.wa.an^ki	Lorestan Province
Lulubum 𒇻𒇻𒁍𒌝𒆠 lu.lu.bu.um^ki	Kurdistan Province	Lullubi 𒇻𒇻𒁉𒆠 lu.lu.bi^ki	Lullubi (Unclassified language) + Akkadian cuneiform
Simurrum 𒋛𒈬𒊒𒌝𒆠 si.mu.ru.um^ki	Kermanshah Province
Hamazi 𒄩𒈠𒍣𒆠 ḫa.ma.zi^ki	Hamadan Province
Gutium 𒄖𒋾𒌝𒆠 gu.ti.um^ki	West Azerbaijan Province	Gutians 𒄖𒋾𒌝𒆠 gu.ti.um^ki	Gutian (Unclassified language) 𒅴𒄖𒋾𒌝 eme gu.ti.um
Hurti 𒄷𒄯𒋾𒆠 ḫu.ur₅.ti^ki
Northwestern Iran
Aratta 𒇶𒆠 aratta^ki	East Azerbaijan Province
Eastern Iran
Marhasi 𒈥𒄩𒅆𒆠 mar.ḫa.ši^ki	Sistan and Baluchestan Province
Western Pakistan
Meluhha 𒈨𒈛𒄩𒆠 me.luḫ.ḫa^ki	Balochistan, Pakistan	Harappan	Harappan (Unclassified language) + Indus script

Southernmost regions described in the earliest writings

Land	(Proposed) Locations	People(s)	Language(s) and/or dialect(s) spoken
Sigtata Aʾabak (Sumerian): 𒋝𒋫𒋫 𒀀𒀊𒁀 sig.ta.ta a.ab.ba lit. 'Lower Sea' Persian Gulf
Dilmun 𒉌𒌇 dilmun^ki	Eastern Province
Magan 𒈣𒃶𒆠 ma₂.gan^ki	Ad Dhahirah Governorate

Notes

References

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