Shaduppum

Shaduppum (Šaduppȗm), modern Tell Harmal (also Tell Abu Harmal and Tel Harmal), is an archaeological site in Baghdad Governorate (Iraq). Nowadays, it lies within the borders of modern Baghdad about 600 meters from the site of Tell Muhammad (possibly ancient Diniktum). In the Old Babylonian period, it was part of the kingdom of Eshnunna. Other cities in the kingdom lie not far away, including Eshnunna (30 miles to the southwest) and Tell Ishchali and Khafajah, four and six miles away on the left bank of the Diyala River. The site of Tell al-Dhiba'i, thought to be the ancient town of Uzarzalulu, is about 2 kilometers away and of similar characteristics. The tutelary deity of the city was Bēl-gašer. The goddess Ninkarrak also had a cult center at Shaduppum.

==Archaeology== thumb|Terracotta lion from Tell Harmal, Iraq Museum thumb|Clay tablet, mathematical, geometric-algebraic, similar to the Euclidean geometry. From Tell Harmal, Iraq. 2003-1595 BCE. Iraq Museum The site, 150 meters in diameter and 5 meters high. Tell Harmal consists of a heavily fortified irregular rectangle (147 x 133 x 146 x 97 meters). The fortification wall had a towered gateway in the northeast and was 5.6 meters wide with 6.36 meter wide buttresses. It was excavated by Iraqi archaeologists Taha Baqir and Sayid Muhammed Ali Mustafa of the Department of Antiquities and Heritage from 1945 to 1949 in response to planned residential development and illegal digging, discovering about 3000 unbaked clay cuneiform tablets. These tablets were found in both religious and administrative contexts. Stories about Creation, the flood, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and others were inscribed on some of the tablets. Only about 1/3 have been published. Over 100 large (3.5 cm in diameter) pierced clay balls inscribed with daily brick making receipts were also found.