Shu-Sin
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Shu-Sin, also Šu-Suen was king of Sumer and Akkad, and was the penultimate king of the Ur III dynasty. He succeeded his father Amar-Sin, and reigned c. 1973–1964 BC.
5-mina weight with the name of Shu-Sin, with his regnal titles, from Girsu, Louvre Museum
Door socket inscribed with the name of Shu-Sin, king of Ur, Ur III. From Mesopotamia, Erbil Civilization Museum.
Inscription with the name of Shu-Sin
Seal of Shu-Sin: "Shu-sin, the Great King, King of Ur, King of the four world quarters..."
Akkadian Empire
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The Akkadian Empire was the first known ancient empire of Mesopotamia, succeeding the long-lived civilization of Sumer. Centered on the city of Akkad and its surrounding region, the empire would unite Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule and exercised significant influence across Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia, sending military expeditions as far south as Dilmun and Magan in the Arabian Peninsula.
Bronze head of an Akkadian ruler, discovered in Nineveh in 1931, presumably depicting either Sargon or, more probably, Sargon's grandson Naram-Sin.
Sargon on his victory stele, with a royal hair bun, holding a mace and wearing a flounced royal coat on his left shoulder with a large belt (left), followed by an attendant holding a royal umbrella. The name of Sargon in cuneiform ("King Sargon") appears faintly in front of his face. Louvre Museum.
Akkadian official in the retinue of Sargon of Akkad, holding an axe
Prisoners escorted by a soldier, on a victory stele of Sargon of Akkad, circa 2300 BC. The hairstyle of the prisoners (curly hair on top and short hair on the sides) is characteristic of Sumerians, as also seen on the Standard of Ur. Louvre Museum.