Ville III (2200–1760 bc)

Ville III, also marked by growth and prosperity, can be divided into two phases. The first is referred to as the period of the šakkanakku, an Akkadian term for the new dynastic rulers (“governors”) of Mari who were appointed by the Assyrians after the conquests of Sargon and Naram-Sin. During this period, the royal palace was expanded and large parts of the city renovated. An elevated terrace (sometimes inaccurately referred to as a ziggurat) was added in the temple precinct along with a second, smaller palace nearby.

The second phase of Ville III is referred to as the Amorite period, named after the rulers of the Lim dynasty who reigned until Hammurabi of Babylon destroyed Mari. Nearly 15,000 cuneiform documents attest to political, administrative, and economic aspects of the city during this period. At this time, the royal palace expanded into a massive hub of public activity, functioning as the heart of the city’s governance and administration; it covered nearly six acres and included nearly 300 ground-level rooms (see Parrot, Mission archéologique de Mari II. Le palais: Architecture). The palace—which included courtyards, royal suites, a throne room, stores, kitchens, servants’ quarters, and apartments—greatly contributes to current understanding of the monumental architecture of the period (see also Margueron, Mari: Metropole de l’Euphrate). Following a breakdown in political relations between Babylon and the Lim dynasty, Hammurabi destroyed the city in 1760 bc. Zimri-Lim, the final ruler of Mari, disappears from the written record after this point. The ruins of the city were occupied only sporadically until the Seleucid period.