Editing Akkadian Empire (section)

===Pre-Sargonic Akkad===
[[Image:Umma2350.PNG|thumb|Akkad before expansion (in green). The territory of [[Sumer]] under its last king [[Lugal-Zage-Si]] appears in orange. Circa 2350 BC]]
[[File:Sargon on his victory stele.jpg|thumb|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.<ref name="AOA">{{cite book |last1=Foster |first1=Benjamin R. |title=The Age of Agade: Inventing Empire in Ancient Mesopotamia |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781317415527 |page=3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O680CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="LN">{{cite journal |last1=Nigro |first1=Lorenzo |title=The Two Steles of Sargon: Iconology and Visual Propaganda at the Beginning of Royal Akkadian Relief |journal=Iraq |volume=60 |date=1998 |publisher=British Institute for the Study of Iraq |page=92 |doi=10.2307/4200454 |jstor=4200454 |hdl=11573/109737 |s2cid=193050892 }}</ref> The name of Sargon in cuneiform ("King Sargon") appears faintly in front of his face.<ref name="AOA"/><ref name="LN93-94"/> [[Louvre Museum]].]]
[[File:Akkadian official in the retinue of Sargon of Akkad, holding an axe.jpg|thumb|Akkadian official in the retinue of Sargon of Akkad, holding an axe]]
The Akkadian Empire takes its name from the [[Akkad (region)|region]] and the city of Akkad, both of which were localized in the general confluence area of the [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]] Rivers. Although the city of Akkad has not yet been identified on the ground, it is known from various textual sources. Among these is at least one text predating the reign of Sargon. Together with the fact that the name Akkad is of non-[[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] origin, this suggests that the city of Akkad may have already been occupied in pre-Sargonic times.<ref name=wallromana1990/><ref>{{citation |last1=Foster |first1=Benjamin R.|editor1-first=Roger S. |editor1-last=Bagnall |title=The Encyclopedia of Ancient History |year=2013 |publisher=Blackwell |location=Chicago |doi=10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah01005 |chapter=Akkad (Agade) |pages=266–267 |isbn=9781444338386}}</ref>