Editing Larsa (section)

==Archaeology==
[[File:Kings Larsa Louvre AO7025.jpg|thumb|right|List of the kings of Larsa, 39th year of [[Hammurabi]]'s reign, [[Louvre]]]]
[[File:Compilation of plane geometry problems from Larsa.jpg|thumb|Compilation of plane geometry problems from Larsa, Old Babylonian period.]]
The remains of Larsa cover an area of about 200 hectares. The highest point is around {{convert|70|ft|abbr=on}} in height.

The site of Tell es-Senkereh was first excavated, under the rudimentary archaeological standards of his day, by [[William Loftus (archaeologist)|William Loftus]] in 1850 for less than a month.<ref>[https://archive.org/download/travelsresearche00loft/travelsresearche00loft.pdf] William Loftus, "Travels and researches in Chaldæa and Susiana; with an account of excavations at Warka, the Erech of Nimrod, and Shúsh, Shushan the Palace of Esther, in 1849–52", J. Nisbet and Co., 1857</ref> Loftus recovered building bricks of [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] of the [[Neo-Babylonian Empire]] which enabled the site's identification as the ancient city of Larsa. Much of the effort by Loftus was on the temple of [[Shamash]], rebuilt by Nebuchadnezzar II. Inscriptions of [[Burna-Buriash II]] of the [[Kassite dynasty]] of [[Babylon]] and [[Hammurabi]] of the [[First Babylonian dynasty]] were also found. Larsa was also briefly worked by [[Walter Andrae]] in 1903. The site was inspected by [[Edgar James Banks]] in 1905. He found that widespread looting by the local population was occurring there.<ref>[https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/473581] Edgar James Banks, "Senkereh, the Ruins of Ancient Larsa", The Biblical World, 25, no. 5, pp. 389–392, 1905</ref>

The first modern, scientific, excavation of Senkereh occurred in 1933, with the work of [[André Parrot]].<ref>Andre Parrot, "Villes enfouies. Trois campagnes de fouilles en Mésopotamie", 1935</ref><ref>A. Parrot, "Les fouilles de Tello et de. Senkereh-Larsa, campagne 1932–1933", Revue d'Assyriologie, 30,  pp. 169–182, 1933</ref>
Parrot worked at the location again in 1967.<ref>André Parrot, "Les fouilles de Larsa", Syria, 45, pp. 205–239, 1968</ref><ref>Parrot, André, "Les Fouilles de Larsa. Deuxième et Troisième Campagnes (1967)", Syria, vol. 45, no. 3/4, pp. 205–39, 1968</ref>
In 1969 and 1970, Larsa was excavated by Jean-Claude Margueron.<ref>Jean-Claude Margueron, "Larsa, rapport preliminaire sur la quatrieme campagne", ''Syria'', 47, pp. 261-277, 1970</ref><ref>Jean-Claude Margueron, "Larsa, rapport preliminaire sur la cinquieme campagne", Syria, 48, pp. 271–287, 1971</ref>
Between 1976 and 1991, an expedition of the Delegation Archaeologic Francaise en Irak led by J-L. Huot excavated at Tell es-Senereh for 13 seasons.<ref>J. L. Huot et al., "Larsa, Preliminary Report on the Sixth Campaign", Sumer, 34, pp. 140–164, 1978</ref><ref>J-L. Huot, "Larsa, rapport preliminaire sur la septieme campagne Larsa et la premiere campagne Tell el 'Oueili (1976)", ''Syria'', 55, pp. 183–223, 1978</ref><ref>J-L. Huot, "Larsa et 'Oueili, travaux de 1978–1981", vol. 26, Memoire, Editions Recherche sur les civilisations, 1983 {{ISBN|2-86538-066-1}}</ref><ref>J-L. Huot, "Larsa, Travaux de 1985", Editions Recherche sur les civilisations, 1989 {{ISBN|2-86538-198-6}}</ref> The primary focus of the excavation was the Neo-Babylonian E-Babbar temple of Utu/Shamash. Floors and wall repairs showed its continued use in the Hellenistic period. A tablet, found on the earliest Hellenistic floor, was dated to the reign of [[Philip Arrhidaeus]] (320 BC). Soundings showed that the Neo-Babylonian temple followed that plan of the prior Kassite and earlier temples.<ref>J.-L. Huot, "Larsa (10e campagne, 1983) et Oueili: Rapport preliminaire", Editions Recherche sur les civilisations, 1987 {{ISBN|2-86538-174-9}}</ref> Numerous inscriptions and cuneiform tablets were found representing the reigns of numerous rulers, from [[Ur-Nammu]]  to Hammurabi all the way up to Nebuchadnezzar II.<ref>D. Arnaud, "French Archaeological Mission in Iraq. A Catalogue of the Cuneiform Tablets and Inscribed Objects Found during the 6th Season in Tell Senkereh/Larsa", Sumer, 34, pp. 165–176, 1978</ref><ref>Huot, J.-L., "L’E. babbar de Larsa aux IIe et Ier millénaires (fouilles de 1974 à 1985)", BAH 205, Beyrouth, 2014</ref>

In 2019 excavations were resumed. The first season began with a topographic survey, by drone and surface survey, to refine and correct the mapping from early excavations. Excavation was focused on a large construction of the Hellenistic period built north of the E-Babbar temple.<ref>[https://www.cairn.info/load_pdf.php?ID_ARTICLE=ARSC_451_0051&download=1] Lionel Darras, Régis Vallet, "La découverte des remparts de Larsa (Iraq) par la géophysique", XXIIIe colloque du GMPCA : Archéométrie 2022, May 2022, Chambéry, France</ref><ref>[https://hal.science/hal-03088166/document] Vallet, R. et al., "Preliminary Report on the XIVth and XVth Campaigns at Larsa", Sumer LXVI, pp. 133-176, 2020</ref> The first season included a magnetometer survey.<ref>[https://journals.openedition.org/archeosciences/pdf/8378] Darras, Lionel, and Régis Vallet, "Magnetic signatures of urban structures: Case study from Larsa (Iraq, 6th–1st Millennium BC)", ArcheoSciences, Revue d'archéométrie 45-1, pp. 51-54, 2021</ref> Excavations continued with one month seasons in 2021 and 2022. They have been able to trace a very large system of internal canals and a port area, all linked to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Old Babylonian times. In a destroyed level of the Grand Viziers residence 59 cuneiform tablets, fragments and envelopes dated to the time of [[Gungunum]] and [[Abisare]] were found. Geophysical work continued including on the 10-20 meter wide rampart wall that enclosed Larsa, with six main gates.<ref>[https://hal.science/hal-03925003] Regis Vallet, "Larsa-'Uwaili Annual Report 2021-2022: Preliminary Report on the Results of the XVIth & XVIIth Campaigns at Larsa and the Xth Campaign at Tell el ‘Uwaili", State Board of Antiquities and Heritage of Iraq. 2022</ref>