Javier Alvarez-Mon. “The Elamite Royal Orchestra from Madaktu (653 BC)”

Amongst the numerous depictions of Elamites in Neo-Assyrian reliefs are two slabs from Sennacherib’s Southwest palace at Nineveh illustrating the royal Elamite orchestra performing at the city of Madaktu upon the arrival of Ummannigaš/Humban-nikaš II, the Elamite puppet king installed by Ashurbanipal after his defeat of the prior king, Te’umman, at the Ulai river battle in 653 BCE. Carved around 650 BCE, the scene belonged to a much larger propaganda series dedicated to Elam’s defeat and subm..