Wall plaque ca. 1340-1300 B.C. Elamite This glazed ceramic plaque is square, with a triple border of raised lines and scalloped in the corners. The center is dominated by a peg with an Elamite cuneiform inscription in the center reading Untash-Napirisha,’ the name of an Elamite king who reigned ca. 1340-1300 B.C.It was excavated at Choga Zanbil, about 50 miles north of modern Ahvaz, Iran. Established by Untash-Napirisha as a new capital of the Elamite kingdom, the site boasts one of the best-preserved ziggurats in the ancient world. At least twenty-five different gods were worshipped there, and although the city was not completed by the time of Untash-Napirisha’s death, it continued to serve as a religious center until ca. 1000 B.C. Hundreds of similar plaques were discovered by archaeologists at the site, suggesting that they played a prominent role there.The exact function of these plaques remains uncertain. It is likely that they are an iteration of an earlier tradition in Mesopota