Diniktum (also Diniktim), inscribed Di3-ni-ik-tumKI, was a still unlocated middle bronze-age town often thought to be located somewhere in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq. Based on texts found at Irisaĝrig it is known that there were temples to Nin-Ištaran and Inana at Diniktum. Pitts, Audrey, "The Cult of the Deified King in Ur III Mesopotamia", Dissertation, Harvard University, 2015Owen, David I., "A new Iri-Saĝrig “sacristy” inventory text in the Lanier Theological Library", Revue d'assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale 113.1, pp. 39-44, 2019
History Early Dynastic period Based on lexical texts, primarily the List of Geographical Names, Diniktum existed in the Early Dynastic II period.Frayne, Douglas R., "The struggle for hegemony in “Early Dynastic II” Sumer", The Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies Journal 4, pp. 37-75, 2009
Ur III period Messenger texts from Girsu during the reign of Ur III ruler Šulgi mention Diniktum 16 times.Sallaberger, Walther, "Hamzeh Ghobadizadeh and Walther Sallaberger: Šulgi in the Kuhdasht Plain: Bricks from a Battle Monument at the Crossroads of Western Pish-e Kuh and the Localisation of Kimaš and Ḫurti", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie 113, pp. 3-33, 2023 In that period Diniktum was under the control of the Ur III governor at Irisaĝrig.Viano, Maurizio, "Introduction", New Perspectives on the History of Early Mesopotamia: The Region of Irisagrig and Malgum, edited by Manuel Molina and Palmiro Notizia, De Gruyter, pp. 1-8, 2026
Middle Bronze It enjoyed independence briefly during the 18th century under the reigns of the Amorite chieftains (ra-bí-an MAR.DÚ) Itur-šarrum, attested on a single seal from Ešnunna, and Sîn-gāmil, son of Sîn-šēmi and a contemporary of Zimri-Lim (ca. 1710–1698 BC short) of Mari and Ḫammu-rapī (ca. 1728–1686 BC short) of Babylon, attested in a brick inscription "Sin-gamil, Amorite chief of Diniktum, son of Sin-semi.". In an old Babylonian letter from Yarim-Lim I, the king of Yamḫad to the Yašub-Yahad, the king of Dēr, he says:
Yarim-Lim I would defeat the king of Diniktum in battle.
One king of Diniktum named Itur-šarrum ruled Diniktum for around a century before his successor Sîn-gāmil became the new ruler of the kingdom.
Ikūn-pî-Sîn (“The word of Sin is truthful”), the ruler of Nērebtum (Tell Ishchali) and possibly Tutub, cities in the sphere of Ešnunna, has a year name: “Year when Ikū(n)-pî-Sîn captured Diniktum."Harris, Rivkah, "The Archive of the Sin Temple in Khafajah (Tutub)", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 31–58, 1955Harris, Rivkah, "The Archive of the Sin Temple in Khafajah (Tutub) (Conclusion)", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 91–120, 1955 It was absorbed into the kingdom of Ešnunna and consequently embroiled in its conflicts with Elam during the reigns of Ibāl-pî-El II (ca. 1715–1701 BC short) and Ṣillī-Sîn (ca. 1700–1698 BC short). During an Elamite invasion of Mesopotamia the Elamites sacked Eshnunna. This caused many soldiers in the Elamite army that were from Eshnunna to defect. Because of the mass desertion, the Elamite king retreated back to Diniktum. While in Diniktum, the Elamites would sue for peace with Hammurabi. The Elamites were then driven from the city.
Late Bronze The town was still settled in the later bronze-age, as a year name of 15th century BC Kassite ruler Kadashman-harbe I reads "the year [in which] Kadašman-Ḫarbe, the king, dug the canal of Diniktum".Tablet Ni. 3199. Brinkman, J., "A catalogue of cuneiform sources pertaining to specific monarchs of the Kassite Dynasty", Materials and Studies for Kassite History 1, Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 1977
Location An early proposal was on the Tigris river downstream from Upi and close to the northern border of Elam. It has also been suggested as being at or in the vicinity of Tell Muhammad, which lies in south-eastern part of modern Baghdad.Paolo Gentili, Where is Diniktum? : Remarks on the Situation and a Supposition, Rivista degli studi orientali, Nuova Serie, Vol. 79, Fasc. 1/4, pp. 231-238, 2006Laneri, Nicola, et al., "The Baghdad Urban Archaeological Project: A Preliminary Report on the First Two Seasons (2022-2023) of Archaeological Research at the Old Babylonian Site of Tell Muhammad (Baghdad)", Egitto e Vicino Oriente 70, pp. 139-168, 2024 Diniktum is mentioned in the Harmal geographical list, Tablet IM 51143.Levy, Selim J., "Harmal Geographical List", Sumer, vol. 3, iss. 2, pp. 50-83, 1947
The site of Tell Harmal has been proposed as the location of Diniktum.Smith, Sidney, "Excavations at Tell Harmal I: Diniktim", Sumer, Il/2, pp. 19-21, 1946
In a survey of archaeological sites in the Diyala region of Iraq a site, Tell #851, was identified as a possible location for Diniktum. It showed surface remains from the Ubaid to Kassite periods. A local resident there turned in six UrIII/Larsa cylinder seals (one mentioned the god Ninib) and an inscribed brick. The brick read "Sîn-gāmil the great leader of Martu of the city Diniktum son of Sin-šemi". Adams, Robert M., "Land Behind Baghdad: A History of Settlement on the Diyala Plains", Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1965Saporetti, Claudio, "McC Adams 851 = Diniktum?", Egitto e Vicino Oriente, vol. 24, pp. 97–102, 2001
It is thought to have been near the towns of Anzagar, Malkum, Agar-Suen, Gizuna, and Babaz. And on the road leading from Irisaĝrig to Der.Steinkeller, Piotr, "Two Sargonic seals from Urusagrig and the question of Urusagrig’s location", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie 112, pp. 1-10, 2022
A text from Mari which describes an Elamite army retreating from Eshnunna to Elam via Diniktum "... the Elamites looted the city of Ešnuna, (and then) they retreated to Diniktum. (Now) they have left Dinikitum for their land ...", indicates that Diniktum was to the east of Eshnunna.Owen, David I., "Treasures of the Sacristy", Revue d'assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale 107.1, pp. 29-42, 2013Steinkeller, Piotr, K. De Graef, and J. Tavernier, "Puzur-Inšušinak at Susa: A pivotal episode of early Elamite history reconsidered", Susa and Elam: Archaeological, Philological, Historical and Geographical Perspectives, pp. 293-318, 2013
See also Cities of the ancient Near East
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