![Statuettes found at Tall al-Asmar, Early Dynastic II (c. 2775–c. 2650 bc); in …[Credits : Courtesy of the Oriental Institute, the University of Chicago]](http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/37/12037-003-DD3ADBE4.gif)
ancient city in the Diyālā River valley lying about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Baghdad in east-central Iraq. The excavations carried out by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago revealed that the site was occupied sometime before 3000 bc. The city expanded throughout the Early Dynastic Period, and during the 3rd dynasty of Ur the city was the seat of an ensi (governor). After the collapse of Ur, Eshnunna became independent but was later conquered by Hammurabi, king of Babylonia. During the next century the city fell into decline and may have been abandoned.
The “Laws of Eshnunna” are inscribed on two broken tablets found in Tall Abū Harmal, near Baghdad. The two tablets are not duplicates but separate copies of an older source. The laws are believed to be about two generations older than the Code of Hammurabi; the differences between the two codes help illuminate the development of ancient law.
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