Tirol pine helps date Babylonian empire’s fall to 1587 BC

A study using precisely dated pine wood from Tirol has placed the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire in 1587 BC, ORF reported. The findings help fix dates for events whose sequence was known but whose exact timing remained uncertain.

Researchers used dated tree samples from Europe, including pine from the Ötztal valley in Tirol and oak from Germany, to create reference curves for radiocarbon dating. They then applied the calibration to wood from archaeological sites in Anatolia, which was connected to Mesopotamia through trade networks.

The new dates indicate that Hammurabi’s 32nd year as king was around 1754 BC. The ruler, known for the law code bearing his name, began an expansion north and east around that time. Researchers dated the collapse of the Old Babylonian Empire under his great-grandson Šamšu-ditāna to 1587 BC.

Earlier estimates based on Babylonian astronomical observations differed by 150 to 230 years. The international research team included Austrian researchers and was led by Charlotte Pearson of the University of Arizona. Kurt Nicolussi of the University of Innsbruck said the method made it possible to date Anatolian wood samples to the exact year.