The Gutians were a nomadic Iranian people from the Zagros Mountains who ruled over Sumer from 2135 BC to 2055 BC. The Gutians were known for their light skin and blond hair, and they were also known for their hit-and-run warfare tactics. In 2154 BC, the Gutians invaded the Akkadian Empire and thoroughly destroyed its capital, Akkad, but the nomadic Gutians did not conquer the rest of Sumer, and they were not accustomed to civilization. They showed little concern for maintaining agriculture, written records, or public safety, and they released all farm animals to roam about Mesopotamia freely, bringing about famine and rocketing grain prices. In 2055 BC, King Ur-Nammu expelled the Gutians from Mesopotamia and back into the Zagros Mountains, and they came to inhabit Media (between the Zagros and the Tigris), eventually becoming the Medes.
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