[4] The site of Tell al-Rimah was excavated from 1964 to 1971 by a British School of Archaeology in Iraq team led by David Oates, joined by the Penn Museum and Theresa Howard Carter in the first three years.

[5][6][7][8][9][10] A large temple and palace from the early second millennium BC were excavated, as well as a Neo-Assyrian building.

[17] An Old Babylonian period seal was found saying "i-lí-sa-ma-[ás] dumu iq-qa-at utu/iskur ir pí-it-ha-na," i.e, "Ill-Samas, son of Iqqāt-Šamas Addu, servant of Pithana" which has given rise to the suggestion that this referred to Pithana who was ruler of the Anatolian city of Kuššara, although that reading of the ruler's name is not certain.

[citation needed] It reached its greatest size and prominence during the second millennium BC.

The second millennium activity was primarily strong during the Old Babylonian (contemporary with Zimri-Lim of Mari, Hammurabi of Babylon and Ishme-Dagan of Ekallatum who was the son of Shamshi-Adad I) and Mitanni periods.

[22] A notable find was a large archive of letters of Iltani, daughter of Samu-Addu, king of Karana from the Old Babylonian period.

In recollection of you, I have sent to you five minas of first-rate wool and one container of shrimps[26] Her husband was Aqba-aḫum of Qaṭṭara who in a text found at Mari wrote to her saying "The ice (house) of Qaṭṭara should be unsealed, so that the goddess, you, and Belassunu could drink from it as needed.

[27] Another Mari text involving Iltani reveals that there was a version of he goddess Istar at Qatara.

A clay sealing read "Bini-sakin, foremost son of the king, servant of Askur-Addu".

A messenger text found at Karana "They have brought in four tablets of the governor of Susa in Elam....

The most notable artifact found was the stele of Adad-nirari III (811 to 783 BC), known as the Tell al-Rimah stela, which may mention an early king of Northern Israel stating "He received the tribute of Ia'asu the Samaritan, of the Tyrian (ruler) and of the Sidonian (ruler)" and contains the first cuneiform mention of Samaria by that name.

[34] Razama (ra-za-ma-aki) was an ancient Near East city which achieved prominence in the Old Babylonian period and was capital of the land of Yussan/Yassan.

[37] The city was briefly controlled by Ishme-Dagan I, ruler of Isin, after attacking it with the assistance of Eshnunna, before it was recaptured by Zimri-Lim.

[38] A text found at Tell Leilan (Subat-Enlil) mentions a Hurrian prince of the Razama, Hazip-Tessup.

[47] In another Mari text a journey of ruler Zimri-Lim has him taking the path "... Rassum, Tadum, Ilan-sura, Razama-of-Yussan, and Husla".

In a messenger text from Mari a route is recorded of "[The route of the messen]gers [of the Ya]minites [between Ešnunna] and Karana, [he made it known to me] [thus: (from Ešnunna) to Dur]-Sin; [from Dur]-Sin to Arrapha; [from Ar]rapha [to Ka]wa[lhum]; [from K]awalh[um] to Razama of the Yamutbal; from Razama of the Yamutbal to Karana; from Karana to Allahad.

[48] A reconstruction of Old Babylonian period trading routes included one "ASSUR – Sadduatum – Razama sa Bura – Abidiban – Qattara – Razama sa Uhakim – Kaluzanum – Adubazum – Daraqum – Apum ...".