The earliest period of Sumerian history that is reliably recorded is the Early Dynastic period (c. 2750—2335 BCE). At this time, Sumer was divided into several city-states that were often at war with one another, usually because of disputes over water rights and land.
The earliest lugal for whom a historical record has been discovered is Enmebaragesi, king of Kish, who ruled from around 2630 to 2600 BCE. Kish was one of the more important Sumerian city-states, and an ancient Sumerian poem entitled Gilgamesh and
Agga of Kish relates how Enmebaragesi’s son, Agga, besieged the city of Uruk. However, it appears he was not successful, because in the Sumerian king list, he is shown to be the last king of his dynasty. The ruler of Uruk subsequently became the overlord of Kish.
Despite the constant battles between the city-states, a great flowering of the arts and architecture occurred in this period. One of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries from Early Dynastic Sumer was the royal cemetery at Ur, which was uncovered by the archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley during his excavations of the city in the 1920s CE. This cemetery contained hundreds of burials, dating from between 2600 and 2400 BCE. The graves contained the personal possessions of the deceased, and 17 of them were much more elaborate than the others; Woolley called these the royal tombs. The graves contained a wealth of precious objects fashioned in silver and gold, together
The town of Mosul stands on the banks of the Tigris River. Many of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia lay on the banks of either the Tigris or the Euphrates.
The Ziggurat of Ur, once the focal point of the city's religious practices, has been fully restored.
With furniture, musical instruments, carts, draft animals, and even the bodies of servants who had been sacrificed to accompany the tomb owner into the afterlife. In one remarkable tomb, 74 royal attendants were found, all magnificently dressed and adorned.
One of the most fascinating of all the finds was a small wooden box inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli. This box, now known as the Standard of Ur, bears on its sides inlaid pictures of Sumerian life. One long side shows a scene of a royal feast, while the other depicts a battle scene. The box’s end panels are also inlaid; one shows scenes of the sacrifice of a ram to the gods.
World History
