The Third Dynasty of Ur or Ur III was a Sumerian dynasty based in the city of Ur in the 22nd and 21st centuries BC ( middle chronology ). For a short period they were the preeminent power in Mesopotamia and their realm is sometimes referred to by historians as the Neo-Sumerian Empire .
83-572: At the beginning of 3rd dynasty of Ur , Sirara ( Sumerian : 𒌓𒈣𒀏𒆠𒋳 SIRARA 6 ) was a temple complex in Lagash - it may also (or instead) have been a city as mentioned in The Royal Chronicle of Lagaš. It has been suggested that the city-state known as Sirara was also called Nina or Nimin , which was probably a seaport . This article relating to archaeology in the Near East
166-548: A formal border was established. Eannatum restored the border, including the boundary markers of Mesilim . "Eanatum, ruler of Lagash, uncle of Enmetena ruler of Lagash, demarcated the border with Enakale, ruler of Umma. He extended the [boundary-]channel from the Nun-channel to Guʾedena, leaving a 215-nindan [= 1,290 meters] [strip] of Ningirsu’s land under Umma’s control, establishing a no-man’s land there. He inscribed [and erected] monuments at that [boundary-]channel, and restored
249-555: A general (Šagina) who represented the crown. Each province had a redistribution center where provincial taxes, called bala , would all go to be shipped to the capital. The bala tax worked on a rotating basis, with only one province supporting the kingdom at a time. Each province would support the kingdom for an amount of time determined by the size of their economy. Taxes could be paid in various forms, from crops to livestock to land. The government would then apportion out goods as needed, including funding temples and giving food rations to
332-719: A heavy trade relationship with the Gulf region. Evidence for imports from the Indus to Ur can be found from around 2350 BC. Various objects made with shell species that are characteristic of the Indus coast, particularly Trubinella Pyrum and Fasciolaria Trapezium , have been found in the archaeological sites of Mesopotamia dating from around 2500-2000 BC. Several Indus seals with Harappan script have also been found in Mesopotamia, particularly in Ur and Babylon . About twenty seals have been found from
415-409: A major power extending throughout large areas of Mesopotamia and to the east as well. In an inscription found at ancient Adab : "Eannatum, ruler of Lagash, granted strength by Enlil, nourished with special milk by Ninhursag, nominated by Ningirsu, chosen in her heart by Nanshe, son of Akurgal ruler of Lagash, defeated mountainous Elam, defeated Urua , defeated Umma, defeated Ur. At that time, he built
498-433: A sixth and final season of excavation led by D. P. Hansen. The work primarily involved areas adjacent to an, as yet, unexcavated temple Ibgal of the goddess Inanna in the southwest edge of the city. The Bagara temple of Ningirsu was also worked on. Both were built by Early Dynastic III king Eannatum. Temples to the goddesses Gatumdag , Nanshe , and Bau are known to have existed but have not yet been found. A canal linked
581-479: A state. When Kings of the Third Ur dynasty ruled they had specific dates and names for each period of their rule. One example was "the year of Ur-nammu king," which marked Ur-Nammu's coronation. Another important time was the year named "The threshed grain of Largas." This year name references an event in which Ur-Nammu attacked the territory of Largas and took grain back to Ur. Another year-name that has been discovered
664-480: A well of fired bricks for Ningirsu in his (Ningirsu’s) broad courtyard. His personal god is Shulultul . Then, Ningirsu loved Eannatum." Another inscription detail his destruction of "Kiß, Akßak, and Mari at a place named Antasur". He also claimed to have taken the city of Akshak and killed its king, Zuzu. Eannatum took the city of Uru'az on the Persian Gulf , and exacted tribute as far as Mari ; however, many of
747-492: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Iraq geographical location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 3rd dynasty of Ur The Third Dynasty of Ur is commonly abbreviated as "Ur III" by historians studying the period. It is numbered in reference to previous dynasties, such as the First Dynasty of Ur (26-25th century BC), but it seems the once supposed Second Dynasty of Ur
830-412: Is also believed to be a place where people would often take disputes according to some tablets that were found near the city. Politically it is hard to say how significant Nippur was because the city had no status as a dynastic or military power. However, the fact that Nippur never really gave kings any real political or military advantages suggests to some that it was never really conquered. The city itself
913-413: Is known from records, that of his accession, suggesting a shorter reign. It is possible that Ur-Nammu was originally his governor. There are two stelae discovered in Ur that include this detail in an inscription about Ur-Nammu's life. Ur-Nammu rose to prominence as a warrior-king when he crushed the ruler of Lagash in battle, killing the king himself. After this battle, Ur-Nammu seems to have earned
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#1733085205543996-591: Is known of the next ruler aside from his ascension year name and a handful of religious inscriptions. Nam-mahani is primarily known for being defeated by Ur-Nammu, first ruler of the Ur III empire and being considered the last ruler of the second dynasty of Lagash (often called the Gudean Dynasty). In the prologue of the Code of Ur-Nammu it states "He slew Nam-ha-ni the ensi of Lagash". A number of his inscriptions were defaced and
1079-400: Is known, Ir-Nanna. After the fifth year of the last Ur II ruler, Ibbi-Sin, his year name was no longer used at Lagash, indicating Ur no longer controlled that city. Lagash is one of the largest archaeological sites in the region, measuring roughly 3.5 kilometers north to south and 1.5 kilometers east to west though is relatively low being only 6 meters above the plain level at maximum. Much of
1162-423: Is known. Mesilim , who called himself King of Kish though it is uncertain which city he was from, named Lugalshaengur as an "ensi" of Lagash on a mace head. While many details like the length of reign are not known for the next ruler, Ur-Nanshe , a number of his inscriptions have been found, most at Lagash with one stele at Ur, which along with Umma , he claimed to have conquered in battle. Almost all deal with
1245-472: Is notable mainly because three of his daughters married later rulers of Lagash, Gudea, Nam-mahani, and Ur-gar. His inscriptions are all of a religious nature, including building or restoring the "Eninnu, the White Thunderbird". Five of his year names are known. At this point Lagash is still at best a small local power. In some case the absolute order of rulers is not known with complete certainty. While
1328-454: Is quite a different picture of a laborer's life than the previous belief that they were afforded no way to move out of the social group they were born into. Slaves also made up a crucial group of labor for the state. One scholar estimates that 2/5 of chattel slaves mentioned in documents were not born slaves but became slaves due to accumulating debt, being sold by family members, or other reasons. However, one surprising feature of this period
1411-662: Is surrounded by a low enclosure wall with unknown height. ( Eannatum ’s rule or later) 3HB Building: 24 x 20m Enclosure Wall: approximately 31m x 25m An excavator believes that the 3HB Building was a “kitchen temple” that aimed at meeting some of the god’s demands. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the building was a shrine in the Bagara complex as it shared more similarities with other temples than kitchens in terms of layout, features and contents. The excavators discovered five building levels. The layout of 4HB V cannot be obtained due to limited exploration. 4HB IV-4HB I shared
1494-676: Is that slaves seem to have been able to accumulate some assets and even property during their lifetimes such that they could buy their freedom. Extant documents give details about specific deals for slaves' freedoms negotiated with slaveowners. One salient feature of Ur III is its establishment of one of the earliest known law-codes, the Code of Ur-Nammu . It is quite similar to the famous Code of Hammurabi , resembling its prologue and bodily structure. Extant copies, written in Old Babylonian , exist from Nippur , Sippar , and also Ur itself. Although
1577-607: The Sumerian King List (SKL) despite being a power in the Early Dynastic period and a major city in the centuries that followed. One tablet, from the later Old Babylonian period and known as The Rulers of Lagash , was described by its translator as "rather fanciful" and is generally considered to be a satirical parody of the SKL. The thirty listed rulers, in the style of the SKL, having improbable reigns, include seven known rulers from
1660-532: The Gutians had partially filled the power vacuum left by the fall of the Akkadian Empire, under Gudea Lagash entered a period of independence marked by riches and power. Thousands of inscriptions of various sorts have been found from his reign and an untold number of statues of Gudea . A number of cuneiform tablets of an administrative nature, from Gudea's rule were found at nearby Girsu . Also found at Girsu were
1743-521: The Institute of Fine Arts of New York University . The team was led by Vaughn E. Crawford, and included Donald P. Hansen and Robert D. Biggs. Twelve archaeological layers were found with the bottom 9 being Early Dynastic and the lowest under the water table. The primary focus was the excavation of the temple Ibgal of Inanna and the temple Bagara of Ningirsu, as well as an associated administrative area. The team returned 12 years later, in 1990, for
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#17330852055431826-568: The third dynasty of Ur . After this victory, the Elamites destroyed the kingdom, and ruled through military occupation for the next 21 years. Mesopotamia then fell under Amorite influence. The Amorite kings of the Dynasty of Isin formed successor states to Ur III, starting the Isin-Larsa period . They managed to drive the Elamites out of Ur, rebuilt the city, and returned the statue of Nanna that
1909-575: The "woman’s quarter" also known as the temple of the goddess Babu . It was under the control of the Queen. In his conquest of Sumer circa 2300 BC, Sargon of Akkad , after conquering and destroying Uruk , then conquered Ur and E-Ninmar and "laid waste" the territory from Lagash to the sea, and from there went on to conquer and destroy Umma , and he collected tribute from Mari and Elam . He triumphed over 34 cities in total. Sargon's son and successor Rimush faced widespread revolts, and had to reconquer
1992-426: The 1st Dynasty of Lagash, including Ur-Nanshe , "Ane-tum", En-entar-zid , Ur-Ningirsu , Ur-Bau , and Gudea . Little is known of the first two rulers of Lagash. En-hegal is believed to be the first ruler of Lagash. A tablet with his name describes a business transaction, in which a possible King En-hegal buys land. Both his status and date are disputed. He was followed by Lugalshaengur about whom also little
2075-666: The Akkadian and Ur III sites, that have connections with Harappa and often use the Indus script . These exchanges came to a halt with the decline of the Indus valley civilization after around 1900 BC. Sumerian dominated the cultural sphere and was the language of legal, administrative, and economic documents, while signs of the spread of Akkadian could be seen elsewhere. New towns that arose in this period were virtually all given Akkadian names. Culture also thrived through many different types of art forms. Sumerian texts were mass-produced in
2158-572: The E-ninnu temple of Ningirsu at Girsu, the E-sirara temple of Nanshe at Nigin, and the Bagara temple at Lagash, the three cities being part of one large state. In 1984 a surface survey found that most finds were from the Early Dynastic III period. Small amounts of Uruk, Jemdet Nasr, Isin-Larsa, Old Babylonian and Kassite shards were found in isolated areas. In March–April 2019, field work resumed as
2241-698: The Elamites had plundered. The Amorites were nomadic tribes from the northern Levant who were Northwest Semitic speakers, unlike the native Akkadians of southern Mesopotamia and Assyria , who spoke East Semitic . By around the 19th century BC , much of southern Mesopotamia was occupied by the Amorites. The Amorites at first did not practice agriculture, preferring a semi-nomadic lifestyle, herding sheep. Over time, Amorite grain merchants rose to prominence and established their own independent dynasties in several south Mesopotamian city-states, most notably Isin , Larsa , Eshnunna , Lagash , and later, founding Babylon as
2324-573: The Iranian shore of the Persian Gulf, a testimony to the strength of the dynasty. There are hundreds of texts that explain how treasures were seized by the Ur III armies and brought back to the kingdom after many victories. In some texts, it also appears that the Shulgi campaigns were the most profitable for the kingdom, although it is likely that the kings and temples of Ur were primarily those that benefited from
2407-679: The Lagash Archaeological Project under the directorship of Dr. Holly Pittman of the University of Pennsylvania 's Penn Museum in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and Sara Pizzimenti of the University of Pisa . A second season ran from October to November in 2021. A third season ran from March 6 to April 10, 2022. The work primarily involved the Early Dynastic Period Area G and Area H locations along with Geophysical Surveying and Geoarchaeology . The focus
2490-546: The Neo-Sumerians was waning. Ibbi-Sin in the 21st century launched military campaigns into Elam , but did not manage to penetrate far into the country. In 2004/1940 BC (middle/short chronology respectively), the Elamites, allied with the people of Susa and led by Kindattu , king of the Elamite Shimashki dynasty , was able to surround Ur and managed to sack Ur (early summer?) and lead Ibbi-Sin into captivity, ending
2573-465: The Third Dynasty of Ur, or possibly in the period that just preceded it, with rulers such as military governors like Puzur-Ishtar , who was probably contemporary with Amar-Sin . Assyriologists employ many complicated methods for establishing the most precise dates possible for this period, but controversy still exists. Generally, scholars use either the conventional (middle, generally preferred) or
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2656-572: The Ur III period; however, the word 'revival' or 'renaissance' to describe this period is misleading because archaeological evidence does not offer evidence of a previous period of decline. Instead, Sumerian began to take on a different form. As the Semitic Akkadian language became the common spoken language, Sumerian continued to dominate literature and also administrative documents. Government officials learned to write at special schools that used only Sumerian literature. Some scholars believe that
2739-1842: The Uruk Epic of Gilgamesh was written down during this period into its classic Sumerian form. The Ur III Dynasty attempted to establish ties to the early kings of Uruk by claiming to be their familial relations. For example, the Ur III kings often claimed Gilgamesh's divine parents, Ninsun and Lugalbanda , as their own, probably to evoke a comparison to the epic hero. Another text from this period, known as "The Death of Urnammu", contains an underworld scene in which Ur-Nammu showers "his brother Gilgamesh" with gifts. ( Shamshi-Adad dynasty 1808–1736 BCE) (Amorites) Shamshi-Adad I Ishme-Dagan I Mut-Ashkur Rimush Asinum Ashur-dugul Ashur-apla-idi Nasir-Sin Sin-namir Ipqi-Ishtar Adad-salulu Adasi (Non-dynastic usurpers 1735–1701 BCE) Puzur-Sin Ashur-dugul Ashur-apla-idi Nasir-Sin Sin-namir Ipqi-Ishtar Adad-salulu Adasi ( Adaside dynasty 1700–722 BCE) Bel-bani Libaya Sharma-Adad I Iptar-Sin Bazaya Lullaya Shu-Ninua Sharma-Adad II Erishum III Shamshi-Adad II Ishme-Dagan II Shamshi-Adad III Ashur-nirari I Puzur-Ashur III Enlil-nasir I Nur-ili Ashur-shaduni Ashur-rabi I Ashur-nadin-ahhe I Enlil-Nasir II Ashur-nirari II Ashur-bel-nisheshu Ashur-rim-nisheshu Ashur-nadin-ahhe II Lagash Lagash / ˈ l eɪ ɡ æ ʃ / (cuneiform: 𒉢𒁓𒆷𒆠 LAGAŠ ; Sumerian : Lagaš )
2822-648: The administration of this period exhibit a startling amount of centralization; some scholars have gone so far as to say no other period in Mesopotamian history reached the same level. Trade was very important to the Ur Dynasty because it was a way to ensure that the empire had enough ways to grow its wealth and care for those Ur ruled. One of the areas that Mesopotamia traded with was the Persian Gulf area, trading mostly raw materials such as metal, wood, ivory, and also semi-precious stones. One specific kind of item traded with
2905-436: The boundary-channel of Ningirsu and the boundary-channel of Nan-she. He set fire to their monuments and smashed them, and destroyed the established chapels of the gods that were built on the boundary-levee called Namnunda-kigara. He recruited foreigners and transgressed the boundary-ditch of Ningirsu." The next ruler, Entemena increased the power of Lagash during his rule. A number of inscriptions from his reign are known. He
2988-669: The cities of Ur , Umma , Adab , Lagash, Der , and Kazallu from rebellious ensis . Rimush introduced mass slaughter and large scale destruction of the Sumerian city-states, and maintained meticulous records of his destruction. Most of the major Sumerian cities were destroyed, and Sumerian human losses were enormous: for the cities of Ur and Lagash, he records 8,049 killed, 5,460 "captured and enslaved" and 5,985 "expelled and annihilated". A Victory Stele in several fragments (three in total, Louvre Museum AO 2678) has been attributed to Rimush on stylistic and epigraphical grounds. One of
3071-533: The common laborer was nothing more than a serf, but new analysis and documents reveal a possible different picture. Gangs of labourers can be divided into various groups. Certain groups indeed seem to work under compulsion. Others work in order to keep property or get rations from the state. Still other laborers were free men and women for whom social mobility was a possibility. Many families travelled together in search of labor. Such laborers could amass private property and even be promoted to higher positions. This
3154-555: The construction of temples, one details how he "built the wester[n] channel at the side of Sa[la]/ channel at the side of S[al] (against) the Amorites". He is described as the "son of Gu-NI.DU" (occasionally as "son of Gur:SAR"), and his inscriptions list a number of sons and daughters. Several inscription say "He [had the ships of Dil]mun sub[mit] [timber] (to Lagaß) as tribute." His son Akurgal ruled briefly after him. The next ruler, Eannatum (earlier referred to as "Eannadu"), son of Akurgal and grandson of Ur-Nanshe, turned Lagash into
3237-542: The control of the Akkadian Empire . It has been suggested that another governor, Ur-e, fell between them. After the death of Shar-Kali-shari Puzur-Mama declared Lagash independent (known from an inscription that may also mention Elamite ruler Kutik-Inshushinak ). This independence appears to have been tenuous as Akkadian Empire ruler Dudu reports taking booty from there. With the fall of Akkad, Lagash achieved full independence under Ur-Ningirsu I (not to be confused with
3320-426: The fall of that empire, Lagash had a period of revival as an independent power during the 2nd Dynasty of Lagash before coming under the control of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur . After the fall of Ur, there was some modest occupation in the Isin-Larsa and Old Babylonian periods. Lagash was then largely deserted until a Seleucid era fortress was built there in the 2nd century BC. The dynasties of Lagash are not found on
3403-683: The fall of the Akkad Dynasty . The period between the last powerful king of the Akkad Dynasty, Shar-Kali-Sharri , and the first king of Ur III, Ur-Nammu , is not well documented, but most Assyriologists posit that there was a brief "Dark Age", followed by a power struggle among the most powerful city-states. On the king-lists, Shar-Kali-Sharri is followed by two more kings of Akkad and six in Uruk; however, there are no year names surviving for any of these, nor even any artifacts confirming that any of these reigns
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3486-459: The famous Gudea cylinders which contain the longest known text in the Sumerian language . He was prolific at temple building and restoring. He is known to have conducted some military operations to the east against Anshan and Elam. Twenty of Gudea's year names are known. All are of a religious nature except for one that marks the building of a canal and year six "Year in which the city of Anszan
3569-491: The foreign lands] and transgressed the boun[da]ry-channel of the god Ningirsu (and said): ... En-anatum crushed Ur-LUM-ma, ruler of Gisa (Umma) as far as E-kisura (“Boundary) Channel”) of the god Ninœirsu. He pursued him into the ... of (the town) LUM-ma-girnunta. (En-anatum) gagged (Ur-LUM-ma) (against future land claims)" The conflict from the Umma side of things from its ruler Ur-Lumma : "Urlumma, ruler of Umma, diverted water into
3652-404: The fragments mentions Akkad and Lagash. It is thought that the stele represents the defeat of Lagash by the troops of Akkad. The stele was excavated in ancient Girsu , one of the main cities of the territory of Lagash. During the reigns of the first two rulers of this dynasty Lugal-ushumgal (under Naram-Sin and Shar-Kali-Sharri ) and Puzur-Mama (under Shar-kali-shari), Lagash was still under
3735-485: The king of Akkad. As there is little evidence of how the kings organized their forces, it is unclear whether defensive forces were in the center or outside the kingdom. What is known is that the second ruler of the dynasty, Šulgi achieved some expansion and conquest. These were continued by his three successors but their conquests are less frequent with time. At the very height of the expansion of Ur, they had taken territory from southeastern Anatolia (modern Turkey ) to
3818-573: The king, either present or past. The Ur III kings oversaw many substantial state-run projects, including intricate irrigation systems and centralization of agriculture. An enormous labor force was amassed to work in agriculture, particularly in irrigation, harvesting, and sowing. Textiles were a particularly important industry in Ur during this time. The textile industry was run by the state. Many men, women, and children alike were employed to produce wool and linen clothing . The detailed documents from
3901-429: The late Early Dynastic III period. Additionally, foundations are found under the temple-building. They are composed of rectangular areas of various sizes, some as solid mud bricks and some as cavities of broken pieces of alluvial mud and layers of sand, then capped again with mud bricks. Two more levels are present beneath Level I. All of them are similar to each other in terms of layout and construction materials. During
3984-432: The later Lagash ruler named Ur-Ningirsu, the son of Gudea ). Unlike the 1st Dynasty of Lagash, this series of rulers used year names. Two of Ur-Ningirsu are known including "year: Ur-Ningirsu (became) ruler". His few inscriptions are religious in nature. Almost nothing is known of his son and successor. The next three rulers, Lu-Baba, Lugula, and Kaku are known only from their first year names. The following ruler, Ur-Baba,
4067-810: The low (short) chronologies. They are as follows: "Then the army of Gutium was defeated and the kingship was taken to Uruk ." r. c. 2055 – c. 2048 BC ( Short Chronology ) (7 or 26 years) "1 king; he ruled for 7 years, 6 months, and 15 days. Then Uruk was defeated and the kingship was taken to Ur ." r. c. 2048 – c. 2030 BC (SC) (18 years) r. c. 2030 – c. 1982 BC (SC) (46, 48, or 58 years) r. c. 1982 – c. 1973 BC (SC) (9 of 25 years) r. c. 1973 – c. 1964 BC (SC) (7, 9, 16, or 20 years) r. c. 1964 – c. 1940 BC (SC) (15, 23, 24, or 25 years) "5 kings; they ruled for 108 years. Then
4150-598: The monument of Mesalim, but did not cross into the plain of Umma. " In c. 2450 BC, Lagash and the neighboring city of Umma fell out with each other after a border dispute over the Guʾedena, a fertile area lying between them. As described in Stele of the Vultures , of which only a portion has been found (7 fragments), the current king of Lagash, Eannatum , inspired by the patron god of his city, Ningirsu , set out with his army to defeat
4233-572: The nearby city. According to the Stele's engravings, when the two sides met each other in the field, Eannatum dismounted from his chariot and proceeded to direct his men on foot. After lowering their spears, the Lagash army advanced upon the army from Umma in a dense phalanx . After a brief clash, Eannatum and his army had gained victory over the army of Umma. This battle is one of the earliest depicted organised battles known to scholars and historians. Eannatum
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#17330852055434316-454: The needy. The city of Nippur was one of the most important cities in the Third Dynasty of Ur. Nippur is believed to be the religious center of Mesopotamia. It was home to the shrine of Enlil , who was the lord of all gods. This was where the God Enlil spoke the king's name and was calling the king to his existence. This was used as a legitimacy for every king in order to secure power. The city
4399-410: The older area is under the current water table and not available for research. A drone survey determined that Lagash developed on four marsh islands some of which were gated. The notion that the city was marsh-based is in contention. Estimates of its area range from 400 to 600 hectares (990 to 1,480 acres). The site is divided by the bed of a canal/river, which runs diagonally through the mound. The site
4482-500: The orphan. Most legal disputes were dealt with locally by government officials called mayors, although their decision could be appealed and eventually overturned by the provincial governor. Sometimes legal disputes were publicly aired with witnesses present at a place like the town square or in front of the temple. However, the image of the king as the supreme judge of the land took hold, and this image appears in many literary works and poems. Citizens sometimes wrote letters of prayer to
4565-416: The process of building on top of each other, workers at that time would choose to destroy some portions while keeping some others, leading to much open speculation as to the rationales behind. Three building levels were discovered and 3HB III is the earliest and most well-preserved level. 3HB II and 3HB I shared the same layout with 3HB III. All three levels have a central niched-and-buttressed building which
4648-411: The prologue credits Ur-Nammu , the author is still somewhat under dispute; some scholars attribute it to his son, Shulgi . The prologue to the law-code, written in the first person, established the king as the beacon of justice for his land, a role that previous kings normally did not play. He claims to want justice for all, including traditionally unfortunate groups in the kingdom like the widower or
4731-404: The realms he conquered were often in revolt. During his reign, temples and palaces were repaired or erected at Lagash and elsewhere and canals and reservoirs were excavated. During his reign, Dilmun was a major trading partner. A long running border dispute, dating back at least to the time of Lugalshaengur, existed between the city-states of Umma and Lagash. In the time of Umma ruler Mesilim
4814-527: The reign of Ur was abolished . The very foundation of Sumer was torn out. The kingship was taken to Isin ." The list of the Kings of the Third Dynasty of Ur with the length of their reigns, appears on a cuneiform document listing the kings of Ur and Isin , the "List of Reigns of Kings of Ur and Isin" (MS 1686). The list explains: "18 years Ur-Namma [was] king, 48 years Shulgi [was] king, 9 years Amar-Suen , 9 years Su-Suen , 24 years Ibbi-Suen ." The power of
4897-517: The same layout. 4HB IVB was the first level that was exposed completely. (Evidence from pottery) (Evidence from pottery) 4HB Building: 23 x 14m and flat, square bricks It has been suggested that the 4HB Building is a brewery as ovens and storage vats and a tablet mentioning “the brewery” and “a brewer” were found. An alternate proposal is that 4HB building is a kitchen as it shared lots of similarities with temple kitchens at Ur and Nippur . Located 360 meters southeast of Area B. It contains
4980-547: The site of Lagash began early in the 3rd Millennium BC, in the Early Dynastic I period (c. 2900-2600 BC), surface surveys and excavations show that the peak occupation, with an area of about 500 hectares occurred during the Early Dynastic III period (c. 2500–2334 BC). The later corresponds with what is now called the First Dynasty of Lagash. Lagash then came under the control of the Akkadian Empire for several centuries. With
5063-512: The son of Enentarzi. The last ruler of Lagash, Urukagina , was known for his judicial, social, and economic reforms, and his may well be the first legal code known to have existed. He was defeated by Lugalzagesi, beginning when Lugalzagesi was ruler of Umma and culminating as ruler of Uruk, bringing an end to the First Dynasty of Lagash. About 1800 cuneiform tablets from the reigns of the last three rulers of Lagash, of an administrative nature, have been found, mostly. The tablets are mostly from
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#17330852055435146-651: The spoils of war. The rulers of Ur III were often in conflict with the highland tribes of the Zagros mountain area who dwelled in the northeastern portion of Mesopotamia. The most important of these tribes were the Simurrum and the Lullubi tribal kingdoms. They were also often in conflict with Elam . In the northern area of Mari , Semitic military rulers called the Shakkanakkus apparently continued to rule contemporaneously with
5229-410: The state were exclusively owned by the royal household. All inferior households were considered dependants of the higher ones. Inferior households contributed corvee labour to the royal household and received economic support, land, and protection in return. In each province, administrative and economic responsibility were split between two households: one headed by a governor (ensi) and one headed by
5312-455: The state. Nearby Girsu (modern Telloh), about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Lagash, was the religious center of the Lagash state. The Lagash state's main temple was the E-ninnu at Girsu, dedicated to the god Ningirsu . The Lagash state incorporated the ancient cities of Lagash, Girsu, Nina. Though some Uruk period pottery shards were found in a surface survey, significant occupation at
5395-504: The statues of Nam-mahani and his wife were beheaded (the head were not found with the statues by Ur-Nammu in what is usually called an act of Damnatio memoriae . Under the control of Ur, the Lagash state (Lagash. Girsu, and Nigin) were the largest and most prosperous province of the empire. Such was its importance that the second highest official in the empire, the Grand Vizier, resided there. The name of one governor of Lagash under Ur
5478-415: The tax system, and the national calendar. He captured the city of Susa and the surrounding region, toppling Elamite king Kutik-Inshushinak , while the rest of Elam fell under control of Shimashki dynasty . In the last century of the 3rd millennium BCE, it is believed that the kings of Ur waged several conflicts around the frontiers of the kingdom. These conflicts are believed to have been influenced by
5561-537: The title 'king of Sumer and Akkad.' Ur's dominance over the Neo-Sumerian Empire was consolidated with the famous Code of Ur-Nammu , probably the first such law-code for Mesopotamia since that of Urukagina of Lagash centuries earlier. Many significant changes occurred in the empire under Shulgi 's reign. He took steps to centralize and standardize the procedures of the empire. He is credited with standardizing administrative processes, archival documentation,
5644-489: The two regions were conch shells. These were made by craftsmen who would turn them into lamps and cups dating back to the 3rd millennium. They have been discovered in graves, palaces, temples, and even residential homes. The fact that this item was mostly found in upper class contexts could show that only the wealthy at the time had access to the item. Additionally, Ur consumed jewelry, inlays, carvings, and cylinder seals in significant amounts. The high demand for these items shows
5727-426: The wall should originally be approximately 130m long. For the temple-building, it is connected to the courtyard with steps. Twenty-five rooms have been excavated inside the building, in which the western ones would open up to the outside of the temple with corridors and form a tripartite entrance. Both the temple-building and the oval wall were built with plano-convex mud bricks, which was a very common material up to
5810-402: Was a contemporary of Lugalkinishedudu of Uruk. Entemena was succeeded by his brother Enannatum II, with only one known inscription where he "restored for the god Ningirsu his brewery". He was followed by two more minor rulers, Enentarzi (only one inscription from his 5 year reign, which mentions his daughter Gem[e]-Baba), and Lugalanda (several inscriptions, one mentions his wife Bara-namtara)
5893-676: Was actually named Eanna during the Ur periods, while Inanna’s sanctuary within Eanna was known as Ibgal. Level I of Area A was occupied from Early Dynastic (ED I) to Ur III. It was used for both daily worship activities and festive celebrations, particularly for the queen of Lagash during the Barley and Malt-eating festivals of Nanše . Level I consists of an oval wall on the Northeast end, surrounding an extensive courtyard. The fragments, together comparison to another Sumerian temple at Khafajah , show that
5976-591: Was an ancient city-state located northwest of the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and east of Uruk , about 22 kilometres (14 mi) east of the modern town of Al-Shatrah , Iraq. Lagash (modern Al-Hiba in Dhi Qar Governorate ) was one of the oldest cities of the Ancient Near East . The ancient site of Nina ( Tell Zurghul ) is around 10 km (6.2 mi) away and marks the southern limit of
6059-413: Was first excavated, for six weeks, by Robert Koldewey in 1887. "To be sure, the difficulties involved were known, at least after Koldewey’s disaster in el-Hibba where, unprepared to deal with structures of unbaked material, he did not recognize the walls but only those baked bricks which had been used for lining graves, leading him to conclude that el-Hibba was nothing but an extended burial place." It
6142-467: Was historical — save one artifact for Dudu of Akkad (Shar-Kali-Sharri's immediate successor on the list). Akkad's primacy, instead, seems to have been usurped by Gutian invaders from the Zagros Mountains , whose kings ruled in Mesopotamia for an indeterminate period (124 years according to some copies of the king list , only 25 according to others). An illiterate and nomadic people, their rule
6225-461: Was inspected during a survey of the area by Thorkild Jacobsen and Fuad Safar in 1953, finding the first evidence of its identification as Lagash. The major polity in the region of al-Hiba and Tello had formerly been identified as ŠIR.BUR.LA ( Shirpurla ). Tell Al-Hiba was again explored in five seasons of excavation between 1968 and 1976 by a team from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and
6308-414: Was more viewed as "national Cult Center." Because it was viewed this way it was thought that any conquest of the city would give the Mesopotamian rulers unacceptable political risks. Also as the city was seen as a holy site this enabled Nippur to survive numerous conflicts that wiped out many other cities in the region. This is an area where scholars have many different views. It had long been posited that
6391-633: Was never recorded. The Third Dynasty of Ur was the last Sumerian dynasty which came to preeminent power in Mesopotamia. It began after several centuries of control, exerted first by the Akkadian Empire , and then, after its fall, by Gutian and independent Sumerian city-state kings. It controlled the cities of Isin , Larsa , and Eshnunna and extended as far north as Upper Mesopotamia . The Ur III provinces, from north to south were Sippar, Tiwe, Urum, Puö, Gudua, Babylon, Kis, Kazallu, Apiak, Marad, Nippur, Uru-sagrig, Isin, Adab, Suruppak, Umma, Girsu, Uruk, and Ur. The Third Dynasty of Ur arose some time after
6474-534: Was not conducive to agriculture, nor record-keeping, and by the time they were expelled, the region was crippled by severe famine and skyrocketing grain prices. Their last king, Tirigan , was driven out by Utu-hengal of Uruk . Following Utu-Hengal's reign, Ur-Nammu (originally a general) founded the Third Dynasty of Ur, but the precise events surrounding his rise are unclear. The Sumerian King List states that Utu-hengal had reigned for seven years (or 426, or 26 in other copies), although only one year-name for him
6557-475: Was on an industrial area and associated streets, residences, and kilns. Aerial mapping of Lagash, both using UAV drone mapping and satellite imagery was performed. In the fall of 2022 a 4th season of excavation resumed. Among the finds were a public eatery with ovens, a refrigeration system, benches, and large numbers of bowls and beakers. Though commonly known as Area A or the Ibgal of Inanna , this temple complex
6640-571: Was smitten by weapons". While the conventional view has been that the reign of Gudea fell well before that of Ur-Nammu , ruler of Ur, and during a time of Gutian power, a number of researchers contend that Gudea's rule overlaps with that of Ur-Nammu and the Gutians had already been defeated. This view is strengthened by the fact that Ur-Baba appointed Enanepada as high preiestess of Ur while Naram-Sin of Akkad had appointed her predecessor Enmenana and Ur-Namma of Ur appointed her successor Ennirgalana. Gudea
6723-571: Was succeeded by his brother, En-anna-tum I . Given the many inscriptions his reign is assumed to be of some length. Most of them detailed the usual temple construction. On long tablet described the continued conflict with Umma: "For the god Hendursag, chief herald of the Abzu En-anatum, [ru]ler of [Laga]ß ... When the god Enlil(?)], for the god [Nin]g[ir]s[u], took [Gu'edena] from the hands of Gisa (Umma) and filled En-anatum’s hands with it, Ur-LUM-ma, ruler of Gisa (Umma), [h]i[red] [(mercenaries from)
6806-450: Was succeeded by his son Ur-Ningirsu, followed by Ur-gar. Little is known about either aside from an ascension year name each and a small handful of inscriptions. It has been suggested that two other brief rulers fit into the sequence here, Ur-ayabba and Ur-Mama but the evidence for that is thin. Two tablets dated to the reign of Ur-Nammu of Ur refer to Ur-ayabba as "ensi" of Lagash, meaning governor in Ur III terms and king in Lagash. Little
6889-485: Was the year that Ur-Nammu's daughter became en of the god Nanna and was renamed with the priestess-name of En-Nirgal-ana. This designation as en of Nanna makes the year's designation almost certain. The Ur III state followed a patrimonial system. The state was organized into a hierarchical pyramid of households with the royal household at the top. As described by Steinkeller it was a network of households linked together by mutual rights and obligations. All resources of
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