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Neolithic through cities  “From Villages to
Cities”: c.6,000-4,000BC
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Samarra: c. 6,100-5,500BC
Hassuna: c. 6,200-5,700
Halaf: c. 5,600-5,000
Ubaid 0-1: c. 5,800-5,200
Ubaid 2: c. 5,200-4,900
Ubaid 3-4: c. 4,900-4,000
“Urban Explosion”: c. 3,500-2,900BC Uruk
and Jamdat Nasr Periods
“City-States” (Early Dynastic): 2,900-2,330BC
“City-States” (Early Dynastic):
2,900-2,330BC
• 3 periods: EDI, EDII, EDIII
• ‘Pre-Sargonic’
• Northern Mesopotamia – Late Uruk developed
into NINEVITE 5 ( contemporary w/ED I)
• Southern Mes. – 2 regions  Sumer (south),
Akkad (North). Consisted of several city states.
• City States. Some c.s. included several towns.
State of LAGASH included Girsu (home of god
Ningirsu), Lagash and Nina
• Rulers of City States: 3 titles: en, ensi, lugal
• SUMERIAN KINGLIST
• (antediluvian) may be ED period?
• ERIDU – After ‘kingship descended from
heaven’ - 1st Seat of Kingship
• Flood - survived by UT-NAPISHTIM
• New ‘descent of kingship’
• KISH – new seat of kingship, kings of Kish
• Seat of Kingship passed to URUK – 1st Dynasty
of URUK
• Afteru URUK  1st Dynasty of UR
Early Dynastic I
Khafaje
Temple of the god Sin (phases continued
from Jemdet-Nasr period): Temple VI, plan
(ED I), Temple IX, reconstruction (ED II)
ED II
Stone mace head of Mesilim, ruler
of Kish (probably ED II, 15 cm.
high)
EDII: Tell Asmar (Abu Temple)Figs
ED III: From Mari: Ebih-il &
Priestess (?)
EDIII: Royal Tombs of UR. EDIIIaEDIIIb
• EDIII: 1st palaces in Mesopotamia:
• KISH
• ERIDU
Late EDIII
• Inscriptions in Sumerian KL incomplete
• Mesalim (not on list) – made border
between UMMA and LAGASH
• URNANSHE King of LAGASH – border
disputes, defeated UR and UMMA
• EANNATUM – grandson of URNANSHE.
Deeated UMMA. Created victory STELE
OF THE VULTURES
Votive plaque of Ur-Nanshe of Lagash
(ED III, 40 cm. high) ; Votive plaque of
Dudu (ED III, 25 cm. high)
Victory stele ("Vulture Stele") of
Eannatum of Lagash (ED III, 1.88
m. high)
Detail of Eannatum and his troops
Other side, with the god Ningirsu
• Some Claim that the net holding fugiure
mat be Eannatum rather than Ningursu
End of EDIII
• Sumer in chaos
• Uruk and Ur united
• Lagash and Umma in warfare
Akkadian Period
• Sargon
• Agade
Hollow-cast copper head from
Nineveh, probably either Sargon
(2370-2315) or his grandson
Naram-Sin (2291-2255), detail
• Textbook – Calims that this is head of
Naram-Sin (grandson) – most likely NOT.
Back-knot hairdo no longer uised as kingly
attribute by his reign.
Head of SARGON
• 2 sons of SARGON
• RIMUSH - Younger son of SARGON may have taken
over the throne. Lugal Kiš. Dropped “Lugal Agade”.
• Uprisings at time. Inscriptions – put down rebellions in
Sumer and Akkad, conquered Elam and Marhashi.
• Claims to control lower and upper sea (Are “Not Lies” 
said in all statues) (Rimush or Manishtushu?)
• Suceeded by Older brother MANISHTUSHU.
• – sculpture – apex of technique, new height of
craftsmanship, torso down, figure in motion
Manishtushu
Basetki Statue
Stele of Naram-sin
Shar-kali-sharri (Son of NaramSin)
Akkadian Social/Political Structure
Post Akkadian Period
GUDEA
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best known ruler. Parents unknown, married into royal family
Statue : stocky, choppy art style – decline in technique
Lots of inscriptions but don’t know much about him or his politics
Best known for his building activities
27 statues of Gudea known, some may be doubtful, Cylinder Seal
inscription
Loved to build temples. Ex.Temple to Ningursu in Girsu
Statue holding plan
Rituals: Purification of city, etc, Clearing of brick pits
Have nothing archaeologically of it, dug “like potatoes” at end of last
century
Later Aramaic building, used statues from old temple site
State = LAGASH, Capital = GIRSU
Gudea
UR III PERIOD
• “Sumerian Revival” (UrIII Period):
2,100-2,000BC
Ziggarat of Ur-Nammu
Stele of Ur-Nammu, detail (cf.
Frankfort, fig. 110).
Foundation Figure
SHULGI
Ensi
šagina
System of
Administration of
Core
Internal
administration
+
Temple
households,
became property
of the state
Military
Isin/Larsa Period Fem. Figure
Larsa Figure
Molded plaque with a king or a god carrying a
mace, Isin-Larsa or Old Babylonian; 2000–1700
B.C.
Old Assyrian
Furniture support: female sphinx with Hathor-style
curls, Old Assyrian Colony; 1820–1740 B.C.
Cuneiform tablet and case with a record of court testimony
describing a dispute over the ownership of a business firm,
Old Assyrian Colony; 1920–1840 B.C.
Head of a male, Old Babylonian;
2000–1600 B.C.
Hammurabi Law Code