The Sumerians and the Early Dynastic Period

The First History

Mesopotamia

• “History begins at Sumer” (Sam Kramer, the founder of Sumerology)

• The Early Dynastic (ED I-III) period (2900-2350 BC): the heyday of the Sumerians

Gods

and

Cities

• The Sumerian king list • One god: one city • Totemism? • Notice Mari • Girsu and Ningirsu, Lagash

Great are the Gods

• Horned crown

• Kaunakes

• Symbols and weapons

• Vegetation

• Note the inscription

Votive

Statues

• Rulers

• Above and below

• Men, women and children

• Ebih-il of Mari

• Different beard styles

A Stone Plaque with a Story Line

• Ur-Nanshe

• Basket

• Some

Sumerian

words:

DUMU

KASH

Stele of

the

Vultures

• Eannatum of Lagash

• Quarrel with Umma – Phalanx

– Helmets

– Lances

– Vultures pick on dead

• Enlil

• Ekur in Nippur

My Enemies are being irritating, so my City God

goes clubbing...

• Ningirsu

• Anzu bird

Silver Vase

Featuring

Anzu Bird

• Dedication to

Ningirsu by

Entenema of

Lagash

• You don’t find this

in Cornwall

“I say, chaps!

What’s this?”

(Sir Leonard

Woolley)

• The great death

pit at Ur

• The Royal

Cemetery (c.

2600-2400)

• Theya Molleson

again!

The Pu-Abi (aka Shub-ad

in earlier literature) Grave

Reconstruction of Pu-Abi’s

Headdress

• Coiffure chique - à la ED

The Harps that

once...

• Sir Leonard

Woolley’s fine

tuning

• The negative

lyre

• Bitumen

inlays

The

Royal

Standard

of Ur

The Royal Game of Ur

• What were the

rules?

• Irving Finkel (BA

PhD B’ham)

And That

Wasn’t All at

Ur... • Meskalamdug

• Huh?

• One day at the British Museum Sir Leonard was feeling…

Cylinder Seals

• Party, party…

• Another Sumerian word: UKKIN

Cylinder Seals

• Combat scenes

Abu Salabikh

Abu Salabikh

Abu Salabikh