Sumer
Sumer was an ancient civilization and historical region located in southern Mesopotamia, modern-day southern Iraq. It is considered one of the earliest civilizations in the world, dating back to the 5th millennium BC.
History[edit | edit source]
Sumer was established by the Ubaid people, who are credited with developing irrigation, agriculture, and the first form of urban civilization in the region. The Sumerians are known for their advancements in various fields such as writing, law, architecture, and astronomy.
Early Period[edit | edit source]
The Early Dynastic Period of Sumer, starting around 2900 BC, saw the development of many city-states, each with its own king. These city-states often fought each other for control of the fertile land and water resources. The most powerful city-states during this period were Uruk, Lagash, and Ur.
Middle Period[edit | edit source]
The Akkadian Empire, established by Sargon of Akkad, conquered Sumer around 2334 BC. This period is known for the development of the Akkadian language, which became the lingua franca of the region.
Late Period[edit | edit source]
The Third Dynasty of Ur, also known as the Neo-Sumerian Empire, marked the last great period of Sumerian dominance in Mesopotamia. This period saw a revival of Sumerian culture and language, but it eventually fell to the Elamites and the Amorites.
Culture[edit | edit source]
Sumerian culture was rich and complex, with a pantheon of gods, a detailed mythological tradition, and a highly developed system of writing known as cuneiform. Sumerians are also known for their advancements in law, with the Code of Ur-Nammu being one of the earliest known law codes.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
The legacy of Sumer is vast, influencing subsequent civilizations in the region and beyond. Many aspects of modern society, such as writing, law, and urban living, can be traced back to Sumer.
Timeline of the Ancient Near East | |
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width:8 at:-3300 text:Kish tablet at:-3100 text:Warka Vase at:-3050 text:Narmer Palette from:-2620 till:-2560 color:lives shift:(25,-6) text:Great Sphinx from:-2400 till:-2350 color:lives shift:(17,-6) text:Ur-Nanshe from:-2285 till:-2250 color:lives shift:(12,-6) text:Enheduanna from:-2144 till:-2124 color:lives shift:(10,-6) text:Gudea at:-2050 text:Code of Ur-Nammu from:-1970 till:-1830 color:lives shift:(46,-6) text:Kültepe texts at:-1900 text:Linear A at:-1800 text:introduction of chariot warfare at:-1700 text:Code of Hammurabi at:-1500 text:Proto-Sinaitic alphabet at:-1457 text:Battle of Megiddo from:-1352 till:-1335 color:lives shift:(10,-6) text:Akhenaten at:-1312 text:Mursili's eclipse at:-1274 text:Battle of Kadesh from:-1250 till:-1150 color:lives shift:(35,-6) text:Bronze Age collapse at:-1190 text:Troy VIIa from:-1186 till:-1156 color:lives shift:(14,-6) text:Ramesses III from:-1115 till:-1076 color:lives shift:(14,-6) text:Tiglath-Pileser I at:-1050 text:Phoenician alphabet from:-884 till:-859 color:lives shift:(10,-6) text:Ashur-nasir-pal II at:-813 text:Carthage at:-750 text:Greek alphabet from:-745 till:-727 color:lives shift:(10,-6) text:Tiglath-Pileser III at:-612 shift:(-75,-6) text:Fall of Nineveh width:15 bar:periods from:-3300 till:-3000 shift:(10,-3) color:eba text:EBA I from:-3000 till:-2700 shift:(10,-3) color:eba text:EBA II from:-2700 till:-2200 shift:(10,-3) color:eba text:EBA III from:-2200 till:-2000 shift:(10,-3) color:eba text:EBA IV from:-2000 till:-1750 shift:(10,-3) color:mba text:MBA I from:-1750 till:-1550 shift:(2,-3) color:mba text:MBA II-III from:-1550 till:-1400 shift:(10,-3) color:lba text:LBA I from:-1400 till:-1200 shift:(10,-3) color:lba text:LBA II from:-1200 till:-1000 shift:(10,-3) color:eia text:Iron Age I from:-1000 till:-586 shift:(10,-3) color:eia text:Iron Age II bar:egypt from:start till:-3200 shift:(2,-2) color:yellow text:Pre-, from:-3200 till:-3000 shift:(0,-2) color:yellow text:Protodynastic from:-2920 till:-2686 shift:(2,-2) color:yellow text:Early Dynastic from:-2686 till:-2183 shift:(10,-2) color:yellow text:Old Kingdom from:-2030 till:-1650 shift:(10,-2) color:yellow text:Middle Kingdom from:-1650 till:-1540 shift:(0,-2) color:yellow text:Hyksos from:-1540 till:-1077 shift:(10,-2) color:yellow text:New Kingdom from:-1070 till:end shift:(10,-2) color:yellow text:3rd Intermediate Period bar:mesopot from:-3300 till:-2900 shift:(2,-2) color:orange text:Uruk III-IV from:-2900 till:-2334 shift:(2,-2) color:orange text:Early Dynastic Sumer from:-2333 till:-2150 shift:(2,-2) color:orange text:Akkad from:-2150 till:-2050 shift:(0,-2) color:orange text:Gutian from:-2050 till:-1940 shift:(2,-2) color:orange text:Ur III from:-1894 till:-1595 shift:(2,-2) color:orange text:Old Babylonian from:-1595 till:-1155 shift:(2,-2) color:orange text:Kassites from:-1155 till:-1025 shift:(2,-2) color:orange text:Isin from:-911 till:-626 shift:(-4,-2) color:red text: from:-626 till:end shift:(0,-2) color:orange text:Kaldu bar:assyria from:-3000 till:-2300 shift:(2,-2) color:red text:Ebla from:-1900 till:-1600 shift:(2,-2) color:red text:Old Assyrian from:-1600 till:-1240 shift:(2,-2) color:red text:Hurrians from:-911 till:-612 shift:(2,4) color:red text:Neo-Assyrian bar:canaan from:-2000 till:-1600 shift:(4,-2) color:purple text:"Amorites" from:-1450 till:-1200 shift:(4,-2) color:purple text:Ugarit from:-1030 till:-587 shift:(4,-2) color:purple text:Israel and Judah bar:anatolia from:-2100 till:-1950 shift:(4,-2) color:green text:Troy IV from:-1750 till:-1550 shift:(4,-2) color:green text:Old Hittite from:-1400 till:-1160 shift:(4,-2) color:green text:New Hittite from:-1160 till:-700 shift:(4,-2) color:green text:Syro-Hittite polities, Urartu bar:mediterr from:-1900 till:-1700 shift:(2,-2) color:mediterr text:Protopalatial from:-1700 till:-1450 shift:(2,-2) color:mediterr text:Neopalatial from:-1450 till:-1100 shift:(2,-2) color:mediterr text:Mycenaean Greece from:-1100 till:-750 shift:(2,-2) color:mediterr text:Greek Dark Ages from:-750 till:end shift:(2,-2) color:mediterr text:Archaic Greece</timeline> | |
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
