2900 – 2334 BCE
Early Dynastic
City-states, kings, the first wars.
Sumer fragments into competing city-states — Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Kish, Nippur. Kings emerge as a permanent class, supported by temples and armies. The earliest royal inscriptions, the earliest border disputes (Lagash vs. Umma), and the earliest literary fragments date to this turbulent age.
Primary sources
Tablets from this period
3141 tablets dated to Early Dynastic — showing 24 below; browse all 3141.
CDLI Lexical 000002, ex. 191
[...] |1(N58).BAD~a| EN, IB [...] Linen-cloth(?) SUKKAL (vizier) Great one, GARA2 Garment, GARA2 [...] Great one of the throne-base Great one of |ZATU737xDI| SANGA-priest of |ZATU737xX| SANGA-priest of |ZATU737xX| [ZATU725(?)] [DAM(?)] (spouse/wife?)
Writing & LiteratureDaily Life
CDLI Lexical 000003, ex. 034
1 unit — NAM2[...] 1 unit — GAL~a (great/large) SZAH2~a 1 unit — NAM2 APIN~a (plow [official]) 1 unit — GAL~a [...] 1 unit — GAL~a SZAB~a 1 unit — PA~a NAM2 [...] 1 unit — AB~a [...] 1 unit — GAL~a [...]
Writing & LiteratureDaily Life
CUSAS 35, 471
[...] , [...] [...] , [...] 4 (units) , UR[?] X goat DA~a 4 (units) , [dedicated/given] 4 (units) , [overseer/person?] head [...] , [...] bird DAR~a? [...] , [...] DA~a [milk/dairy?] 4 (units) , young animal (calf?) lord/EN [distributed?] 2 (units) , storehouse? BU~a [bread-ration with fire/fuel?] [...] , [bread-ration with fire/fuel?] X X [...]
Economy
FMB 27
PA~a GU4(?) 4(N14) — NESAG~a, KI~a, EN~a, NAM2, KAB, GAR 5(N14) — GAN2, AB~a, X, EN~a(?) 3(N14) — X, AD~c(?) 3(N14) — KA~a, DU6~a 2(N50) 7(N14)(?) — GAN2, |SILA3~a×DUG~a| [X] — IB~a, MASZ, URUDU~a [X] — TUM3, DUB~b [X] — MUSZ3~a, X 2(N14) — GISZ×SZU2~a, X [...] 2(N14) — BU~a# [...] 2(N14) — X, BU~a# [...] 4(N14) — GAL~a, X, SZUBUR(?) [...]
Law
MS 1952/37
1. [fish (KU6~a)] TU~b 2. NAM2 NAM2 3. NAM2(?) GIR2~b 4. DU AN A 5. SZUDUN(?) RI 6. SZUDUN(?) GIR2~b 7. [X] A NI~b 8. NE~a U4 RA 9. NI~b RA 10. SZE3 BU~a 11. U4 SZIDIM GIR3@g~b[?] 12. IL GUB3~c [X] 13. [X] ZATU726~a(?) UR~a(?) NI~b DUR2(?) 14. HI A[?]
Religion & MythDaily Life
Nisaba 25, 01
[1(N01@f)?] field#? [1(N01@f)?] sud3#-ur [= ?depressed/sunken ground? or personal name element] 1(N01@f) , u2-ma [= fodder/plant + ma?] 1(N01@f) , szul-szul [= youth/young — reduplicated] 1(N01@f)# , x [x] [signs broken/illegible] 1(N01@f) , szul#-la [= of youth/the young one] 1(N01@f) , SAL x [= woman/female + uncertain sign]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 02
[1] fleece/shearing-product(?) x-me-en [1] she-goat zur-zur x x [x] 1 goat En-kul-aba-si 1 fleece/shearing-product(?) Nanna-mud 1 fleece/shearing-product(?) Igi-gi-gi 2 goats [...]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 05
NI NI MA NI AN NA NA NI NA NI NI ŠEŠ [x] DUB [...] DUB NE AK NIM GI₄ [x] SI [...] AMA [...] DAḪ [...] DAḪ NI DUB LAL₃
Economy
Nisaba 25, 10
[...] SAR [...] UR[?] A [Pa]-bilx-[ga?] [...] SI-A[?] [Amar]-e2-gibil 1 [...] 1 SI[?] [1?] ensi
Economy
Nisaba 25, 13
[...] 1(N01@f), beer? 1(N01@f), beer? 1(N01@f), x [mountain-provenance?] 2(N01@f), [category marker?] natron/soapwort? [...] [KU?] [EREN2?] [place-marker] 1(N01@f), [...] 2(N01@f), storehouse [...] 2(N01@f), [...] barley 1(N01@f), x 2(N01@f), x
Economy
Nisaba 25, 18
x calf(ren) 1 (head), sheep — calf(ren) of the great storehouse [...] sheep like sweet nanna[x]-du10 1 (head), goat — mother of the storehouse-si 1 (head), sheep (and) she-goat — |SU3-SU3-UN|-gi4
Economy
Nisaba 25, 23
1 (unit) — [personal name: |ŠEŠE+IB|-du₁₀] 1 (unit) — Ur-ge₆ 1 (unit) — Amar-[ME]-TE 1 (unit) — Amar-nirahx 1 (unit) — Ama-ul₄-gal [1 (unit) — woman?]-alan 1 (unit) — Pa-bilx-ga 1 (unit) — Bilx-me-si 1 (unit) — Ama-GA₂-si [...broken...]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 28
2 — young [highland animal / person], Amar-nirahx, head [person/overseer?] 1 — [x x] NUNUZ [eggs/offspring/seed?] 1 — MU [...] 2 — DILMUN 2 — [...] [x x] AN [divine/celestial?] UET2_165 [...]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 32
[1 unit, ...] ŠIM (aromatic/spice?) [1 unit, ...] (name lost) [1 unit,] Amar-sar [1 unit,] Ur-[...] [1 unit,] Nanna-šul? 1 unit, DU8 ŠU [SILA3?] 1 unit, [...]-nirah 1 unit, Ama-IGI-BUR 1 unit, Ba-za 1 unit, Amar-ib [1 unit,] Nanna-[...] 1 unit, [...] PA 1 unit, x [...]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 33
[n] ga sipa-ansze 4 (units), beer (and) barley — Lugal-[...] [...] DIN 1 (unit), bread 1 (unit), vessel — Ur-ga 3 (units), TAK4; porter's (ration): barley, bread (for a) daughter 2 (units), bread (and) barley(?) 3 (units) [...] 1 (unit), vessel — Sag-ku5(!) 1 (unit) [...] 1 (unit) [...] 1 (unit) [...]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 40
[...] 1(N22) 3(N01), x [...] 1(N22) 3(N01), x [...] 1(N22) 3(N01), nin-[...] 1(N22) 3(N01), BU NAM2[?] 1(N22) 3(N01), [...] 1(N22)[3(N01), ...] 2(N01), [...] 3(N01), [...] 1(N01), nin-[...] 2(N01), x-[...] 3(N01), [...]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 42
[1(N22)] 3(N01) — of Inanna(?) [1(N22)] 3(N01) — NUN-[...] 1(N22) 3(N01) — NUN-da [...] 1(N22) 3(N01) — UR-[...] 1(N01) — UR-IG-A AK(?) PA A
Economy
Nisaba 25, 43
2(N22@f), festival(?) [of/for] ama-en-du10 3(N14@f) 3(N01@f), [...] [...] x UET2_067(?) 2(N14@f), clay/tablet(?) 3(N14@f) [...] 3(N01@f)? [...] PA AK(?)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 52
2 jars(?) of prime beer — NAGA-me (under) overseer (and) inspector 1 — calf of SZAGAN 1 — [product of] SZAGAN 1 — small bread, [made by] cupbearer 1 — |PA.MUNSUB| (for/of) donkeys 1 — engiz-woman
Economy
Nisaba 25, 54
1 (unit), [commodity:] emmer wheat, crushed — |NINDA2xŠIM| — On the day of the festival, food-ration given: bread. 1 (unit), AB SAR, release/disbursement; AN |GANxHI|, mouth/ration returned. 1 (unit), TI SUR A AN |GANxHI|, mouth/ration returned. 1 (unit), [mouth/]ration returned, AN |GANxHI|[...] On the day of the new moon(?), TI, mouth/ration of UR, food-ration given: bread. 2 (larger units), AN |GANxHI|[...] returned[!] [Mouth/]ration(?) consumed, AN |GANxHI|[!]
Economy
Nisaba 25, 55
2 [units], reed — Amar-Abzu 7 [units] — Utu-ur-sag 5 [units] — Sag-aya-da [...] SAG DA 9 [units] — Pa-bilga 2 [units] — Šubur-la, PA-A 1×10+2 [units] — En-abzu-si [broken line:] x A KA₂ GIR DIM DIM A A KA₂ SAL KA₂
Economy
Nisaba 25, 56
2(N14@f) [+?] |NINDA2׊IM|# — bread (akullû-loaves?) 4(N01@f) — basket(s) of ama-pa-gu₂-si 1(N01@f) — nam₂-bilx — (commodity/title?) 1(N01@f) — amar-e₂-nun 1(N01@f) — x-x [...] — x-[...] 1(N01@f)# — IŠ ZU#? 1(N19@f) 2(N04@f) — ab (cows/cattle) 1(N14@f) 1(N01@f) 1(N08@f) — ninda me-ararma₂ (bread/ration of the me-ararma₂ type) 1(N01@f) — beer (and/or) barley 1(N08@f) — nam₂ |ŠEŠ+IB|# 1(N08@f) — lu-du# 4(N01@f) — abgal (sage/expert)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 59
3 [rations/units], [...] 3 [rations/units], [...] 3 units, x x 4 units, x x 2 units, x x 2 units, [...] 2 units, x x x UR 1 unit, |ŠEŠE+IB| 1 unit, x 1 unit, x 1 unit, GAL x 1 unit, x 2 units, x 6 (large units), barley available
Economy
Nisaba 25, 63
3(N01@f)# [...] 2(N01@f) , ensix(|PA.SI|)-uri5 2(N14@f) 5(N01@f) , lu2-dugin2 8(N01@f)#? , nin [n] 2(N01@f)# , amar-e2 NIG2# nam#? 3(N14@f) , ensix(|PA.SI|)-|UET2_161b+KI|#? 1(N14@f) 2(N01@f) , ensix(|PA.SI|)#-uri5# 1(N14@f) , munus-alan#-ak IL2 2(N34@f) 3(N14@f) 5(N01@f) , GAN2# du3 APIN ISZ# [...]
Economy