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 lord(?): IB~a (title/category) [...] linen(-garment): vizier great garment-official: overseer garment: overseer [...] great one of the throne(?) great one of the DI-sign(-office) temple-administrator of the X(-office) temple-administrator of the X(-office) ZATU725(?) spouse(?)
Writing & LiteratureDaily Life
CDLI Lexical 000003, ex. 034
1(N01), NAM2 [...] 1(N01), GAL~a ("great/large") SZAH2~a ("pig") 1(N01), NAM2 APIN~a ("plow") 1(N01), GAL~a [...] 1(N01), GAL~a ("great/large") SZAB~a 1(N01), PA~a NAM2 [...] 1(N01), AB~a [...] 1(N01), GAL~a [...]
Writing & LiteratureDaily Life
CUSAS 35, 471
(obverse) [...] — [...] [...] — [...] 4 — ...(UR?) ... goat(s), DA 4 — given/deposited (RU) 4 — USZ(?), first quality [...] — [...] dar-bird(s) (francolin?) [...] — [...] DA, GA(?) 4 — calf/calves, the EN (lord/priest-ruler), disbursed(?) 2 — E2(?), BU, NINDA2xNE (ration/bread-measure sign) [...] — NINDA2xNE, two illegible signs, [...] (remainder broken)
Economy
FMB 27
(obverse, archaic administrative entries) [...] : PA (overseer/classifier), oxen(?) 4(N14) [= 40?] : first-fruits offering (NESAG), with(?) the EN (lord), NAM2, KAB, GAR (placed?) 5(N14) [= 50?] : field (GAN2), cow(?) ..., the EN(?) 3(N14) [= 30?] : ..., AD(?) 3(N14) [= 30?] : KA, mound (DU6) 2(N50) 7(N14) : field (GAN2), (the sign) SILA3-vessel-in-jar (a capacity/vessel designation) [...] : IB, goat (MASZ), copper [...] : TUM3 (brought/delivered?), tablet (DUB) [...] : MUSZ3, ... (damaged) 2(N14) [= 20?] : GISZ×SZU2, ... [break] 2(N14) [= 20?] : BU [break] 2(N14) [= 20?] : ..., BU [break] 4(N…
Economy
MS 1952/37
(obverse, single column; sign-groups without numerals — an archaic text of uncertain genre, rendered sign by sign) 1. Fish ... TU ("born"?) 2. NAM2 NAM2 (a doubled title/category sign) 3. NAM2(?) — dagger (GIR2) 4. Delivered(?) (DU) — AN — water (A) 5. Yoke(?) (ŠUDUN) — RI 6. Yoke(?) (ŠUDUN) — dagger (GIR2) 7. ... — water (A) — NI 8. Fire(?) (NE) — day (U4) — RA 9. NI — RA 10. ŠE3 — BU 11. Day (U4) — builder/mason (ŠIDIM) — foot(?) (GIR3, damaged) 12. To carry(?) (IL) — left(-hand)(?) (GUB3) — ... 13. ... — (an archaic sign of unidentified value) — dog(?) (UR) — NI — to sit(?) (DUR2) 14. Mixed…
Religion & MythDaily Life
Nisaba 25, 01
(obverse) [1?] ... field(?) (GAN2) [1?] Sud-ur(?) 1 — U-ma 1 — Šul-šul 1 — ... [...] 1 — Šul-la 1 — a woman, ... (SAL + illegible sign) (remainder broken; reverse uninscribed/eroded)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 02
(obverse) [1] female kid — X-me-en (name partly illegible) [1] nanny goat — Zur-zur ... ... [...] (line too damaged to read) 1 (male) kid — En-kulaba-si 1 female kid — Nanna-mud 1 female kid — Igi-gigi 2 (male) kids — [...] (recipient's name lost in break)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 05
(obverse) 1. NI NI — ... (two NI signs; perhaps 'oil'?) ... 2. MA NI AN NA — a container(?) ... AN ... (reading of the sign cluster uncertain) 3. NA NI — ... 4. NA NI — ... 5. NI ŠEŠ — ... brother(?) ... 6. (one illegible sign) 7. Tablet [...] 8. Tablet ... (DUB NE) 9. AK NIM GI₄ — ... performed(?) ... returned(?) ... 10. (illegible sign) SI — ... horn(?)/SI ... (Break) 11. Mother(?) (AMA) [...] 12. Addition(?) (DAH) [...] 13. Addition(?) (DAH) ... tablet ... syrup/honey (LAL₃) (reverse: uninscribed / broken away)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 10
(obverse) [...] SAR [...] UR(?)-A [Pa]-bilga(?) [...] SI-A(?) [Amar(?)]-e-gibil 1 [...] 1 ... SI(?) [1(?)] the governor (ensi) (remainder, including reverse, uninscribed or effaced)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 13
(Beginning broken) 1 — beer(?) 1 — beer(?) 1 — ... multicolored(?) ... 2 — ME, NAGA(?) (Break) ... KU(?), work-troop(?), KI 1 — [...] 2 — é-ak ("of the house"?) (Break) 2 — [...] barley 1 — ... 2 — ... (Remainder lost)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 18
... calves. 1 sheep — Amar-egal ('Calf-of-the-palace'). [...] sheep — Nanna-duggen. 1 kid goat — Ama-e-si. 1 sheep (and) nanny-goat — ...-gi (name partly unreadable).
Economy
Nisaba 25, 23
1 — Šešib-du (ŠEŠ+IB-du10) 1 — Ur-ge (Ur-ge6, "dog/man of the night") 1 — Amar-ME-TE 1 — Amar-Niraḫ ("calf of the snake-god Niraḫ") 1 — Ama-ulgal [1 — Munus?]-alan 1 — Pabilga 1 — Bil-mesi 1 — Ama-GAsi (ama-GA2-si) (remainder broken)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 28
Obverse: 2 (units) — young animal(s) of Nirah(?), first quality(?) 1 (unit) — ... (two illegible signs) ... egg(?) 1 (unit) — MU [...] 2 (units) — Dilmun 2 (units) — [...] ... AN ... (unidentified archaic sign)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 32
(obverse) [1 , ...] ... aromatics(?) (ŠIM) [1 , (name lost)] [1] , Amar-sar [1] , Ur-[...] [1] , Nanna-šul(?) 1 , ... DU8 ŠU [sila(?)] 1 , [...]-Nirah(?) 1 , Ama-IGI-BUR 1 , Ba-za 1 , Amar-ib [1] , Nanna-[...] 1 , [...]-PA 1 , ... [...] (remainder broken)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 33
(obverse) [n (units of)] milk(?) — the donkey herdsman; 4 (jars of) barley beer — Lugal-[...]; [...] DIN; 1 (loaf of) bread, 1 jar — Ur-ga; 3 — remainder(?), the cupbearer: barley (and) bread of the daughter; 2 — bread (of) barley(?); 3 [...]; 1 jar — Sag-ku; 1 [...]; 1 [...]; 1 [...].
Economy
Nisaba 25, 40
(beginning broken) [...] 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): [...] (remainder broken)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 42
[1(N22)] 3(N01) — Inanna-ak(?) [1(N22)] 3(N01) — Nun-[...] 1(N22) 3(N01) — Nun-da [...] 1(N22) 3(N01) — Ur-[...] 1(N01) — Ur-ig-A AK(?) PA A (closing notation, function unclear)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 43
(obverse) 2 (large measures) — festival(?) (of) Ama-endu 33 [...] [...] ... (an unidentified archaic sign, UET 2 no. 67?) 20 — IM(?) (clay/tablets? — commodity unclear) 30 [...] 3(?) [...] PA (overseer?) AK(?) (— delivered/made?) (remainder lost; reverse uninscribed or effaced)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 52
(obverse) 2 (jars) of first-quality beer, me-NAGA(?): the overseer (and) commissioner; 1 (jar): Amar-SZAGAN; 1 (jar): Ak-SZAGAN; 1 (jar), (with) small bread: Ak, the cupbearer; 1 (jar): the donkey herdsman; 1 (jar): the cook (engiz). (reverse: uninscribed apart from the continuation of the sealing/first case; no further text)
Economy
Nisaba 25, 54
1 (unit) — NINDA₂xŠIM-bread of crushed emmer, on the day of the festival: consumed; giving of bread. 1 (unit) — AB SAR DU₈, AN-GANxḪI, KA GUR. 1 (unit) — TI SUR A, AN-GANxḪI, KA GUR. 1 (unit) — KA GUR, AN-GANxḪI. On the day of Nanna: TI KA UR consumed; giving of bread. 2 (tens) — AN-GANxḪI, GUR(!). KA(?) consumed; AN-GANxḪI(!).
Economy
Nisaba 25, 55
(obverse) 2 (units of) gi (reed-bundles) — Amar-abzu; 7 — Utu-ursag; 5 — Sag-ayada; [...] ... SAG?-DA (entry broken); 9 — Pabilga; 2 — Šubur-la, the PA-A official(?); 12 — En-abzusi. (final line, signs of uncertain reading:) ... A, KA2 (gate?), GIR, DIM3-DIM3, A, A?, KA2, SAL, KA2 ...
Economy
Nisaba 25, 56
(obverse, column i) 20 [units of] šim-bread (NINDA₂׊IM) — Aklulu; 4 — šen-vessels — Ama-pagusi; 1 — the nam₂-bil official(?); 1 — Amar-enun; 1 — ... (name illegible); [...] — ... (line broken); (column ii) 1 — ... (signs uncertain: IŠ ZU?); 1(N19) 2(N04) [measures] — cow(s); 11 [and] 1(N08) [i.e. a fraction] — bread of the me-rites(?) of Ur (Ararma); 1 — barley beer; 1(N08) — the nam₂ [official] of the ŠEŠ+IB [priesthood]; 1(N08) — Ludu; 4 — the abgal (sage-priest).
Economy
Nisaba 25, 59
(obverse) 3 [each] — [...] 3 — [...] 3 — ... (illegible) 4 — ... (illegible) 2 — ... (illegible) 2 — [...] 2 — ... ... UR (personal name or personnel designation) 1(?) — ŠEŠ+IB (name or category) 1(?) — ... 1(?) — ... 1(?) — GAL-... (a 'great/senior' title or qualifier; second sign illegible) 1(?) — ... 2 — ... (total:) 60 (6 × 10) — barley on hand.
Economy
Nisaba 25, 63
(obverse) 3 [+ ...] — [...] 2 — the ruler (ensi) of Ur, 25 — Lu-dugin, 8(?) — the lady (nin), [n +] 2 — Amar-e, ... property/assignment(?) (NIG2 nam), 3 tens (30) — the ruler (ensi) of ...(a place written with an archaic sign + KI), 1 ten 2 (12) — the ruler (ensi) of Ur, 1 ten (10) — the "woman of the statue" (munus-alan-ak); received (IL2). (reverse / total) 2 sixties 3 tens 5 (= 155) — cultivated field(s), plow, ... [...] (remainder broken)
Economy