Near East Kingdoms

Urum (City) (Sumer)

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The city states of Sumer formed one of the first great civilisations in human history (see feature link). This Near Eastern civilisation emerged a little way ahead of that of Africa's ancient Egypt, and up to a millennium before that of the Indus Valley culture. It developed out of the end of the Pottery Neolithic across the Fertile Crescent, a period which had seen Neolithic Farmer practices spread far and wide across the Near East and beyond.

As irrigation improved so the more southerly reaches of the Euphrates could at last be occupied by humans and their animals. Southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and the western edge of Iran) was subjected to permanent settlement, initially in the form of pastoralists but soon as farmers too. Cultures around the edges of this progression included the Hassuna and Samarra which began this settlement process, and perhaps elements of the Hissar culture in the Iranian highlands were also involved.

By the late fourth millennium BC, Sumer was divided into approximately a dozen city states which were independent of one another and which used local canals and boundary stones to mark their borders. Many early historical events in the region are found only in the Sumerian king list, which notates the rulers of the city states (and see feature link), but archaeology has also uncovered a wealth of detail.

The city of Urum has been linked fairly satisfactorily (but without conclusive evidence) to the modern archaeological site of Tell Uqair (otherwise recorded as Tell 'Uquair or Tell Aqair). This lies immediately north of (and within sight of) the former city of Kutha, about twenty-five kilometres north-north-east of Kish, and a short way to the south of Baghdad.

The six-hectare site consists of two adjacent mounds, one in the north of the site ('Mound B') and one in the south ('Mound A'). Between them is what would appear to be the bed of an ancient canal. One mound contains the remains of a pre-'Early Dynastic' temple, while the other has an 'Early Dynastic III' cemetery.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from History of the Ancient Near East c.3000-323 BC, Marc van der Mieroop (Blackwell Publishing, 2004, 2007), from The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character, Samuel Noah Kramer ('List 1' of Sumerian rulers, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1963), from Historical Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 to 500 BC, John Heywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000), from The Ancient Near East, c.3000-330 BC, Amélie Kuhrt (Routledge, 2000, Vol I & II), from Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, Michael Road (Facts on File, 2000), from Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Enrico Ascalone (Dictionaries of Civilizations 1, University of California Press, 2007), from Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History, J N Postgate (Routledge, 1994), and from External Links: Evolution of Sumerian kingship (Ancient World Magazine).)

c.3900 BC

As early as 8000 BC, during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, small clay tokens of various distinctive shapes are evidently being used by Near Eastern farmers to keep an inventory of their commodities.

A cone-shaped token, for instance, may indicate that a farmer has a certain amount of barley in his granary. This already-ancient system is greatly expanded during the Uruk IV period which begins around 3900 BC (or 3800 BC according to some).

The ancient Sumerian religious centre of Eridu - already a millennium old - is gradually surpassed in size by the nearby city of Uruk. Metalwork also appears, marking the beginning of the Chalcolithic (Copper Age) and the fading of the stone age period which had seen Neolithic Farmer practices transform human lives between about 10,000-4000 BC.

The ending of the Ubaid period around 3900 BC also signals the abandonment of the 'Mound B' portion of the city of Urum. The 'Mound A' site remains occupied however, with a temple and also a settlement area which thrives during this millennium. No city rivals Uruk for sheer size, with some even reducing their footprint, notably at Abu Salabikh.

c.3100 - 2900 BC

The Uruk IV influence suddenly fades around 3100 BC (or 3200 BC in some modern sources) for reasons unknown. Local traditions re-emerge in places which had previously taken on board Uruk influences. Elam's advanced city of Susa experiences an influx of immigrants who introduce great changes there.

The Uruk III or Jemdet Nasr period in Sumer is one of comparative isolation (with the city of Jemdet Nasr supplying the type site). A new social structure is built which will become a fundamental part of the successive 'Early Dynastic' period. A host of early cities are mentioned at this time, on seals which are discovered at Jemdet Nasr itself. These cities include Kesh, Kish, Larsa, Nippur, Ur, Uruk, and Zabalam, while Urum retains its small but notable occupation footprint.

c.2900 BC

The Jemdet Nasr period fades in favour of a new, outward-looking 'Early Dynastic' period. True writing now blossoms as it moves closer to spoken Sumerian, archives explode with mercantile records and administrative acts, and the first kings begin to appear as leading city figures take on more duties and increasing power, ostensibly as deputies of the gods themselves.

Nippur becomes the focus of Sumer's unified cult practices, in favour of Ur. This unique status lasts until the eighteenth century BC (which witnesses the rise of Babylon). Seals mention it frequently, even when they are found in small or obscure Sumerian cities such as Abu Salabikh, Arina, Kesh, Urum (now a cult site for the god Nanna), and Zabalam.

c.2276 BC

Rimush of the Akkadian empire re-conquers a rebellious Elam and Marhashi (in modern central Iran), and fights hard to retain the empire. Adab has its governor captured in the second year of the reign of Rimush and the city's walls are smashed.

The same fate befalls Zabalam in the same year. The king is largely successful in retaining his great father's empire, but his exploits are ended when he is apparently assassinated. Urum remains occupied, with a small cemetery which remains in occasional use, but its best days are behind it.

c.2254 BC

Facing revolts from the start of his reign, Akkadian King Naram-Sin remains 'victorious in nine battles' because Ishtar is on his side. He conquers Ebla in Syria, defeats a coalition which is led by Kish, another coalition which is led by Uruk (when combined these coalitions include all of the major cities of Mesopotamia), and also attacks Nippur and the Hatti.

c.2193 BC

Great climatic changes are taking place which result in a mega-drought in the Far East's Longshan culture and in the Near East. The latter sees the decline of Sumerian 'Post-Diluvian' civilisation, the Akkadian empire, and the Egyptian 'Old Kingdom', plus the start of Egypt's 'First Intermediate' period, and flooding in Bronze Age Britain.

The Gutians sweep through southern Mesopotamia and overthrow both Elam and the Akkadian empire, either during Naram-Sin's reign or that of his son. Urum in the north of Sumer may receive a number of Gutian settlers or occupiers as at least four of the burials in its cemetery contain Gutian seals.

c.2094 - 2047 BC

Shulgi of Ur extends his father's empire to include all of the Assyrian city states and their at-present non-Assyrian neighbours such as the Lullubi. He also re-conquers Susa from Elam and its Simashki rulers, and may be responsible for finishing off rebuilding work at Nippur. Ur's governors are in place at Eresh and Urum, to name just two locations.

fl 2050 - 2049 BC

Ensi (governor) for Shulgi of Ur (in his years 43-42).

c.2004 BC

The waning Sumerian civilisation which has at its centre the city of Ur now collapses entirely when the Simashki ruler of Elam, Kindattu, together with the people of Susa, sacks the city and captures Ibbi-Sin of Ur.

Uruk is briefly occupied by the invading Elamites before becoming a possession of Isin. In fact, Isin now enjoys a period of dominance in Sumer. Urum's own fate is unclear. It may re-emerge in Old Babylonian records as the city of Elip, although this cannot be proved conclusively. Abandonment follows in the same millennium BC.