User:A.X.Wiki.Editor/First dynasty of Ur

According to the Sumerian King List, the final ruler of the First Dynasty of Uruk Lugal-kitun was overthrown by Mesannepada of Ur. There were then four kings in the First Dynasty of Ur: Mesannepada, Mes-kiagnuna, Elulu, and Balulu.^[4] Two other kings earlier than Mes-Anepada are known from other sources, namely Mes-kalam-du and A-Kalam-du.^[4] It would seem that Mes-Anepada was the son of Mes-kalam-du, according to the inscription found on a bead in Mari, and Mes-kalam-du was the founder of the dynasty.^[4] A probable Queen Puabi is also known from her lavish tomb at the Royal Cemetery at Ur. The First Dynasty of Ur had extensive influence over the area of Sumer, and apparently led a union of south Mesopotamian polities.^[4][5]

Ethnicity and language

Like other Sumerians, the people of Ur were a non-Semitic people who may have come from the east circa 3800 BCE, and spoke a language isolate.^[6][7] Sumer was conquered by the Semitic-speaking kings of the Akkadian Empire around 2270 BC (short chronology), but Sumerian continued as a sacred language. Native Sumerian rule re-emerged for about a century in the Third Dynasty of Ur at approximately 2100–2000 BC, but the Akkadian language also remained in use.^[8]

International trade

The artifacts found in the royal tombs of the dynasty show that foreign trade was particularly active during this period, with many materials coming from foreign lands, such as Carnelian likely coming from the Indus or Iran, Lapis Lazuli from the Badakhshan area of Afghanistan, silver from Turkey, copper from Oman, and gold from several locations such as Egypt, Nubia, Turkey or Iran.^[3] Carnelian beads from the Indus were found in Ur tombs dating to 2600-2450, in an example of Indus-Mesopotamia relations.^[9] In particular, carnelian beads with an etched design in white were probably imported from the Indus Valley, and made according to a technique developed by the Harappans.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). In comparison, the burials of the kings of Kish were much less lavish.^[5] High-prowed Sumerian ships may have traveled as far as Meluhha, thought to be the Indus region, for trade.^[5]

Demise

According to the Sumerian King List (SKL), the First Dynasty of Ur was finally defeated, and power went to the Elamite Awan dynasty.^[10] The Sumerian king Eannatum (c.2500–2400 BCE) of Lagash, then came to dominate the whole region, and established one of the first verifiable empires in history.^[11]

The power of Ur would only revive a few centuries later with the Third Dynasty of Ur.^[11][12]

Portrait or inscription	Ruler	Approximated dates	Notes and references for mentions
	A-Imdugud	Uncertain; may have r. c. 2600 BC sometime during the Early Dynastic (ED) IIIa period.	Known from inscriptions in the Royal Cemetery at Ur.
	Ur-Pabilsag	Uncertain; may have d. c. 2550 BC sometime during the ED IIIa period.[13]
	Puabi	Uncertain; may have r. c. 2550 BC sometime during the ED IIIa and/or IIIb period(s).
	Meskiagnun	Uncertain; may have r. c. 2485 BC sometime during the ED IIIa and/or IIIb period(s).[13]	Known from the Tummal Chronicle; furthermore, as the son of Mesannepada from SKL.[14] However: Meskiagnun may have preceded Mesannepada.[13]
	Akalamdug	Uncertain; may have r. c. 2600, c. 2500 BC sometime during the ED IIIa and/or IIIb period(s).[13]	Known from dynastic beads and tomb inscriptions in the Royal Cemetery at Ur.
	Meskalamdug
	Mesannepada	Uncertain; may have r. c. 2500 BC sometime during the ED IIIa and/or IIIb period(s).[13]	Known from the SKL and Tummal Chronicle.[14]
	A'annepada	Uncertain; may have r. c. 2500 – c. 2300 BC sometime during the ED IIIb and/or Proto-Imperial period(s).[13]	Known as the son of Mesannepada from dedication tablets with inscriptions.
	Elulu	Uncertain; may have r. c. 2455, c. 2445, c. 2350 BC sometime during the ED IIIb and/or Proto-Imperial period(s).[13]	Known from the SKL.[14]
Lunanna		Uncertain; these rulers may have r. c. 2350 – c. 2154 BC sometime during the Proto-Imperial and/or Akkadian period(s).[13]	Known from one of Sargon's inscriptions.[13]
	Balulu		Known from the SKL.[14]

Sumerian King List

Only the final kings of the First Dynasty of Ur, from Mesannepada to Balulu and possibly 4 unnamed kings, are mentioned in the SKL:^[14]

"... Uruk with weapons was struck down, the kingship to Ur was carried off. In Ur Mesannepada was king, 80 years he ruled; Mesh-ki-ang-Nanna, son of Mesannepada, was king, 36 years he ruled; Elulu, 25 years he ruled; Balulu, 36 years he ruled; 4 kings, the years: 171(?) they ruled. Ur with weapons was struck down; the kingship to Awan was carried off.

— Sumerian King List, 137-147.^[14]

The Royal Cemetery of Ur held the tombs of several rulers of the First Dynasty of Ur.^[4] The tombs are particularly lavish, and testify to the wealth of the First Dynasty of Ur.^[5] One of the most famous tombs is that of Queen Puabi.^[5]

• 
  A gold dagger and a dagger with a gold-plated handle, Ur excavations (1900).
• 
  Reconstructed Sumerian headgear necklaces found in the tomb of Puabi, housed at the British Museum
• 
  Queen's Lyre, one of the Lyres of Ur, Ur Royal Cemetery.
• 
  Cylinder seal of Queen Puabi, found in her tomb. Inscription 𒅤𒀀𒉿 𒊩𒌆Pu-A-Bi-Nin "Queen Puabi".^[15][16][17] The last word "𒊩𒌆" can either be pronounced Nin “lady”, or Eresh “queen”.^[18]
• 
  The Standard of Ur
• 
  Ram in a Thicket
• 
  Lyre of a Bull's Head from Queen Puabi's tomb. (British Museum)
• 
  Nacre plate with anthropomorphic animals, circa 2600 BCE

Wikimedia Commons has media related to First Dynasty of Ur.

• Sumerian King List
• History of Sumer
• Third Dynasty of Ur