Early Dynastic / Sumerian
The period from circa 3000 BC-2350 BC in southern Mesopotamia is sub-divided into three main phases known as Early Dynastic I, II & III. Part of this region at this period corresponds to the ancient region of Sumer hence the assumption that all of the material culture is Sumerian.
Description:
The Sumerian Period is a grouping of the Early Dynastic Periods which were divided by the Oriental Institute's excavations in the Diyala. This term was used during Woolley's time to refer to this span of time. It was preceded by the Jemdat Nasr Period and followed by the Akkadian Period. During this period, Kingship alternated between a number of competing dynasties, traditionally including Kish, Uruk, and Ur.
Ultra Low Chronology:
Short/Low Chronology: 2800-2230 BCE
Middle Chronology: 2900-2340 BCE
Objects: Early Dynastic / Sumerian Export: JSON - XML - CSV
| Object | U Number | Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) | Museum Number (BM Registration Number) | Museum Number (UPM B-number) | Description (Catalog Card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 12141A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A] Copper strainer. Poor condition. [B] Handle broken & part of bottom missing. Normal type. Plain, type V. Circular in section. |
| 12162 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper Saucer. Type XIV. [drawing] |
| 12163 | (none) | 1929,1017.537 | (none) | Copper Axe. Type XX. | |
| 12168 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper Bowl. Hemispherical. Distorted. [Type] III. |
| 12234 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper Bowl. Hemispherical. [Type] VII. |
| 12241 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper strainer. badly broken. Normal type. |
| 12285 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper Platter with lid. Circular dish with cover & handle in centre for removing same. [Type] XLI. [drawing] |
| 12294 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper Bowl. Oval type with silver tubular handle rims. [Type LXIII] |
| 12317A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A] Copper Patten & [B] Ewer, & [C-D] 2 copper beakers. Making a set. All in very poor condition and broken. [Types listed, not correlated to objects, but are presumably in order indicated] [A]XXVIII, [B]XXIX, [C-D]XXIX. |
| 12317B | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A] Copper Patten & [B] Ewer, & [C-D] 2 copper beakers. Making a set. All in very poor condition and broken. [Types listed, not correlated to objects, but are presumably in order indicated] [A]XXVIII, [B]XXIX, [C-D]XXIX. |
| 12357A | (none) | 1929,1017.1 | (none) | [A, B] Statues of rams. A pair. With gold heads and legs; lapis horns, eyes and manes; shell fleeces; silver bellies; the plants and flowers gold; mounted on silver stands with pink and white mosaic diaper. The ram stands on his hind legs, the front legs doubled up and shackled to the stems of tall plants whose arrowhead shaped leaves & rosette flowers rise on each side of the head. Gold sockets rising from the shoulder shows that they were supports for something : of this the only possible trace was a white substance, perhaps leather, which lay under the second animal found. The first animal [A] is rather badly broken & the legs & part of the rump are separate but the thickness of the body is preserved : the second [B] is squashed quite flat but keeps its silhouette & only 3 of the flowers are detached. | |
| 12409J | (none) | 1929,1017.140 | (none) | Group: [A] Gold hair ribbon. [B.1-.2] Large gold lunate earring. [C] Wreath of gold leaves on lapis and carnelian beads. [D] Silver comb with inlaid flowers. [E] Necklace of gold and lapis triangles. [F] Necklace of gold and lapis ribbed ball beads (for order see field notes). [G] Necklace of lapis and silver double conoids. [H] Silver pin with lapis head [Type] VI B. [I] Silver pin with lapis head [Type] VI B. [J] Wristlet of gold and lapis tubular beads and carnelian rings (part of it waxed). [K-L] 2 silver finger rings. |
| 12437 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper bowl. [drawing] |
| 12446 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Silver lamp. Shell type. |
| 12447 | (none) | 1929,1017.62 | (none) | Silver lamp. Shell type. |
| 12505 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet (about half?). Accounts. Writing very early. HC 300. |
| 12506 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Nearly complete. Accounts. Archaic. [Annotated] HC 301. |
| 12507 | (none) | 1930,1213.614 | (none) | Tablet. Archaic accounts. [Annotated] HC 302 |
| 12508 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Archaic accounts. [Annotated] HC 303 |
| 12509 | (none) | 1930,1213.607 | (none) | Tablet. Fragment. Archaic accounts. [Annotated] HC 304 |
| 12510 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Archaic accounts. [Annotated] HC 305 |
| 12511 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Round. Archaic accounts. [Annotated] HC 306 |
| 12512 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Round With two signs. BAD+LA+SE-AMAR [Annotated] HC 307 |
| 12513 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Tablet. Fragment. Archaic accounts. Which may or may not belong together. [With U.12514 and U.12515] [Annotated} HC 308 |
| 12514 | (none) | 1930,1213.620 | (none) | Tablet. Fragment. Archaic accounts. Which may or may not belong together. [With U.12513 and U.12515] [Annotated] HC 309 |
Related Terms
Ubaid - Uruk - Jemdat Nasr - Akkadian Dynasty - Guti/Post Akkadian - Ur III - Old Babylonian - Middle Assyrian - Kassite - Neo-Assyrian - Neo-Babylonian - Achaemenid Empire (Persian) - Seleucid - Parthian