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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 11703 | (none) | (none) | B8547b | Copper Bowl. Oval in pretty good condition. Corroded on to it, in the inside, are a copper lamp and a hemispherical copper bowl. |
| 9334A | (none) | (none) | B17805 | Silver vases Spouted (A) In remarkably good condition, but the spout has been bent back touching the rim. (B) Exactly similar, but the lower part is broken and badly warped |
| 10850 | (none) | (none) | B17693 | Gold Bowl Oval (slightly distorted and flattened) of heavy and fairly pure gold: the sides fluted: engraved round the rim a double line of herring-bone pattern: the flutings end in points giving a chevron effect: the same 2 elements are repeated at the bottom against the raised oval base on which is engraved a 12-petalled rosette on a background of concentric elipses. At the middle of the sides level with rim. 2 handles each of 2 vertical gold tubes meant to take wire. | |
| 10451 | (none) | (none) | B17692 | Gold Lamp bowl with sloped straight sides rising from a ridge foot, with narrow carinated rim: from the rim projects a trough spout. (orig. circular, now bent) | |
| 10453 | (none) | (none) | B17691 | Gold Tumbler Straight-sided: the sides fluted: around top and bottom a herring-bone pattern and a double zigzag: on the base an eight-petalled rosette imposed on concentric cirlces: all designs done by chisel and hammer engraving; at one point on the rim a tiny ring-coil (horizontal) as if for suspension. (Dented in) | |
| 10818A | (none) | (none) | B17590 | Tomb Group A. A few odd beads round neck; decayed silver double conoids, one or two carnelian rings. B. [B and F] Pair of cockle shells corroded together, containing black paint. C. Decayed copper pin, rectangular in section. Type III variant. D. Few decayed shell rings worn on breast, probably originally a belt. E. Fragments of silver earrings | |
| 9787 | (none) | (none) | B17588 | Gilt Ornaments. Short copper rods, 006 long, originally encased with very thin gold. Some of these had attached to one end of them 2 small gold leaves: others had a gold flower rosette and the gold leaf had come off. Probably part of the head ornament 9785. Others had a rim round the stem near but not at the end: and there were found fragments of hollow gold leaf-like balls which may have gone above these so as rather to resemble a pomegranate. The copper stems were pierced with very small holes 0005 apart so must have served as spacers for beads, or else been sewn onto something. One of the gold flowers was fixed to a double silver bead, and to one also silver rosettes were similarly attached. [additional drawing on back of card] [drawing] |
| 10910 | (none) | (none) | B17548 | Silver Pot apparently thus- but squashed right in [drawing] (inside it is part of the lapis rod U.10911) Type [struck out: "XXXIII"] |
| (none) | (none) | (none) | B17545 | (none) |
| 8597 | (none) | (none) | B17543 | Copper bowl Straight-sided with long trough spout Type 11 | |
| 10954 | (none) | (none) | B17539 | Copper Pot. [Type] XXVII. [drawing] | |
| 9128 | (none) | (none) | B17538 | Copper vase. Type XLVI. | |
| 10033 | (none) | (none) | B17529 | Silver Bowl Oval Resembling U.10031 badly smashed up |
| 8058 | (none) | (none) | B17453 | Copper bowl. Oval or boat-shaped. The shape is probably exaggerated by the accidental bending inwards of the long sides. In poor condition and part of the base missing. LXIII. |
| 8625 | (none) | (none) | B17451 | Copper bowl. Oval type. Originally provided with a long handle attached to the rim at the middle of the longer sides: this is missing. It was probably of thin (silver?) wire. | |
| (none) | (none) | (none) | B17449 | (none) | |
| 8601 | (none) | (none) | B17447 | Copper model of shell Dish [drawing] Part of the edge broken | |
| 8057 | (none) | (none) | B17443 | Bowl. [CARD MISSING] | |
| 8841 | (none) | (none) | B17441 | Copper bowl. Hemispherical. Small portion of body missing. Fairly thick copper. [drawing] |
| 10568 | (none) | (none) | B17439 | Copper Bowl With small circular base, flat | |
| 7994 | (none) | (none) | B17406 | Copper bowl. Oval, almost boat-shaped. In good condition but cracked. In it were several lumps of copper, apparently unformed. [type] LXIII. | |
| 8903 | (none) | (none) | B17404 | Copper bowl. Oval and once provided with a (wire?) handle: no base ring or flattening. Type LXIII. | |
| 10413 | (none) | (none) | B17340 | Copper Vessels a lamp, ordinary shell type fixed inside a shallow bowl with long handle (broken) & short splayed spout | |
| 10457C | (none) | (none) | B17299 | Silver Bowls 4 [A-D] Oxidised together 3 of oval type with little knob handles on the long sides, one hemispherical. Type __ Photo __ | |
| 10457B | (none) | (none) | B17298 | Silver Bowls 4 [A-D] Oxidised together 3 of oval type with little knob handles on the long sides, one hemispherical. Type __ Photo __ |
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