Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia can be divided into North and South throughout much of its early history- The Northern region is sometimes (albeit problematically anachronistic) called Assyria while the southern region is called Babylonia after the major powers that accrued in those areas- dating is highly problematic for the period before 2400.

General Resources:

The Sumerians Prehistory to 2500 b.c.e

  1. Settled centers appeared in Egypt as early as c. 4500 and in Mesopotamia can be traced to c. 6000. This period is broadly subdivided into Neolithic (until c 5000) and the Chalcolithic (c 5000-3000), during which time there developed numerous advances such as cultivated farming, building craft, pottery and extensive trade as well as the use of copper and sometimes bronze. Writing became widespread in the Uruk 3 phase (c. 3100-2900) and the succeeding periods are called Early Dynastic I (2900-2700), II (2700-2600), & III (2600-2300). In the south there developed as early as 5000 the 'Ubaid culture near Ur where first identified by Woolley in the 1920s. The next phase was the Uruk (c. 4000-2900) which witnessed new technologies such as the wheel. It is probable that at this time the Sumerians, a distinct population at least as defined by language, lived together with Semitic peoples in southern Mesopotamia. The first written records appear towards the end of the Uruk 3 period (c. 3200-2900) The language of most of the early texts is Sumerian. -( For dating of this period I have followed Amelie Kuhrt, The Ancient Near East, 1995).
  2. Mesopotamian Cities c 2900-2340:
  3. Chronology of Northern Mesopotamia
    1. Early Dynastic I c. 2900
    2. Early Dynastic II c. 2700
    3. Early Dynastic III c. 2600
    4. Lagash: Ur-Nanshe; Akurgal- Mesalim king of Kish c. 2500
    5. Eanatum, Enanatum I c. 2450
    6. Enmetena, Enanatum II, Enentarzi, Lugalanda c. 2400
    7. Uruinimgina (UruKAgina) c. 2350
  4. First Dynasty of Ur ***
    1. Meshannipadda 2472-2432
    2. Aanipadda 2432-2392
    3. Meskiagnana 2391-2356
    4. Elulu 2355-2331
    5. Balulu 2330-2295
  5. Agade - Akkad and the Akkadians: precise dating is difficult. Standard dating places it between 2340 to 2159. but it may date as late as 2296-2105. I provide here the standard dates-
    1. Sargon 2340-2284
    2. Rimush 2284-2275
    3. Manish-tushu, King of Kish 2275-2260
    4. Naram-Sin 2260-2223
    5. Sarkalisari 2223-2198
    6. Igigi
    7. Nannu
    8. Elului 2198-2195
    9. Dudu 2195-2174
    10. Shu-durul 2174-2159
  6. Third Dynasty of Ur 2113>
    1. Ur- Nammu 2112- c. 2095 or 2047-2030
    2. Shulgi 2094-2047 or 2029-1982
    3. Amar-Sin (aka Bur-Sim) 2046-2038 or 1981-1973
    4. Shu- Sin 2037-2027 or 1972-1964
    5. Ibi Sin 2026-2004 or 1963-1940
  7. First Dynasty of Babylon
    1. Sumu Abum 1894-1881
    2. Suma la El 1880-1845
    3. Zabum or Sabium 1844-1831
    4. Apil Sin 1830-1813
    5. Sin Mubolli 1812-1793
    6. Hammurabi 1792-1750
    7. Samsuniluna 1749-1712
    8. Abi Esuh 1711-1684
    9. Ammiditana 1683-1648
    10. Ammisaduga 1647-1626
    11. Samsuditana 1625-1595

Assyria

  1. Characteristics
    • lacked timber and metals
  2. Early cultures
    • strong Sumerian influence
  3. Cities:
    1. Ashur
    2. Ninevah: -inhabited by 5000
    3. temple of Ishtar : 2800
    4. Erbil, Calah, Arrapkha
  4. Trade
    1. Kanesh & the Kultepe site in Cappadocia: archives of an Assyrian
    2. merchant colony c. 2000
  5. Assyrian King List
    1. The Thirty Eight First Kings
      1. Group 1: 17 kings Kings Living in Tents: (12 of the 17 correspond with Hammurabis list of Amorite ancestors).
      2. Group 2: 10 kings Kings Who Were Ancestors (probable ancestors of Usurper Shamsi-Adad I)
      3. Group 3: 6 kings
      4. Group 4: 6 kings
    2. Shamsi-Adad I 1813-1781
    3. Ishme-Dagan 1782-1742
      • lost most of his fathers holdings
    4. Hurrian Domination 1500-1400
    5. Eriba-Adad 1392-1366
    6. Ashu-uballit 1366-1329*
    7. Enlil-narari I 1329-1320
    8. Arik-den-ili 1319-1308
    9. Adad-Narari I 1307-1275
    10. Shalmaneser I 1274-1245
    11. Tukulti-Ninurta I 1244-1208
    12. Ashur-nadin-apli 1207-
    13. ----------------------
    14. -----------------------
    15. ---------------------- -1179
    16. Ashur-Dan I 1179-1134
    17. Ashur-resh-ishi I 1133-1116
    18. Tiglath-Pileser I 1115-1077
    19. T.'s son? 1076-1075
    20. Ashur-bel-kala 1074-1057
    21. son 1056
    22. Shamsi-Adad IV 1055-934
      • 6 descendants of Shamsi-Adad IV
      • Aramaean disturbances
    23. Ashur-Dan II 934-912
    24. Adad-nerari II 911-891
    25. Tukulti-Ninurta II 890-884
    26. Ashur-nasir-pal II 883-859
    27. Shalmaneser III 858-824
    28. Shamsi-Adad V 823-811
      • wife Sammurammat was Semiramis
    29. Adad-nerari III 810-783
    30. Shalmaneser IV 782-773
    31. Ashur-dan III 772-755
    32. Ashur-nerari V 754-745
    33. Tiglath-Pileser III744-727
    34. Shalmaneser V 726-722
    35. Sargon II 721-705
    36. Sennacherib 704-681
    37. Essarhedon 680-669
    38. Ashurbanipal 668-627
    39. Ashur-etillu-ili 626-c623
    40. Sin-shar-ishkunc 623-?
    41. Sin Shar ishkun 622?-612
      • Babylonian invasions
      • Fall of Ninevah 612
    42. The Babylonian Kings
      1. Nabopolassar 626-605
        • invades and conquers Assyria c. 612
      2. Nebuchadnezzar II 605-562
      3. Amel-Marduk (Evil-Merodoch)562-560
      4. Nergal-shar-Ushur (Neriglissar) 559-556
      5. Labash-Marduk (Merodoch)556
      6. Nabonid 556-539
    43. Conquest by the Persians 539

Cultural History of Early Mesopotamia

  1. Religion and Morals
  2. Government
  3. Laws
  4. Writing
  5. Literature
  6. Science
  7. Mathematics
  8. Society
    1. Houses
    2. furniture
    3. food
    4. care of the body
    5. education
    6. occupations
    7. slavery
    8. marriage
    9. social life
    10. sickness, death & burial
    11. women's rights
    12. childbirth
    13. medicine
  9. Economy
  10. Demography and population curves

Sumerian Web Pages

Copyright 1998- November 13, 2005 ,
Jerome T. Shaw, Asgard Enterprises.
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