The First Dynasty of Ur (abbreviated Ur I) was a dynasty of rulers from the city of Ur in ancient Sumer who reigned c. 2600 – c. 2340 BC. Ur I is part of the Early Dynastic III period of ancient Mesopotamia. It was preceded by the earlier First Dynasty of Kish and the First Dynasty of Uruk.
Rule
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. Two other kings earlier than Mes-Anepada are known from other sources, namely Mes-kalam-du and A-Kalam-du. 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. 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.
Ethnicity and language
Like other Sumerians, the people of Ur were a non-Semitic people who may have come from the east circa 3300 BCE, and spoke a language isolate.
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. Carnelian beads from the Indus were found in Ur tombs dating to 2600-2450, in an example of Indus-Mesopotamia relations. 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. These materials were used into the manufacture of beautiful objects in the workshops of Ur.
The Ur I dynasty had enormous wealth as shown by the lavishness of its tombs. This was probably due to the fact that Ur acted as the main harbour for trade with India, which put her in a strategic position to import and trade vast quantities of gold, carnelian or lapis lazuli. In comparison, the burials of the kings of Kish were much less lavish. High-prowed Sumerian ships may have traveled as far as Meluhha, thought to be the Indus region, for trade.
Demise
According to the Sumerian King List, the First Dynasty of Ur was finally defeated, and power went to the Elamite Awan dynasty. 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.
The power of Ur would only revive a few centuries later with the Third Dynasty of Ur.
List of rulers
| # | Depiction | Ruler | Succession | Epithet | Approx. dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Dynastic IIIa period (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC) | ||||||
| Predynastic Ur (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC) | ||||||
| A-Imdugud 𒀀𒀭𒅎𒂂 | fl. c. 2600 BC |
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| Ur-Pabilsag 𒌨𒀭𒉺𒉋𒊕 | Son of A-Imdugud (?) | d. c. 2550 BC |
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| # | Depiction | Ruler | Succession | Epithet | Approx. dates | Notes |
| Early Dynastic IIIb period (c. 2500 – c. 2350 BC) | ||||||
| Akalamdug 𒀀𒌦𒄭 | Son of Meskalamdug (?) | reigned c. 2500 BC |
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| Meskalamdug 𒈩𒌦𒄭 | Son of Akalamdug (?) | r. c. 2500 BC |
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| Puabi 𒅤𒀜 | m. c. 2500 to Meskalamdug (?) |
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— SKL | ||||||
| 1st | Mesannepada 𒈩𒀭𒉌𒅆𒊒𒁕 | Son of Meskalamdug (?) | r. c. 2500 BC (80 years) |
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| 2nd | Meskiagnun 𒈩𒆠𒉘𒉣 | Son of Mesannepada (?) | r. c. 2485 – c. 2450 BC (30 or 36 years) |
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| 3rd | Elulu 𒂊𒇻𒇻 | r. c. 2445 BC (25 years) |
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| 4th | Balulu 𒁀𒇻𒇻 | Uncertain (36 years) |
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— SKL | ||||||
| Enshakushanna 𒂗𒊮𒊨𒀭𒈾 | Son of Elulu (?) | r. c. 2430 BC (60 years) |
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| Lugal-kinishe-dudu 𒈗𒆠𒉌𒂠𒌌𒌌 | r. c. 2400 BC (120 years) |
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| Lugal-kisal-si 𒈗𒆦𒋛 | Son of Lugal-kinishe-dudu | r. c. 2400 BC |
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| A'annepada 𒀀𒀭𒉌𒅆𒊒𒁕 | Son of Mesannepada | Uncertain; this ruler may have r. c. 2500 – c. 2350 BC sometime during the EDIIIb period |
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| # | Depiction | Ruler | Succession | Epithet | Approx. dates | Notes |
| Proto-Imperial period (c. 2350 – c. 2112 BC) | ||||||
| Lunanna | Uncertain; this ruler may have r. c. 2350 – c. 2112 BC sometime during the Proto-Imperial period |
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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 Sumerian King List:
"... 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.
Artifacts
The Royal Cemetery of Ur held the tombs of several rulers of the First Dynasty of Ur. The tombs are particularly lavish, and testify to the wealth of the First Dynasty of Ur. One of the most famous tombs is that of Queen Puabi.
- 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". The last word "𒊩𒌆" can either be pronounced Nin “lady”, or Eresh “queen”.
- 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
See also
- Sumerian King List
- History of Sumer
- Third Dynasty of Ur
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