First Dynasty of Ur
Template:Short description Template:Infobox family The first dynasty of Ur (abbreviated Ur I) was a dynasty of rulers from the city of Ur in ancient Sumer who Template:Reign. Ur I is part of the Early Dynastic III period of ancient Mesopotamia.<ref name="CAH">Template:Cite book</ref> It was preceded by the earlier First Dynasty of Kish and the First Dynasty of Uruk.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
RuleEdit
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.<ref name="DF">Template:Cite book</ref> Two other kings earlier than Mes-Anepada are known from other sources, namely Mes-kalam-du and A-Kalam-du.<ref name="DF"/> 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.<ref name="DF"/> 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.<ref name="DF"/><ref name="IMD"/>
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Ethnicity and languageEdit
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.<ref>"The Sumerians, a non-Semitic people who perhaps came from the east" in Template:Cite book. Mention of Gen 11:2 "And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there." (English Standard Version)</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
International tradeEdit
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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.<ref name="BM">British Museum notice "Grave goods from Ur"</ref> Carnelian beads from the Indus were found in Ur tombs dating to 2600-2450, in an example of Indus-Mesopotamia relations.<ref name="JMI">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="BM Carnelian" /> These materials were used into the manufacture of beautiful objects in the workshops of Ur.<ref name="BM"/>
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.<ref name="IMD">Template:Cite book</ref> In comparison, the burials of the kings of Kish were much less lavish.<ref name="IMD"/> High-prowed Sumerian ships may have traveled as far as Meluhha, thought to be the Indus region, for trade.<ref name="IMD"/>
DemiseEdit
According to the Sumerian King List, the First Dynasty of Ur was finally defeated, and power went to the Elamite Awan dynasty.<ref>"Then Urim was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan." in Template:Cite book</ref> The Sumerian king Eannatum (c.2500โ2400 BCE) of Lagash, then came to dominate the whole region, and established one of the first verifiable empires in history.<ref name="Infobase Publishing">Template:Cite book</ref>
The power of Ur would only revive a few centuries later with the Third Dynasty of Ur.<ref name="Infobase Publishing"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
List of rulersEdit
| # | Depiction | Ruler | Succession | Epithet | Template:Abbr dates | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Dynastic IIIa period (Template:Circa) | |||||||
| Predynastic Ur (Template:Circa) | |||||||
| File:Seal from PG 1236 with inscription Aja-Anzu, also read A-Imdugud.jpg | A-Imdugud ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ |
Template:Fl. |
| ||||
| File:Ur-Palbisag.jpg | Ur-Pabilsag ๐จ๐ญ๐บ๐๐ |
Son of A-Imdugud (?)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | Template:Died-in |
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| # | Depiction | Ruler | Succession | Epithet | Template:Abbr dates | Notes | |
| Early Dynastic IIIb period (Template:Circa) | |||||||
| File:Shell plaque from a lyre, PG 1332, Ur Royal Cemetery (detail).jpg | Akalamdug ๐๐ฆ๐ญ |
Son of Meskalamdug (?) | Template:Reign |
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| File:Golden helmet of Meskalamdug in the British Museum.jpg | Meskalamdug ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ |
Son of Akalamdug (?) | Template:Reign |
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| File:Queen Puabi with attendants.jpg | Puabi ๐ ค๐ |
Template:Married-in to Meskalamdug (?) |
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| 1st | File:Seal impression of Mesanepada, king of Kish.jpg | Mesannepada ๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ |
Son of Meskalamdug (?) | Template:Reign (80 years) |
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| 2nd | File:Middle East, 52 Ancient Iran.jpg | Meskiagnun ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ |
Son of Mesannepada (?) | Template:Reign (30 or 36 years) |
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| 3rd | File:Dedication tablet by King Enshakushanna, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Erm 14375.jpg | Elulu ๐๐ป๐ป |
Template:Reign (25 years) |
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| 4th | File:King at war leading soldiers Standard of Ur.jpg | Balulu ๐๐ป๐ป |
Uncertain (36 years) |
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| File:Fragments in the name of Enshakushanna.jpg | Enshakushanna ๐๐ฎ๐จ๐ญ๐พ |
Son of Elulu (?)<ref name="Marchesi2015"/> | Template:Reign (60 years) |
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| File:Foundation nail Entemena Louvre AO22934.jpg | Lugal-kinishe-dudu ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ |
Template:Reign (120 years) |
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| File:Limestone foundation peg of Lugal-kisal-si, from Uruk, Iraq. C. 2380 BCE. Pergamon Museum.jpg | Lugal-kisal-si ๐๐ฆ๐ |
Son of Lugal-kinishe-dudu<ref name="Marchesi2015"/> | Template:Reign |
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| File:Gold items PG 580.jpg | A'annepada ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ |
Son of Mesannepada | Uncertain; this ruler may have Template:Reign sometime during the EDIIIb period<ref name="Marchesi2015"/> |
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| # | Depiction | Ruler | Succession | Epithet | Template:Abbr dates | Notes | |
| Proto-Imperial period (Template:Circa) | |||||||
| Lunanna | Uncertain; this ruler may have Template:Reign sometime during the Proto-Imperial period<ref name="Marchesi2015"/> |
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Sumerian King ListEdit
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:<ref name="CDLI-Found Texts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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"... 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.{{#if:|{{#if:|}}
โ {{#if:|, in }}Template:Comma separated entries}}
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ArtifactsEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The Royal Cemetery of Ur held the tombs of several rulers of the First Dynasty of Ur.<ref name="DF"/> The tombs are particularly lavish, and testify to the wealth of the First Dynasty of Ur.<ref name="IMD"/> One of the most famous tombs is that of Queen Puabi.<ref name="IMD"/>
- A gold dagger and a dagger with a gold-plated handle, Ur excavations (1900) (14581033499).jpg
A gold dagger and a dagger with a gold-plated handle, Ur excavations (1900).
- Reconstructed sumerian headgear necklaces british museum.JPG
Reconstructed Sumerian headgear necklaces found in the tomb of Puabi, housed at the British Museum
- Queen's Lyre Ur Royal Cemetery.jpg
Queen's Lyre, one of the Lyres of Ur, Ur Royal Cemetery.
- Flickr - Nic's events - British Museum with Cory and Mary, 6 Sep 2007 - 185.jpg
Cylinder seal of Queen Puabi, found in her tomb. Inscription ๐ ค๐๐ฟ ๐ฉ๐Pu-A-Bi-Nin "Queen Puabi".<ref>British Museum notice WA 121544</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The last word "๐ฉ๐" can either be pronounced Nin โladyโ, or Eresh โqueenโ.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Standard of Ur - War.jpg
The Standard of Ur
- Raminathicket2.jpg
- Bull's head of the Queen's lyre from Pu-abi's grave PG 800, the Royal Cemetery at Ur, Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq. The British Museum, London..JPG
Lyre of a Bull's Head from Queen Puabi's tomb. (British Museum)
- Lyre detail (Royal Cemetery of Ur).jpg
Nacre plate with anthropomorphic animals, circa 2600 BCE