The Early Dynastic polity was not a single political unit, but rather a conglomeration of various smaller polities which shared most of the features, either cultural, social, political or economic. To cite Hamblin: "Politically Sumer in the Early Dynastic period was divided into a number of separate and feuding independent city-states engaged in complex pattern of cooperation, alliance, conflict and war.
[1]
Most of the cities were ruled by the kings-priests (called lugal or en) which competed with other city-states. The Early Dynastic Period is directly linked to previous polities, especially Jemdet Nasr and most of the urban centres were still occupied and developed. According to Chavrat: "For the earlier part of the ED period, three types of architectural layout stand out: spacious residences in enclosures (sometimes oval such as those observed on the west mound of Abu Salabikh and elsewhere); regular buildings on ordered plans, comprising most of those currently described as ‘temples’ and ‘palaces’; and, finally, densely packed urban networks such as those of the Abu Salabikh Central Mound or of the ‘Y’ sounding at Kiš."
[2]
The position of temples were very high, and fulfilled not only religious or ceremonial role, but also political and administrative. The temples had their own fields and animals and were independent institutions, but also obtained gifts for god or goddess from people. Moreover, many people, mostly farmers were obligated to render some services and work.
[3]
The recent studies, however, indicated on dominant role of temple as social and economic institution in Early Dynastic Period I, but gradually the palaces gained prominent position. There is assumed that military victory of some rulers played significant role in forming high position of palace and secular power.
[4]
[5]
The Early Dynastic Period is also described as a time when the first very intensive military campaigns and conflicts happened. The increase of warfare activity was probably caused by a need of new agricultural lands and water rights, and it also reflected the process of cumulation of power and growth of political significance of some individuals.
[6]
The main source of information concerning the political history of Sumer in the Early Dynastic Period is the Sumerian king-list, which contained the names of ling ruling in various Mesopotamian cities. The main problem, however, is to reconstruct both the exact time of each ruling and the synchronize the ruling of each king. The list mentioned few royal dynasty such as the first, second and third dynasty of Kish (with kings Enmebarasi, Agga, etc), the first dynasty of Uruk (one of the most known kings were Gilgamesh, Enmerkar, Lugalbanda), the first dynasty of Ur, dynasty of Adab, dynasty of Mari, dynasty of Hamazi, dynasty of Awan, dynasty of Akshak. There is assumed that the supremacy of Uruk dynasty correlates with duration of Early Dynastic Period II (circa 2650-2550 BCE).
[7]
"What is known is that by the third millennium B.C., the Sumerians had improved the shape of the bricks - loaf-shaped at first - by making them flat on one side and convex on the other. More importantly, they also invented the kiln to harden the bricks. Now harder and waterproof, the bricks were also porous, and absorbed some of the bitumen used as mortar and became strong as rock. Esir was then mixed with straw or clay to make it into a stiff mortar capable of sustaining the heavy load of the superimposed brickwork without sagging. Thus were built, until 2200 B.C., the palaces and temples of distant Sumerian kings in such ancient cities as Kish, Ur and Uruk. (Bilkadi, Z. 1984. Bitumen: A History. Saudi Aramco World. November/December. pp 2-9. https://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198406/bitumen.-.a.history.htm)
[1]: Hamblin 2006, 44
[2]: Chavrat 2012, 235
[3]: Gadd 1971, 137-138
[4]: Evans 2012, 121
[5]: Cohen 2005, 3-5
[6]: McIntosh 2005, 71
[7]: Hamblin 2006, 44-49
| nominal allegiance to [---] |
| Akkadian Empire |
| continuity |
| Preceding: Uruk (iq_uruk) [continuity] |
| quasi-polity | |
| nominal |
| inferred absent |
| inferred absent |
| present |
| present |
| inferred absent |
| inferred absent |
| inferred absent |
| unknown |
| absent |
| absent |
| inferred present |
| inferred present |
| inferred present |
| inferred present |
| inferred present |
| inferred present |
| Year Range | Early Dynastic (iq_early_dynastic) was in: |
|---|---|
| (2900 BCE 2351 BCE) | Southern Mesopotamia |
There was no single capital as the Sumer in Early Dynastic Period consisted of many various "city-state’ organism. However, the special significance had city of Kish and the title- "lugal of Kish" ("king") was very prestige title. On the other hand, the city of Nippur played a role of religious capital of whole Sumer. [1]
[1]: Hamblin 2006, 44
according to short chronology. The Early Dynastic Period is subdivided into three phases: Early Dynastic I, Early Dynastic II and Early Dynastic III. The Early Dynastic Period III is additionally divided into two subphases: A and B. [1] The Early Dynastic Period I-II (ED I-II) is dated to 2900-2600 BCE, and ED IIIA is dated to 2600-2500 BCE and ED IIIB is dated to 2500-2270 BCE. [2] Following middle chronology this period is dated: 2900-2334 BCE [3] The end of this period is designated by the beginning of Sargon’s reign of Akkad. [4]
[1]: Roux 1998, 110
[2]: Brisch 2013, 116
[3]: Hamblin 2006, 35
[4]: McIntosh 2005, 70
There are no traces of any dramatic cultural interruption between these two periods.
There are no traces of any dramatic cultural interruption between these two periods.
in squared kilometers. Adams mentions two settlement enclaves: southern and northern. The southern enclave was inhabited by 86300 people on area of 2398 in squared km and the northern enclave had 20240 people living on area of 1184 in squared km [1] 30,000 [2]
[1]: (Adams 1981, 90) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/MAIAZJ3K.
[2]: Roux 1998, 115
Adams mentions two settlement enclaves: southern and northern. The southern enclave was inhabited by 86300 people on area of 2398 in squared km and the northern enclave had 20240 people living on area of 1184 in squared km [1] 100,000-200,000 [2] Most of the population lived in the cites. According to Adams, 10% of the settlement was nonurban (occupying villages smaller than 10ha) and almost 78,4% settlement was large urban area (and had more than 40 ha) in the Early Dynastic Period II/III [3]
[1]: (Adams 1981, 90) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/MAIAZJ3K.
[2]: Peregrine 2002, 113
[3]: Adams 1981, 138
Full-time specialists absent/present/inferred present/inferred absent/uncoded/unknown
Ruler’s residence was also an administrative building:"The palace (Sumerian e.gal, Akkadian ekallum) was the residence of the royal family in city-states and imperial capitals, such as Mari and Nineveh, and of governors in provincial cities and towns, such as Eshnunna. It was also an administrative, industrial, and economic center." [1]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 153) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
Mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences
Monetary system did not exist in the Early Dynastic Period.
Monetary system did not exist in the Early Dynastic Period.
Monetary system did not exist in the Early Dynastic Period.
used after the introduction of gunpowder, e.g., trace italienne/starfort
"Troops also included archers and soldiers armed with slings and ovoid stones, probably mainly recruited among the hunters and fishermen of the south." [1] maceheads [2]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 187-188) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
[2]: Postgate 2007, 30-31
"Troops also included archers and soldiers armed with slings and ovoid stones, probably mainly recruited among the hunters and fishermen of the south." [1] arrowheads were discovered in many graves dated to Early Dynastic Period [2]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 187-188) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
[2]: Charvat 2012, 198
Not mentioned in detailed descriptions of equally detailed military iconography.
"The later third-millennium development of the composite bow revolutionized warfare." [1]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 188) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1] maceheads [2]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
[2]: Postgate 2007, 30-31
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
"The Standard of Ur’ and ’The Stele of Vultures’ (see p. 75) depict foot soldiers armed with spears or pole-mounted axes, their heads protected by leather or felt helmets." [1]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 187) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
"The Standard of Ur’ and ’The Stele of Vultures’ (see p. 75) depict foot soldiers armed with spears or pole-mounted axes, their heads protected by leather or felt helmets." [1]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 187) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1] [2]
[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.
[2]: Hamblin 2006, 48
(also known as banded mail, example: lorica segmentata)