A History of Sumer and Akkad An account of the early races of Babylonia from prehistoric times to the foundation of the Babylonian monarchy

When the patesiate of Lagash passed from Akurgal to his son Eannatum we may picture the city-state as owing a general allegiance to Akkad in the north. Nearer home, the relation...

Eannatum was the most famous and powerful member of Ur-Ninâ's dynasty, and it is probable that his reign marks the zenith of the power of Lagash as a city-state. We do not know...

The excavations which have been conducted on the sites of early Babylonian cities since the middle of last century have furnished material for the reconstruction of their histor...

[6] Cf. Maciver and Woolley, "Areika," pp. 14 ff. Mr. Maciver also cites the occurrence of a similar black-topped red-ware on sites in Egypt, dated between the Twelfth and Eight...

In their origin the great cities of Babylonia were little more than collections of rude huts constructed at first of reeds cut in the marshes, and gradually giving place to rath...

The name of Sargon of Agade, or Akkad, bulks largely in later Babylonian tradition, and his reign has been regarded by modern writers as marking the most important epoch in the...

Considerable changes have recently taken place in our estimate of the age of Sumerian civilization, and the length of time which elapsed between the earliest remains that have b...

The more recent finds at Tello have enabled us to bridge the gap which formerly existed in our knowledge of Chaldean history and civilization between the age of Narâm-Sin and th...

We have seen that the Dynasty of Akkad marks the culminating point attained by the races of Sumer and Akkad during the earlier periods of their history. It is true that the king...

In the preceding pages we have followed the history of the Sumerian race from the period of its earliest settlement in Babylonia until the time when its political power was draw...

The sack and destruction of Lagash, which has been described in the preceding chapter, closes an epoch, not only in the fortunes of that city, but also in the history of the lan...

The kingdom of Sumer and Akkad, which had been founded by Ur-Engur, survived the fall of his dynasty, and the centre of authority merely passed from one city to another. The cha...

The study of origins may undoubtedly be regarded as the most striking characteristic of recent archaeological research. There is a peculiar fascination in tracking any highly de...

[7] See "Comptes rendus de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres," Ser. IV., Tome V. (Oct., 1877), pp. 330 ff. An impression of the seal had been sent from Baghdad to Co...

Relations of Sumer and Akkad with other lands--Cultural influences, carried by the great trade-routes, often independent of political contact--The prehistoric relationship of Su...

Effect of recent research on older systems of chronology--Reduction of very early dates and articulation of historical periods--Danger of the reaction going too far and the nece...

Characteristics of early Babylonian sites--The French excavations at Tello--The names Shirpurla and Lagash--Results of De Sarzec's work--German excavations at Surghul and El-Hib...

Continuity of the kingdom of Sumer and Akkad and the racial character of the kings of Isin--The Elamite invasion which put an end to the Dynasty of Ur--Native rulers of Elam rep...

Cause of break in the direct succession at Lagash--Umma and Lagash in the reign of Enannatum I.--Urlumma's successful raid--His defeat by Entemena and the annexation of his city...

Sargon of Agade and his significance--Early recognition of his place in history--The later traditions of Sargon and the contemporary records of Shar-Gani-sharri's reign--Discove...

The part taken by Ur against Semitic domination in an earlier age, and her subsequent history--Organization of her resources under Ur-Engur--His claim to have founded the kingdo...

Origin of the great cities--Local cult-centres in the prehistoric period--The earliest Sumerian settlements--Development of the city-god and evolution of a pantheon--Lunar and s...

Condition of Sumer on the accession of Eannatum--Outbreak of war between Umma and Lagash--Raid of Ningirsu's territory and Eannatum's vision--The defeat of Ush, patesi of Umma,...

Trend of recent archaeological research--The study of origins--The Neolithic period in the Aegean area, in the region of the Mediterranean, and in the Nile Valley--Scarcity of N...

Sumerian reaction tempered by Semitic influence--Length of the intervening period between the Sargonic era and that of Ur--Evidence from Lagash of a sequence of rulers in that c...

Close of an epoch in Sumerian history--Increase in the power of Umma and transference of the capital to Erech--Extent of Lugal-zaggisi's empire, and his expedition to the Medite...