Sumer History

Sumer History

•Uruk period: 4100 – 2900 BC (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age)

–Uruk XIV-V: 4100 – 3300 BC

–Uruk IV period: 3300 –3000 BC

–Jemdet Nasr period (Uruk III): 3000 – 2900 BC

•Early Dynastic period (Early Bronze Age)

–Early Dynastic I period: 2900–2800 BC

–Early Dynastic II period: 2800–2600 BC (Gilgamesh)

–Early Dynastic IIIa period: 2600–2500 BC

–Early Dynastic IIIb period: ca. 2500–2334 BC

•Akkadian Empire period: ca. 2334–2218 BC (Sargon)

•Gutian period: ca. 2218–2047 BC (Early Bronze Age IV)

•Ur III period: ca. 2047–1940 BC (Sumerian Renaissance)

•Sargon of Akkad

•Sargon of Akkad (2334 – 2279 BCE)

•Mother put him in a basket of rushes and bitumen. A lowly gardener found him and raised him.

•He consolidated all the city-states into one empire in Mesopotamia

•Revolts broke out during his reign

•Naram-Sin, son of Sargon

•He attacked the city of Nippur and sacked the temple.

•He was cursed for doing this. The Curse of the Akkad is written:

For the first time since cities were built and founded,

The great agricultural tracts produced no grain,

The inundated tracts produced no fish,

The irrigated orchards produced neither wine nor syrup,

The gathered clouds did not rain, the masgurum did not grow.

At that time, one shekel's worth of oil was only one-half quart,

One shekel's worth of grain was only one-half quart. . . .

These sold at such prices in the markets of all the cities!

He who slept on the roof, died on the roof,

He who slept in the house, had no burial,

People were flailing at themselves from hunger.

Now, historians think the downfall of the Akkad Empire was because of a HUGE drought brought about by a climate change. Maybe, it was the curse coming to pass—who knows?