AKKADIAN -NEO-SUMERIAN PERIODS

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Akkadian Period, 2340-2159 B.C.

History and society

• Akkadians of Northern Mesopotamia dominate Southern Mesopotamia (Sumer) for a time
• Sargon is the first king of the Agade dynasty: Akkadian doctrine requires loyalty to him, not to one's city-state
  • name Sharrum-kin, 'true/legitimate king' (which probably means he was really a usurper, protesting too much!); later this pronounced Sharken; preserved in bible as Sargon
  • king-list says he ruled 56 years, and that his father was a date-grower and cup-bearer to previous (local) Akkad king
• Naram-Sin is Sargon's grandson, rules 37 years--high point of dynasty
  • defines himself as a god, rather than as the agent of the gods
  • uses title "king of the four quarters, king of the universe"
  • rules a wide area; claims to have destroyed Ebla

Monuments 

• Sculpture
  • bronze head of a ruler--maybe Sargon, but probably Naram-Sin, because of the naturalistic, finely crafted style; found in rubbish heap at Nineveh, the capital of Akkad
    • hairdo is Sumerian, but firmer modelling
    • compare helmet of King Meskalamdug from Ur Dyn. I, and head of Eannatum on his stele
  • Victory stele of Naram-Sin
    • first landscape scene in Near East since Çatal Hüyük, c. 6000 B.C.! (earlier in Egypt)
    • shows victory over a people of Western Iran
    • ruler shown larger than other figures; wears horned helmet of a god
    • stars represent friendly deities Ishtar and Shamash--perhaps originally 7, for the 7 main gods of the culture

Neo-Sumerian Period, 2159-2000 B.C.

History and society

• the Guti, a mountain people from the Northeast, drive out Akkadians and rule for about 60 years
  • Lagash (capital city is Girsu)--state of Lagash alone survives peacefully under ruler Gudea 
  • Third Dynasty of Ur (2113-2004) founded by Sumerians who drive out Guti
    • most notable ruler was Ur-Nammu ('warrior of [goddess] Nammu')
  • texts preserved include law code of Nippur, with with specific penalties for specific offenses
    • punishment usually in form of compensation (in kind or money): establishes fines for bodily injury, etc.
  • well over 30,000 tablets, including state inscriptions, private sector, temple
• Third Dynasty of Ur overthrown by Elamites from Iran

Monuments

• various statues and heads of Gudea (whose name = "the one called [to power]"
  • Gudea also rebuilt 15 temples in Girsu 
• Renaissance of art and literature in Ur III Period
  • Ziggurat at Ur--most impressive monument of the time (in other cities too), built by King Urnammu
  • Urnammu also built other temples, a palace, rebuilt city walls, dug canals
    • Stele of Urnammu commemorates building projects
    • records piety--king worships gods, people honor king