The Sumerian civilization is a lot of mysteries for scientists. Treasures of the Tombs of Ur Archaeological Sites of the Sumerian Cities Brief Message

5 thousand years ago in Southern Mesopotamia from small settlements of farmers arose cities centers of small states. The Sumerians built cities from clay bricks. This is how the Bible says it: “They found a plain and settled there. And they said to one another, Let us make bricks and burn them with fire. And they became bricks instead of stones.

This story is supported by archeological evidence. True, the Sumerians had almost nothing to burn bricks with. There is no forest in their country, so they simply dried the bricks in the sun. Fired bricks were expensive, they were used only for facing the most important buildings. In our time, huge hills covered with sand, towering among the desert plains, remain from the ancient cities. But archaeological expeditions discover the remains of these ancient cities, of which there were several dozen.

The city was especially large and famous Ur, excavated by archaeologists. Others were set up in a similar way. city-states with their rulers, whose power extended to nearby lands. The rulers of the city-states appointed officials who participated in the management of the state. The city-states had troops and waged wars, during which their borders changed, some weakened, others strengthened and subjugated the rest.

The Sumerians, unlike the Egyptians, could not create a single, stable state. The kings of the Sumerian cities were at enmity with each other. The winner turned out to be one or the other city. Finally, the kings of Ur managed to subjugate many cities to their power and unite the country. But the reign of Ur did not last long. Once again, the Southern Mesopotamia was captured by nomads. material from the site

Ziggurat of Ur. Modern reconstruction

Sumerian official. Statue III (3) millennium BC

Ur (ancient city)

In the III (3) millennium BC. Ur was surrounded by a high brick wall with several gates and towers. Narrow streets paved with bricks led to the center of the city, where a temple-tower towered in the form of a stepped pyramid - Ziggurat. Each floor of the ziggurat had its own color. In Ur, the bottom floor was black, the next one was red, and the third one was white. Even higher was the temple itself, the sanctuary of the god. It sparkled with blue glaze and gilding. Colors were not just decoration, they depicted the structure of the universe. Black color symbolized the underworld, red - the earth, and white and blue with gilding - the sky and the sun.

The floors did not have internal premises and served as huge pedestals of the temple. During the excavations of Ur, archaeologists discovered two well-preserved floors of the ziggurat. The lower floor has a height of 15 meters, in other words, it is from a 5-storey building. The floors are connected by straight staircases leading to the very top. The priests, who climbed to the top of the ziggurat, observed the heavenly bodies and compiled a calendar, calculated the dates of lunar and solar eclipses.

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The Sumerian civilization is one of the oldest. It developed approximately in the 4th-2nd millennium BC. e. between the Tigris and Euphrates. In the III millennium BC. e. the importance of a number of such Sumerian cities as Lagash, Kish, Ur, and many others increased. Between these cities there was a constant struggle for superiority. In the XXIV century BC. e. the cities were conquered by the ruler of Akkad, Sargon the Ancient.

It is interesting to note that for a long time the only source of information about the Sumerian cities was the Old Testament. Scientific research of the ancient Sumerian settlements began only at the end of the 19th century, when American archaeologists began excavations of the city of Nippur. In the 1920s, the English archaeologist L. Woolley carried out excavations on the territory of Ur. The ruins of Uruk were explored in 1933 by R. Koldewey, who had previously made a number of significant discoveries during the excavations of Babylon. In 1928-1929, S. Langdon excavated Kish, during which they found the ruins of the royal palace and ancient burials. Archaeologists also carried out excavations of such Sumerian cities as Eridu, Lagash and Akkad.

The religious buildings of the ancient Sumerians, whose external appearance was reconstructed by scientists on the basis of the data obtained, were stepped towers - ziggurats. The Sumerians began to build them in the 4th millennium BC. e. Similar structures were erected centuries after the disappearance of the Sumerian civilization, in particular the famous Tower of Babel.

A feature of the Sumerian civilization was an extensive irrigation system, which developed in the 4th-3rd millennia BC. e. and lasted until the middle of the II millennium BC. e. Irrigation canals acted as a link between the most important cultural and political centers of Sumer.

Head of Sargon the Ancient. 23rd century BC e.

The researchers concluded that the first Sumerian settlements in the Tigris and Euphrates valley appeared in the 6th millennium BC. e.

The oldest settlement is the city of Eridu (Tel Abu Shahrein in Iraq). Archaeological expeditions of R. Thompson, F. Safar and S. Lloyd discovered the ruins of temples, as well as an ancient cemetery. In Eridu was the temple of the god of water and wisdom Enki.

During the exploration of Nippur, which began at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and continued after the Second World War, the ruins of the temples of the supreme god Enlil and the temple of the goddess of love and war, Inanna, were discovered. Scholars have concluded that Nippur was an important cult center in Sumer. Without the recognition of the priests of Enlil, the power of the kings of Sumer and Akkad could not be considered legitimate. The priests developed the Nippur calendar, according to which there were 12 lunar months in a year, each of which had 29 or 30 days.

Excavations of the city of Ur, the birthplace of the biblical patriarch Abraham, were carried out in 1922-1934 by the Englishman L. Woolley. Not far from modern Basra there was a hill, in which, at a depth of 12 meters, they discovered the burial places of the ancient kings of Ur, dated to the 4th millennium BC. e. The objects found in the tombs indicate that the Sumerians by this time had reached a high level in metalworking, jewelry and the manufacture of musical instruments. Archaeologists have established that the funerals of the kings were accompanied by numerous victims, since a large number of human remains were found in the tombs.

In Ur, the ruins of a three-tiered ziggurat were excavated, in which the sanctuary of the god of the moon and Nanna's predictions was located. This building was erected during the reign of King Ur-Nammu in the 22nd century BC. e., when the power of Sumer reached its highest peak. Under this king, the earliest written code of laws known to science was compiled. By the same time, researchers attribute the compilation of the "Royal List", in which the names of the mythical Sumerian rulers are named and the idea of \u200b\u200bthe divine origin of the power of the king, which is inherited, is finally formulated.

Ziggurat in Ur. XXII–XXI centuries BC e. (reconstruction)

Excavations have confirmed the reality of the Flood, which is mentioned both in the Old Testament and in the ancient Sumerian epic "The Song of Gilgamesh". In 1929, while exploring the tombs of the Sumerian kings, at a depth of 12 meters, L. Woolley discovered alluvial deposits that could only have arisen as a result of large-scale flooding. The thickness of these deposits reached about 2.5 meters.

At the end of the XX century BC. e. Ur lost its independence, and in the IV century BC. e., when there was a change in the course of the Euphrates and salinization of the soil, the inhabitants left the city.

Archaeological excavations of another Sumerian city, Lagash, were carried out in 1877-1933. In the course of these studies, about 50 thousand clay cuneiform tablets were found, which became a truly invaluable material that gives an idea of the civilization of Sumer.

Bas-reliefs from Lagash. III millennium BC. e.

The city itself and the system of irrigation canals near it appeared in the 5th-4th millennium BC. e. Most of the written sources found by archaeologists date back to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. e. The heyday of Lagash falls on the reign of King Eanatum (second half of the 25th century BC), who managed to subjugate a number of Sumerian cities - Umma, Kish, etc.

In memory of the victory over the troops of Umma, on the orders of the king, the so-called “Kite Stele” was erected, which depicts birds of prey devouring the opponents of the ruler of Lagash.

Gudea, ruler of Lagash. End of III millennium BC. e. uh

In the XXII century BC. e., during the reign of King Gudea, there was an active construction of temples. At this time, the importance of Lagash as one of the cult centers of Sumer increases. Numerous trade relations contributed to the prosperity of the city. So, according to the deciphered tablets, under Gudey building materials were imported to Lagash from Elam, Asia Minor, Armenia and India. By order of Gudea, a temple was erected to the god of agriculture, fertility and war, Ningirsu, whose cult was of great importance in Sumer during this period. Archaeologists have found many statues depicting the builder king, as well as inscriptions praising him.

Data on the population of the Sumerian cities confirm the information contained in the Old Testament and the legends of the Great Flood: the population of the Earth, after the catastrophe, consisted of several people, increased very quickly. According to ancient censuses, the population of states, the emergence of which dates back to 2250-2200 BC. e., was only a few thousand inhabitants. The researchers deciphered the ancient tablets and found that 3.6 thousand people lived in Lagash during this period, a century later - already 216 thousand, that is, the population increased 60 times, despite the devastating wars, during which a huge number of people died.

Thus, the results of excavations and ancient Sumerian records indicate that the culture of the ancient Sumerians was interrupted due to a major flood and over time new civilizations began to appear here, and also confirm the correctness of the dating of the Great Flood contained in the Old Testament.

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Ziggurat in Ur. XXII–XXI centuries BC e. (reconstruction)

Bas-reliefs from Lagash. III millennium BC. e.

In memory of the victory over the troops of Umma, on the orders of the king, the so-called “Kite Stele” was erected, which depicts birds of prey devouring the opponents of the ruler of Lagash.

Gudea, ruler of Lagash. End of III millennium BC. e. uh

Ancient Babylon was located on the banks of the Euphrates River, in northern Mesopotamia. The city's name comes from the Akkadian "Babilu" meaning "Gate of the Gods"; in ancient Sumerian it sounds like "Kadingirra". The city was founded by the Sumerians approximately in the XXII-XX centuries BC. e., but reached its greatest prosperity under King Hammurabi (XVIII century BC), during whose reign the construction of Etemenanki, the prototype of the biblical Tower of Babel, began.

Archaeological studies of Babylon in the 19th century were carried out repeatedly: Rich in 1811, Layard in 1850, Rassam in 1878-1889, but the greatest contribution to the study of the ancient city was made by the German archaeologist Robert Koldewey. The excavations, which began in 1899 and lasted about 17 years, not only brought fame to this scientist, but gave such stunning results that archaeologists and historians had to significantly reconsider their views on the past of Babylon.

The walls and towers of the city were covered with sand; the thickness of the layers varied from 15 to 24 meters. However, thanks to hard work, archaeologists managed to unearth a system of city fortifications. It consisted of three rows of fortress walls, on which watchtowers were located at regular intervals.

Evidence was found for the assertion of the prophet Daniel that Babylon was rebuilt by King Nebuchadnezzar. These are the words of the legendary king carved in stone, who briefly talks about the city built by his will, as well as many bricks made of baked clay, on which there is a seal with the brand of Nebuchadnezzar.

It has been established that bricks fired in kilns began to be used during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Prior to this, raw bricks burned in the sun were used, which were less durable. Therefore, older buildings have not been preserved; during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon was rebuilt.

Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar II (reconstruction)

One of the most intriguing and controversial references to Babylon contained in the Old Testament, for a long time, was the story of the construction and destruction of the Tower of Babel, which became a symbol of boundless human pride that challenged God: “On the whole earth there was one language and one dialect. Moving out from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there, and said to each other: Let us make bricks and burn them with fire. And they became bricks instead of stones, and earthen tar instead of lime. And they said, Let us build ourselves a city, and a tower as high as the heavens; and let us make a name for ourselves, before we are scattered over the face of all the earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower... And the Lord said... let's go down and confuse their language there, so that one does not understand the speech of the other. And the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore the name Babylon was given to her; for there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth, and from there the Lord scattered them over all the earth.”

Head of Sargon the Ancient. 23rd century BC e.

The researchers concluded that the first Sumerian settlements in the Tigris and Euphrates valley appeared in the 6th millennium BC. e.

Ziggurat in Ur. XXII–XXI centuries BC e. (reconstruction)

Bas-reliefs from Lagash. III millennium BC. e.

In memory of the victory over the troops of Umma, on the orders of the king, the so-called “Kite Stele” was erected, which depicts birds of prey devouring the opponents of the ruler of Lagash.

Gudea, ruler of Lagash. End of III millennium BC. e. uh

Ur is one of the oldest Sumerian city-states of the ancient southern Mesopotamia, existed from the 4th millennium to the 4th century BC. e. Ur was located in southern Babylonia, in the south of present-day Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq, near Nasiriyah, on the western bank of the Euphrates River. One of the first Europeans to visit the mound above the city in 1625 was the Italian Pietro della Valle, who discovered bricks with cuneiform writing here.

The first excavations of Ur were carried out in 1854 by D. Taylor, an employee of the British consulate in Basra, for the British Museum. The ruins of the temple of the local god Sin were discovered, as well as interesting necropolises, with burials either in round coffins, or under brick vaults, or in earthenware vessels. In 1918, R. Campbell-Thompson led the excavations in Ur, and in 1919−22. — G. R. Hall.

The most extensive excavations of the city began in 1922 under the direction of Sir Leonard Woolley. 42-year-old Woolley led a joint American-English expedition of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania, which received hefty funds for the excavation of Ur. Woolley dug there for thirteen years, employing up to 400 workers. But the city turned out to be so big, and the cultural layer so deep, that during this time the expedition was able to excavate only an insignificant part of the hill, and reached the lower layers in a tiny area. The excavation site was a very deep pit tapering downwards. Among Woolley's finds, which thundered all over the world, are the tomb of Queen Shubad, the standard of war and peace with the oldest images of war chariots, and the first stringed musical instruments known to scientists. Most of the exhibits went to the British Museum. Also, under the leadership of Woolley, the majestic ziggurat at Ur was freed from thousands of years of drifting.

The most numerous and interesting monuments uncovered by excavations date back to the reign of the 1st and 3rd dynasties of Ur. By the time of the reign of the 1st dynasty (XXV century BC) there are 16 royal tombs, in which numerous samples of luxurious utensils made of gold, silver, alabaster, lapis lazuli, obsidian and other materials were found, sometimes using mosaic technology .

2 Lagash

In 1877, Ernest de Sarzek, Vice-Consul of France, arrived in the Iraqi city of Basra. Like many other diplomats of that time who worked in the Middle East, he was passionately interested in antiquities and devoted all his free time to exploring the near and far environs of Basra. From the local population, he heard stories about bricks with strange signs, which are often found in the Tello tract, located north of Basra.

Arriving at the site, Sarzek began excavations. They continued for several years and were crowned with success. Under a whole complex of swollen clay hills, Sarzek discovered the ruins of Lagash, and most importantly, a huge, well-organized archive, consisting of more than 20 thousand cuneiform tablets that had lain in the ground for almost four millennia.

As it turned out, Lagash was in many ways atypical for the cities of Sumer: it was a cluster of settlements that surrounded the previously established main core of the city. A whole gallery of sculptures of the rulers of the city was discovered in Lagash, including the now famous group of sculptural portraits of the ruler Gudea. From the inscriptions carved on them and from the texts of clay tablets, scientists learned the names of dozens of kings and other prominent people of that time, who lived in the III millennium BC. e.

In 1903, the French archaeologist Gaston Croet continued to excavate Lagash. In 1929-1931, Henri de Genillac worked here, and then for another two years - André Parrot.

3 Nippur

Nippur is one of the oldest cities in Sumer, located on the Euphrates, south of the branch of the Iturungal tributary. Nippur was a sacred city for the ancient Sumerians, there was a temple of the main god of the Sumerians - Enlil.

In 1889, an American expedition headed by J. Peters and G. Gilprecht set to work in the supposed location of Nippur. In addition to them, the expedition included X. Heines - a photographer, a business executive - and three more archaeologists. There were several hills in the excavation area of the city of Nippur. Archaeologists numbered them and started from hill No. 1. In it they found the ruins of the royal palace, in hill No. 5 they found a whole library of "clay books". But at this time, inter-tribal struggle of the Arabs suddenly broke out. And archaeologists were forced to leave the excavation site.

Only a year later, two of the former group, J. Peters and H. Haynes, decided to return to Mesopotamia. This time, the archaeologists opened and carefully examined the ziggurat, and found a temple and 2,000 “clay books” in Hill No. 10.

In 1948, after a long break, American archaeologists returned to Nippur again. This time they found ancient religious figurines, court protocols, tablets with economic reports. Later, in 1961, an American expedition found more than 50 figurines in one place, called the "treasure", by which it was possible to determine the religious traditions of the local population.

4 Eridu

Eridu is one of the oldest cities in Sumer. According to Sumerian mythology, this is the very first city on Earth. The first archaeological work in Eris was carried out in 1855 by John Taylor. He outlined a vast pentagonal platform, surrounded by a brick wall and equipped with a staircase, in the middle of which there are the remains of a multi-storey tower.

The next series of excavations followed in 1918-1920 and in 1946-1949, they were organized by the Iraqi Department of Antiquities. R. Campbell Thompson, Fuad Safar and Seton Lloyd took part in the expeditions. Archaeologists have been attracted by the legend that Eridu existed before the Flood. It turned out that the earliest of the open temples was built at the turn of the 5th millennium BC. e.

During the excavations, a ziggurat was discovered, mud houses and public buildings were discovered, as well as the ruins of the foundations of repeatedly erected temples, erected on the site of early sanctuaries on platforms in the form of rectangular rooms (they were built of mud brick), including a temple (the size of room) of the first settlers and the temple of Ea with the remnants of sacrifices - the bones of fish. The remains of the royal palace were also found. In the discovered necropolis of Eridu of the Ubeid time, there were about 1000 graves made of raw material with funeral equipment, food, and utensils. Cult objects, ceramics, tools, etc. were also found.

The temples at the place of worship of the shrine were recreated and rebuilt over the centuries. Archaeologists have outlined 18 horizons and identified 12 temples, regularly rebuilt and restored in the same place.

5 Borsippa

Borsippa is a Sumerian city located 20 km southwest of Babylon. Borsippa is famous for the remains of a large ziggurat, whose height even today is about 50 meters, which for a long time was mistaken for the famous Tower of Babel.

The first excavations of the ziggurat of Borsippa began in the middle of the 19th century by Henry Ravlinson. In 1901-1902, Robert Koldewey conducted excavations there. In 1980, Austrian excavations began at Borsippa, which concentrated on the study of the temple of Ezida and the ziggurat. Work was interrupted during the Iraqi wars, but resumed again and again. During the excavations, many legal tablets and a number of literary and astronomical texts were found. They belong mainly to later periods, beginning with the Chaldean dynasty.