1/29/2012. Transition from Stone Age to Bronze Age. Lecture 2. Sumer and Akkad: Civilization Converts to War

Transcription

1 Lecture 2. Sumer and Akkad: Civilization Converts to War HIST 332 Spring 2012 Transition from Stone Age to Bronze Age Important developments in burial tradition: 1. communal graves give way to individual burials with prestige burial gifts signifying status 2. Male graves include weapons and polished metal daggers, signifying warrior status 1

2 Sumerian Timeline Ubiad (Eridu) Early Uruk 70 hectares: population 7,000-10, Late Uruk 200 hectares: population 40,000-50,000 population explosion indicates greater social organization, plant propagation and irrigation technology Who were the Sumerians? autochthonous peoples from S. Mesopotamia auto = self; chthonous = spring up from the Earth neither Semitic nor Indo-European bound together culturally religious and burial practices ki-en-gir = Sumer = (land of the Sumerian tongue) A people who developed civilization in various city-states Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Girsu, Lagash, Umma, etc. flat alluvial plain frequently at war with one another Mesopotamian City-State Basic political unit in S. Mesopotamia urban center villages within a 15 km radius 35 such city-states arose at first, enough distance between them began to come into direct conflict Each ruled by a particular god/dess Nanna for Ur Inanna for Uruk Enlil for Nippur divided politically, not culturally 2

3 Early Dynastic Period BCE Early Dynastic I (Gilgamesh) Early Dynastic II Tablet of Shuruppak (c. 2600) detailed account of warfare Early Dynastic IIIA Warrior Kings of Lagash Early Dynastic IIIB Cuneiform wedge-shaped writing on clay tablets Epic of Gilgamesh written c BCE 12 Tablets preserved by Assyrians in 7 th C. BCE Battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu Flood Story Inability to conquer Death Struggle with Inanna (jealousy) 3

4 Terminology of Control Hegemony the direct or indirect political, economic, ideological or cultural power exerted by a dominant group over other groups requires the consent of the majority to allow the dominant group to have power Control or Conquest Direct occupation and control of territory usually by means of force that force is unique to the center of power doing the controlling does not require the consent of the majority to keep the dominant group in power Rise of Sumerian Kingship En: lord secular and religious Ensi: governor Lugal: great man sovereign over several city-states administered justice ruler s wife (nin) lady took an active role in governance Sumerian Palace 4

5 Tablet of Shuruppak c.(2600) typical Sumerian city-state 1,800 sq. mi. in area population 30,000-35,000 Tablet records: soldier bodyguards 600 battle cars in an engagement total army per city-state ~4,000-5,000 Standard of Ur: Inlaid Lapis Lazuli from Tomb PG BCE First helmet found in Ur 6 soldiers found in ceremonial grave known as the Great Death Pit of Ur first evidence of helmet (2,600 BCE) demonstrates a new technology and ability to cast in copper King Meskalamdug (known from King List) 5

6 Sumerian Battle Car pulled by wild asses (onagers) wooded wheels rimmed with copper top speed = 5 miles/hour yoked to a central shaft (turning difficult) no bit for onagers usually armed with javelins and axes Umma had an elite corps of Battle cars (600) IN ONE ENGAGEMENT Warrior Kings of Lagash BCE Commemorative Inscriptions of Lagash 2450 BCE King Eannantum asserts control over Sumer Stela of King Eannantum (Stela of Vultures) bas relief front and back scenes in different registers war with Umma first pictorial representation of warfare in Sumerian art 6

7 Stela of the Vultures (Louvre) Eannantum leading a phalanx of warriors head to toe armor uniform helmets long spears King holds sickle sword trampling enemy Stele of Eannatum. ca BCE from Girsu (Telloh), fragments Eannatum, King of Lagash granted strength by the high god Enlil, nourished him with special milk, by the special goddess Ninhursag, given a fine name by the war goddess Inana, granted wisdom by the goddess of wisdom Enki, chosen in her heart by the divination goddess Nanshe, the powerful mistress who subjugates foreign lands to the war god Ningirsu, the patron god of Lagash]...beloved spouse of the war goddess Inana 7

8 Sumerian Army Organization Based on sexagesimal system (60) Battalion of 600 men each commanded by gir.nita (colonel) nu.banda (captains) (3) ugula (commander) (1) Responsible to the king? Urnanshe, the King of Lagash went to war against the leader of Ur and the leader of Umma. Urnanshe the leader of Lagash defeated the leader of Ur. He captured Mu[...] the Admiral, captured Amabaragese and Kishibgal, the officers, captured [...] made a burial mound [for the war dead]. He then defeated the leader of Umma. He captured Lupad and Bilala the officers, captured Pablikgaltuk, ruler of Umma, captured Urtulsag the officer, captured Hursagshemah, the quartermaster-general, and he made a burial mound for the war dead. Akkadian Empire BCE Semitic Dynasty three generations Elam to the Mediterranean sea, including Mesopotamia, parts of modern-day Iran and Syria, and possibly parts of Anatolia and the Arabian peninsula. New capital, Akkad world s 1 st military dictatorship 9 battalions: 600 men each 8

9 Sargon of Akkad Akkadian Cylinder seals and modern impressions c BCE Reigned 56 years Numerous legends set adrift as baby in basket of reeds and pitch royal cupbearer to the King of Kish conquers the last Sumerian King and led him through the streets in a dog collar conquers the Elamites Akkadian Army innovations 9 Battalions (600 men) each commanded by nir.gita (coloniel) innovation of a new class aga-ush lugai (royal soldier) given a plot of land as service composite bow 9

10 Military innovations by Sargon The royal soldier aga-ush lugai held plot of land by favor of the king allotments of fish and salt every 3 months royal corps of loyal military professionals Light troops name means flies rapid deployment Naram-Sin BCE grandson on Sargon quelled rebellion in his territories conquered new lands NE Mesopotamia centralized and improved bureaucracy deified himself late in his reign Naram-Sin of Akkad, (grandson of Sargon) reign BCE New technology: composite bow decline of battle cars chariot roads still used and maintained. produced no fewer the six new weapons and defensive systems 10

11 Stele of Naram-Sin Louvre Post Akkadian (Guitian) Sumerian Revival Series of Gutian Warlords from Zagros Mountains Ur rises again for Ur III period Sumerian King Ur-Nammu creates first law code Builds fabulous ziggurat at Ur his son Shulgi writes hymns: self-deification Ziggurat at Ur built by King Ur-Nammu 11

12 Hymn to Shulgi I am accomplished in wisdom, I vie with wisdom s true word, I love justice, I do not love evil, I hate the evil word, I, Shulgi, a mighty king, supreme am I. Because I am a powerful man rejoicing in his loins, I enlarged the footpaths, straightened the highways of the land, I made travel secure, built there big house [rest houses for travelers] Planted gardens alongside of them, established resting places there Settled there friendly folk I will raise my spear against the enemy I will set my banner against the border of a foreign land I will fill my quiver. My bow is ready to shoot like a raging serpent. The crushed people of the rebellious land. I will cut them down with my bow and sling like locusts. The Lament for Urim (~2000 BCE) lines : The heads of its men slain by the axe were not covered with a cloth. Like a gazelle caught in a trap, their mouths bit the dust. Men struck down by the spear were not bound with bandages. As if in the place where their mothers had labored, they lay in their own blood. Its men who were finished off by the battle-mace were not bandaged with new (?) cloth. Old Babylonian Empire BCE Hammurabi reunifies Mesopotamia writes in Akkadian Sumerian becomes a dead language Legal Code death penalty and cash fines three-fold division of society nobles commoners slaves sacred prostitution 12

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