Near East Kingdoms

Adab (City State) (Sumer)

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The city states of Sumer formed one of the first great civilisations in human history (see feature link). This Near Eastern civilisation emerged a little way ahead of that of Africa's ancient Egypt, and up to a millennium before that of the Indus Valley culture. It developed out of the end of the Pottery Neolithic across the Fertile Crescent, a period which had seen Neolithic Farmer practices spread far and wide across the Near East and beyond.

As irrigation improved so the more southerly reaches of the Euphrates could at last be occupied by humans and their animals. Southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and the western edge of Iran) was subjected to permanent settlement, initially in the form of pastoralists but soon as farmers too. Cultures around the edges of this progression included the Hassuna and Samarra which began this settlement process, and perhaps elements of the Hissar culture in the Iranian highlands were also involved.

By the late fourth millennium BC, Sumer was divided into approximately a dozen city states which were independent of one another and which used local canals and boundary stones to mark their borders. Many early historical events in the region are found only in the Sumerian king list, which notates the rulers of the city states (and see feature link), but archaeology has also uncovered a wealth of detail.

The city of Adab (the modern site of Bismaya or Bismya, or UD.NUN in cuneiform) was located between Girsu and Zabalam (to the south) and Nippur (to the north), with its principal deity being the goddess Ninhursag. It is not to be confused with the archaeological site of Tell Bismaya. Prior to the archaeological discovery of its remains the city was known only from a brief mention in the introduction to the 'Hammurabi Code' (written circa 1760 BC in Babylon).

The city was divided in two by a canal, with an island upon which stood the E-mach temple (or E-mah), along with a ziggurat. Relatively few of those texts which have been discovered at Adab and which have archaeological context have been published (by 2024).

Many others have been robbed and then sold on the markets, so details about Adab can be uncertain in places. The city originated in the late Neolithic and was largely abandoned relatively early, during the first part of the second millennium BC. For much of its existence it was subject to whichever city state held pre-eminence in Sumer.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from History of the Ancient Near East c.3000-323 BC, Marc van der Mieroop (Blackwell Publishing, 2004, 2007), from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character, Samuel Noah Kramer ('List 1' of Sumerian rulers, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1963), from Historical Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 to 500 BC, John Heywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000), from The Ancient Near East, c.3000-330 BC, Amélie Kuhrt (Routledge, 2000, Vol I & II), from Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, Michael Road (Facts on File, 2000), from Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Enrico Ascalone (Dictionaries of Civilizations 1, University of California Press, 2007), from The Archaeology of Mesopotamia, S Lloyd (Revised Ed, London, 1984), from Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History, J N Postgate (Routledge, 1994), from Ancient History: A Theory About Ancient Times, L C Gerts (List 4 of Sumerian rulers, Chapter 12: The Sumerian king list, 2002), from Mesopotamia, Chris Scarre (Ed, Past Worlds - The Times Atlas of Archaeology, Guild Publishing, London 1989), from The Age of the God-Kings, Kit van Tulleken (Ed, Time Life Books, Amsterdam 1987), from Some Sumerian City-Names, Thorkild Jacobsen (Journal of Cuneiform Studies 21.1, 1967, pp 100-103), from History & Philology, Walther Sallaberger & Ingo Schrakamp (Eds, Arcane III, Brepols, 2015), and from External Links: Ancient Worlds, and The Sumerian Kings List, J A Black, G Cunningham, E Fluckiger-Hawker, E Robson, & G Zólyomi ('List 2' of Sumerian rulers, available via the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford, 1998), and Ancient History, Anthony Michael Love ('List 3' of Sumerian rulers at Sarissa.org), and Evolution of Sumerian kingship (Ancient World Magazine), and Enheduanna - The First Named Poet, Anthony Fisher (Anthony Fisher Poet, with audio recording of part of the composition, Nin-me-šara).)

c.2700s BC

Dumuzi is 'the fisherman' who comes to Uruk from the city of Kuara (Kua), a smaller city which is located close to Eridu. He is also placed as a ruler in Bad-tabira, although the available dating construction does not align with the dating shown here. During his time, Adab's E-Sar temple is already in use.

c.2550 BC

Mesilim of Kish restores the E-Sar temple in Adab. He is more famous for drawing the border between Umma and Lagash, a clearly contentious point between these two cities. His decision, which enacts the will of the god Enlil and which is accepted by both parties, appears to favour Lagash over Umma. One of his inscriptions in Adab mentions its ruler, Ninkisalsi.

fl c.2550 BC

Ensi. A vassal of Ur.

fl c.2530s BC

Son. Lugal (king). A vassal of Ur?

fl c.2510s BC

? Lugal (king). Contemporary of Meskiagnunna of Ur?

c.2500 BC

The line of kings in Ur in the twenty-sixth century BC seems to be too brief for the time period involved. No relationships are known for the few names present, making the heritage of Mesannepadda uncertain. The king list states that he gains the kingship from Uruk, heralding the start of Ur's 'First Dynasty'.

fl c.2500 BC

Lugal (king). Little-known, and unusually independent.

Seemingly about the same time, Adab has a king of its own in the form of Lugal-dalu. He is not mentioned in the Sumerian king list, but there does exist a single statue which bears his name. The style is very similar to statues from contemporary Lagash.

fl c.2450s BC

Ensi (governor). Contemporary of Akurgal of Lagash.

fl c.2430s BC

Ensi (governor). Contemporary with Lugal-kinishe-dudu of Uruk.

fl c.2420s? BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Umma?

fl c.2400? BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Umma?

E-iginimpa'e (also translated as Eigi-nimpa'e) is credited for building the Emah, a temple for the goddess Dingirmah, and 'into the earth at its base he buried this foundation deposit'.

fl c.2360s? BC

Ensi (governor). Contemporary of Enannatum of Lagash.

c.2355 - 2340 BC

Under the priest-king Lugalzaggesi, Umma overthrows Lagash's domination (circa 2355 BC), captures Uruk and Akshak (circa 2353 BC), and claims an empire which extends from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.

fl c.2350s? BC

Ensi (governor). Contemporary of Urukagina of Lagash.

With Nippur's support, Lugalzaggesi sacks Lagash, while Adab has dealings with him, although whether as the city's overlord is not clear. Nearby Zabalam more certainly is under the domination of Lugalzaggesi. Umma's domination only lasts for Lugalzaggesi's lifetime, however.

fl c.2340 BC

Lugal. Ruled 90 years. 'King of the four quarters of the Universe'.

According to the king list, Lugalannemundu receives the kingship following the fall of the 'Second Dynasty' at Ur. He is credited with extending Sumer's control to include territory from the Persian Gulf right up to the Mediterranean, bordering the Taurus mountains in the north, and the Zagros Mountains in the east.

In the east he is able to subjugate the Gutians. Going even further, he confronts the king of Marhashi, and leaves an inscription to record the event. Unfortunately he is classed by Naram-Sin of Akkad as a rebel leader (one who, by this time, is based at Ur - although the general dating for Lugalannemundu fails to match up with that for Naram-Sin by about a century).

He achieves this claim to fame by challenging Enheduanna, a possible daughter of Sargon of Akkad (metaphorically or literally), the appointed en priestess at Ur for the god Nanna. She is forced out of the city, becoming the world's first-known female author when she pens the literary composition, Nin-me-šara.

Lugalannemundu loses what appears to be largely a political battle of dominance in the south between the priesthood, the city gods, and public acceptance, and his power is diminished as a result. His empire dissolves upon his death and the kingship is taken to Mari.

Shown here is the alabaster head of a ruler or governor of Adab (the modern site of Bismaya), wearing a turban or skull wrap, and dating to the period between 2050-2000 BC

c.2300 BC

Adab falls under the control of the Akkadian empire, although Akkadian controls in the south appear to be pretty loose. There would still seem to be a line of rulers at Adab which is allowed to continue to rule, albeit with the title of governor (ensi).

fl c.2276 BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Agade. Captured.

c.2276 BC

Rimush of the Akkadian empire re-conquers a rebellious Elam and Marhashi (in modern central Iran), and fights hard to retain the empire. Adab has its governor captured in the second year of the reign of Rimush and the city's walls are smashed.

The same fate befalls Zabalam in the same year. The king is largely successful in retaining his great father's empire, but his exploits are ended when he is apparently assassinated.

fl c.2260s BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Manishtushu of Agade.

fl c.2250s BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Naram-Sin of Agade.

c.2250s BC

Facing revolts from the start of his reign, Naram-Sin of Agade remains 'victorious in nine battles' because Ishtar is on his side. He conquers Ebla in Syria, defeats a coalition which is led by Kish, another coalition which is led by Uruk (when combined these coalitions include all of the major cities of Mesopotamia, Adab included), and he also attacks Nippur and the Hatti.

fl c.2220s BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Shar-kali-sharri of Agade.

c.2210 BC

Marhashi overruns Elam for a time, and unites eastern efforts in fighting against the Akkadian empire. A battle is fought between the two states near Akshak, at the confluence of the Diyala and Tigris rivers. The Akkadian name for the following year suggests that Shar-kali-sharri of Agade claims the victory.

One of the daughters of the ruler of Marhashi is married either to Shar-kali-sharri or his son, Dudu, perhaps as a consequence of the battle, and as a sign of renewed ties of peace. Shar-kali-sharri is also required to appoint a Gutian interpreter in Adab, such is the increase in the number of Gutian settlers in that region.

fl c.2210s BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Shar-kali-sharri of Agade.

c.2193 BC

Great climatic changes are taking place which result in a mega-drought in the Far East's Longshan culture and in the Near East. The latter sees the decline of Sumerian 'Post-Diluvian' civilisation, the Akkadian empire, and the Egyptian 'Old Kingdom', plus the start of Egypt's 'First Intermediate' period, and flooding in Bronze Age Britain.

The Gutians sweep through southern Mesopotamia and overthrow both Elam and the Akkadian empire, either during Naram-Sin's reign or that of his son. The former's reign is more likely for Gutian migration (and cattle-rustling) becoming heavy, while the latter's reign - that of Shar-kali-sharri - is mostly likely when the situation becomes serious enough that Akkadian power falls apart.

Sumerian/Akkadian domination of the region is ended, and Adab is also conquered. Possibly the city is used as a regional capital by the barbarian invaders, although details are highly obscure.

fl c.2180s BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Dudu of Agade.

fl c.2140s BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Gudea of Lagash.

c.2140s BC

Gudea rises to local prominence in Lagash during an apparent climate-induced collapse in the region, promoting artistic development and continuing the Akkadian kings' claims to divinity from his capital at Girsu.

fl c.2080s? BC

Ensi (governor). A vassal of Shulgi of Ur.

c.2080s BC

Shulgi of Ur extends his father's empire to include all of the Assyrian city states and their at-present non-Assyrian neighbours such as the Lullubi. He also re-conquers Susa from Elam and its Shimashki rulers, and may be responsible for finishing off rebuilding work at Nippur. The apparent repetition of Amar-Suba as ensi of Adab is suspicious though.

c.2050 - 2000 BC

The 'Third Dynasty' empire of the city of Ur is overlord to Adab. As with at least one known instance in another city (Eresh), Ur probably appoints governors to administer the city of Adab.

A great renovator of Sumer's ancient sites, Amar-Sin (circa 2046-2038 BC) apparently works on restoring the ziggurat at Eridu, the main temple at Ashur, and a potential temple at Adab.

However, by about 2004 BC, the waning Sumerian civilisation which has at its centre the city of Ur collapses entirely when the Shimashki king of Elam, Kindattu, together with the people of Susa, sacks the city and captures its king, Ibbi-Sin.

The great brick mausoleums and temples of the third dynasty kings are destroyed and the king is carried off into captivity. Isin now enjoys a period of dominance in Sumer while Abab ceases to be important.

fl c.2050s BC

Ensi (governor) under Shulgi of Ur.

fl c.2040s BC

Ensi (governor) under Shulgi & Amar-Sin of Ur.

fl c.2030s BC

Ensi (governor) under Shu-Sin of Ur.

fl c.2020s BC

Unknown ensi (governor) under Ibbi-Sin of Ur.

fl c.2010s BC

Unknown ensi (governor) under Ibbi-Sin of Ur.

c.2017 - 2004 BC

As with much of southern Mesopotamia, Ur is rapidly fading in power and influence as harvests fail and the population declines. The over-production of cereal has led to an increased strain being placed on the soil and a fall in productivity. The tax system has placed an increasing burden on an increasingly larger share of the population.

On top of all of this, new waves of immigration into the region by Amorites add an extra layer of confusion and conflict. Ur collapses entirely around 2004 BC when the Shimashki king of Elam, Kindattu, together with the people of Susa, sacks the city and captures Ibbi-Sin.

c.1760 BC

Adab, which has been sidelined since the time of the Akkadian empire and gradually diminished since the fall of Ur, now receives its final mention in history as a satellite state of Hammurabi's Babylonian empire.

c.1390s BC

Kurigalzu of Kassite Babylon restores the library at an otherwise-diminished city of Adab, possibly the final act in that city's use before full abandonment follows at an unknown date.