Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures*Includes ancient passages and accounts about Ur written by Babylonian kings and others*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contentsWhen American archaeologists discovered a collection of cuneiform tablets in Iraq in the late 19th century, they were confronted with a language and a people who were at the time only scarcely known to even the most knowledgeable scholars of ancient the Sumerians. The exploits and achievements of other Mesopotamian peoples, such as the Assyrians and Babylonians, were already known to a large segment of the population through the Old Testament and the nascent field of Near Eastern studies had unraveled the enigma of the Akkadian language that was widely used throughout the region in ancient times, but the discovery of the Sumerian tablets brought to light the existence of the Sumerian culture, which was the oldest of all the Mesopotamian cultures. Long before Alexandria was a city and even before Memphis and Babylon had attained greatness, the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur stood foremost among ancient Near Eastern cities. Today, the greatness and cultural influence of Ur has been largely forgotten by most people, partially because its monuments have not stood the test of time the way other ancient culture’s monuments have. For instance, the monuments of Egypt were made of stone while those of Ur and most other Mesopotamian cities were made of mud brick and as will be discussed in this report, mud brick may be an easier material to work with than stone but it also decays much quicker. The same is true to a certain extent for the written documents that were produced at Ur. The people of Mesopotamia, which Ur was part of, employed the cuneiform system of writing; since cuneiform was almost always written on clay tablets, modern scholars have been forced with the unfortunate problem that many of those tablets have been broken and made unreadable throughout the centuries. Despite the ephemeral nature of its monuments and to some extent its written texts, Ur proved to be an inspiration to the Sumerians who built the city and also to later cultures and dynasties that inhabited Mesopotamia.An examination of primary sources relating to Ur, as well as archaeological excavations done in the ancient city reveal that the city was a cultural beacon for thousands of years. Ur began as a Sumerian city of secondary importance but quickly grew to be the most important Sumerian city. At its height Ur was the center of a great dynasty that controlled most of Mesopotamia directly through a well maintained army and bureaucracy and the areas that were not under its direct control were influenced by Ur’s diplomats and religious ideas. This study will also reveal that Ur was a truly resilient city because it survived the downfall of the Sumerians, outright destruction at the hands of the Elamites, and later occupations by numerous other peoples, which included Saddam Hussein more recently. Ur inspired the imaginations of ancient peoples, but it has also enraptured the minds of moderns, who have worked for over 150 years to unlock the city’s mysteries. Truly, when it comes to important ancient cities, Ur should be counted among the The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital traces the history and legacy of one of the most influential cities of antiquity. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the history of Ur like never before, in no time at all.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Ancient History, Cities

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2015

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Dane Kowalick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but scratched my itch for ancient Sumerian History.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 3 out of 5]

The damage to and loss of sites like these is so painful to me. The wars in Iraq are destroying the ancient ruins and once they are gone, they're gone forever.

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting short read

Interesting informative but short read. Should have had more information but was a good summary. Would recommend for quick overview

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the type of book I expect when I open one of these eBooks about a people, a place or a subject about which the reader knows little.  There are photos, maps, and drawings, right where the author is talking about that particular subject.  Marvelous.

Although the ancient status of Ur was described in some detail. I particularly enjoyed the update on Ur during the recent Iraqi wars and conflicts.  It seems the Iraqi government has enough trouble keeping their heads above water without worrying about antiquities.  That is a shame.  There was considerable interest and news coverage of the danger to the antiquities of Ur and other ancient cities while the Desert Storm War was ongoing.  This book tries to explain the status of the relics in today's terms. 

[Ana-Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a random read for me, I was not researching anything about ancient civilizations, but since I stumbled into this book, I gave it a try. It was like reading the script of a Discovery channel show, fairly entertaining and with facts, without becoming overwhelming. You don’t find out too many facts about how life was actually organized in those times, rather it is a short overview of what happened with the city, it’s eras of development and fame, the falls, it’s resilience. The sad part is about the carelessness of our civilization in preserving Ur’s remains. The US war in Iraq has lead to destruction of important archeological remains and allowed plunders to steal important artifacts and sell those on the black market, especially in Europe and the US.

[Vircenguetorix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunque Egipto y la India suelen ser los dos mundos de la Antigüedad que se llevan la palma en cuanto a turismo, películas, libros y fanes (que no fans). Pero si os digo la verdad, a mi me flipa Mesopotamia. Esa sucesión de sumerios, acadios, babilonios, asirios, persas, con todos los elementos además hebreos, hititas, elamitas...me vuelve loco. De hecho, es un tema para dedicarse toda la vida a ello, y no lo terminarías. Que su popularidad y conocimiento sea menor, es porque el turismo apenas se pudo desarrollar -a pesar de que señora Agatha Christie, tiene una novela ambientada allí-.
Por una vez en mi vida, hubiera preferido las hordas de miles de turistas en Mosul, que no a los HP del ISIS, destruyendo Nínive, Nimrud o Palmira. Me enfado con solo pensarlo, creo que si los tuviera a mi merced, los torturaría lentamente por ese magnicidio patrimonial.

Lamentablemente estas cosas no son de ahora, incluso el aclamado Alejandro el Grande destruyó Persépolis -muy lamentable por su parte-, pero es que la misma ciudad de la que habla este bien libro, Ur, fue arrasada por los elamitas- que vivían más allá de los montes Zagros, es decir, en la actual Irán.
Esta es una obra, introductoria, relativamente corta, pero muy atractiva si te gusta todo ese mundo que formaron los ríos Eúfrates y Tigris, que mucha gente compara con el Nilo, cuando son muy distintos, porque los de Mesopotamia son espasmódicos, incontrolables y violentos, mientras que el egipcio es un caramelo del cielo.
Lean cosas de Irak, y de sus antiguas civilizaciones, no todo es Wall Street y Tik Tok, háganme caso.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ur. One of the first human cities on earth

The Kingdom of Sumer, the kingdom that Abram left. She predates ancient Babylon. She was gathering tribute and erecting Ziggurats nearly 5000 years ago.
While not as captivating as Wooley's "History Begins at Sumer", it is a short read and lays out the history of Ur from its inception to its abandonment.

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little book. It is good for anyone who has very little information about Ur, and provides a very decent platform to allow you to explore further.

Ur represents a fascinating bit of history that is fast disappearing, and this book does good justice to it

[Dr. Jason Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, albeit brief, account of this ancient civilization. One suggestion: don’t listen to the audiobook. The narrator reads every citation.
Every. Single. Citation.
This becomes VERY tiresome after the first 5 minutes.

[Bart Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ur, the birthplace of Abram

This is not an exciting novel, but an historic book of an important Chaldean city of Mesopotamia. It is however a book for anyone interested in the history of th ancient near East.

[R Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains everything a lay person would need to know about one of the greatest, most influencial cities in ancient times. An excellent text tracing the city of Ur through the ages.

[Suresh Ramaswamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed and informative - the City of Ur of the Genesis OT as well as its journey - development, importance, destruction, reseruction and finally till a few years back - Just one word - WOW!!!!!

[Thomas McAttee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read

This book appears to be a shortened version of a larger text. This was just enough info to satisfy my curiosity

[Margie Dorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The price was right for this one, and the pictures and information were nice and useful. Nothing earthshaking here, but worthwhile.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview on one of the easiest and most influential civilizations. I wish it had gone more in-depth.

[Naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and surprising the impact this capital had.

[Liam Malone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a photocopy of other works and full of errors, editors' notes and is not worth the price of $9.99. It at best a pamphlet that might have been produced by a graduate student.

[Kevin Beltran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, informative, and presented in an easily digestible manner. Cites sources.

[Paul Frazee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for History-Loving Folks

Filled with facts and yet a fast read too, this short essay is well worth the time it takes to read it!

[Scott Dover · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short history of Ur and it's significance to Mesopotamian history.

[Raquel Bastos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5
nice quick fundamental read on Ur and its history, a bit too basic but a good starter

[Anne-Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lecture rapide et intéressante, très synthétique sur l'histoire de cette ancienne cité. Les références à Gilgamesh permettent de mieux la cerner.

[Carolina Liechtenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting account of the effects of the two gulf wars in the region, and a slight hint at jihadi damage done to archaeological sights. It is sad to learn of the damage. This is an easy book and worthwhile to read.

[Xavier Alexandre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed analysis of the history of the city Abraham is supposed to have come from. It would be nice to visit... But not possible just yet.

[Benjamin Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Need to Know

This is a Book about a City that has had far reaching influences even to our own time. You can't be a student of History with out knowing about Ur!

[Jeff Fambrough · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting but not what I thought it was going to be

[Vikas Datta]

Brings this amazingly sophisticated, but unknown ancient civilisation to life..