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Wellsprings

Uruk

One of the oldest cities of Sumer (modern Warka, southern Iraq), sacred to Inanna and Anu, where some of the earliest known writing was found (c. 3300-3000 BCE). The Sumerian King List and later epics name Enmerkar, Lugalbanda and Gilgamesh among its early kings; these figures are known through legend and later tradition. Uruk remained a temple city into the Seleucid period, and many late scholarly tablets were excavated here; for a tablet, the pin marks where it was found.

12 most-discussed ideas

Teachers who lived here

Works composed here

  • -2500

    Lugal-zage-si 2

  • -2500

    Anonymous Uruk 1

  • -2500

    Lugal-KISAL-si 2

  • -2300

    Ur-gigira 2001

  • -2134

    Gudea 035

  • -2134

    Gudea 052

  • -2134

    Gudea 071

  • -2134

    Gudea 088

  • -2103

    Ur-Namma 33

  • -2103

    Ur-Namma 34

  • -2070

    Šulgi 06

  • -2070

    Šulgi 08

  • -2042

    Amar-Suena 13

  • -2042

    Amar-Suena 14

  • -2033

    Šu-Suen 28

  • -2033

    Šu-Suen 29

  • -1950

    The lament for Unug

  • -1950

    Anam 3

  • -1849

    Sin-kašid 02

  • -1849

    Sin-kašid 03

  • -1849

    Sin-kašid 04

  • -1849

    Sin-kašid 05

  • -713

    Sargon II 125

  • -713

    Sargon II 126

  • -713

    Sargon II 127

  • -713

    Sargon II 128

  • -700

    SpTU 2, 046

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 133

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 134

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 135

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 136

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 137

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 138

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 139

  • -675

    Esarhaddon 1010

  • -647

    Ashurbanipal 263

  • -647

    Ashurbanipal 264

  • -580

    SpTU 1, 131

  • -580

    SpTU 2, 055

  • -580

    SpTU 2, 056

  • -580

    SpTU 2, 057

  • -580

    SpTU 4, 221

  • -580

    SpTU 5, 283

  • -580

    SpTU 5, 284

  • -450

    SpTU 4, 124

  • -450

    SpTU 4, 196

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 009

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 010

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 017

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 019

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 027

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 028

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 029

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 030

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 031

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 032

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 033

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 034

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 035

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 036

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 037

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 038

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 039

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 040

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 042

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 043

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 044

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 045

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 046

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 047

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 049

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 050

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 051

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 052

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 053

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 054

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 055

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 056

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 057

  • -450

    SpTU 1, 058

Ideas shaped here

Concepts most frequently discussed in the works composed at Uruk. Click any to trace the idea across time and place.

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