Screenshot 2025 09 21 at 4.15.39 pm

Neo-Sumer

By Pszkodon
  • Period: 2112 BCE to 2004 BCE

    Neo-Sumer

    After two centuries of rule, the Akkadian empire collapsed and the Third Dynasty of Ur arose, coming after the earlier Sumerian period. This time saw the revival of city states and temple-centered life. Religious devotion and political legitimacy inspired artistic themes of kingship and restored ordered. Ziggurats, cylinder seals, and statues were created using bronze, clay, and stone.
  • Neo-Sumerian/Ur III period, Architect with Plan," c. 2100 BCE, diorite, 93 x 41 x 61 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris
    2100 BCE

    Neo-Sumerian/Ur III period, Architect with Plan," c. 2100 BCE, diorite, 93 x 41 x 61 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris

    This sculpture is an idealized image of Gudea, the prince or governor of Lagash. The inscriptions on the skirt, chair, and back are cuneiform and include instruction that the sculpture be erected exclusively of diorite, an incredibly dark and hard stone, possibly a sign of Gudea's humility. On his lap are plans for a temple, a stylus, and a tool for measurement. This sculpture was designed to last for eternity. Gudea is shown barefoot; his head, knees, and one thumb are missing.
  • Third Dynasty of Ur, Ziggurat of Ur, c. 2100 BCE, mud brick and baked brick, 64 x 46 meters, 21 x 30 meters in height, Tell el-Mukayyar, Iraq
    2100 BCE

    Third Dynasty of Ur, Ziggurat of Ur, c. 2100 BCE, mud brick and baked brick, 64 x 46 meters, 21 x 30 meters in height, Tell el-Mukayyar, Iraq

    The Great Ziggurat at Ur is one of the largest and best-preserved ziggurats of Mesopotamia. Three staircases led up to a gate at the first terrace level, and a temple sits atop a platform on the second. The ziggurat and temple were built by the king Ur-Nammu for the moon goddess Nanna. It would have been the highest structure in the city and visible for miles around. It is believed that citizens came to the ziggurat to receive physical and spiritual nourishment.