Sumer During the Ur III Period

The kings of Ur ruled Mesopotamia during the 21st century BCE, for the third time in history, so this period is called the Ur III Dynasty. In order, the Ur III kings were Ur-Nammu, Shulgi, Amar-Suen, Shu-Suen, and Ibbi-Suen. They fought many wars, created an empire, and developed a highly organized bureaucracy through which to govern their realm. A myriad of cuneiform tablets, recording every transfer of every type of resource, were generated by accountants in the service of the Ur III state. Below are displayed examples of these accountants’ clay-work.