Chronology from Fara to Ur III

by Walther Sallaberger ORCID and Paola Paoletti ORCID

1. Chronology from Fara to Ur III (27th-21st c. BCE)

1.1. Presargonic Rulers (24)

  • En1 = Enanatum I
  • Enz = Enentarzi  (2337-2332)
  • Lug = Lugalanda (2331-2325)
  • (Lug) = Lugalanda, but name does not appear in the document
  • Ukg = Urukagina (2324-2315)
  • (Ukg) = Urukagina, but name does not appear in the document
  • Enš = Enšakušanna (dates OSP 1, p.115:1-3 = a-c)
  • Lzag = Lugalzagesi (2324-2300)    (date OSP 1, p.115:4 = a)

1.2. Akkade Dynasty (23)

  • Srg = Sargon (2324-2285)
  • Rim = Rīmuš (2284-70?)
  • Man =Manistusu (2269?-62)
  • NS = Narām-Suen (2261-2206)
  • Škš  = Šarkališarrē (2205-2181)
  • Akk = Akkade Dynasty, ruler unknown

1.3. Lagaš II Dynasty (22)

  • UrNĝ1 = Ur-Ninĝirsu I
  • Pir = Piriĝme
  • UrBa = Ur-Bau
  • Gud = Gudea (c.2130-2110)
  • UrNĝ2 = Ur-Ninĝirsu II
  • Urĝ = Urniĝ/ĝar
  • Urab = Urabba
  • UrMa = Ur-Mama
  • Nmḫ = Nammaḫni
  • Kaku = Kaku
  • LuBa = Lu-Bau
  • Lugu = Lugula
  • LgII = Lagaš II, ruler unknown

2. Chronological Overview of Various Third-Millennium Archives and Collections

Rulers Palaeographic Phases Main Archives and their Absolute Dates
Fara Fara/Šuruppag, Tell Abū Ṣālābiḫ = 26th c.
Enentarzi 1 – Urukagina 10 (2337-15)

Lugalzagesi (2324-2300)

 Umma (region) (from Enakale to Lugalzagesi 8): c. 2450-2317[1]

Adab (Eiginimpa’e to Urdu-Ašgi): c. 2440-2320[2]

Ebla archives: c. 2360-23101Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 96-100

Emunus Girsu (Enentarzi 5 – Urukagina 10): 2333-2315

Zabalam (Lugalzagesi): 2325-2300[3]

Nippur (Pre- and Early Sargonic): c. 2340-2280?[4]

Ur (Pre- and Early Sargonic, “Subur“): c. 2340-2280?[5]
Sargon 2300-2285 Early Sargonic (ES)[6]

c. 2300-2285

 Umma A: c. 2300-2280[7]

Adab, “Meskigala texts“: c. 2320-2280[8]
Rīmuš[9] & Manistusu 2284-62 Middle Sargonic (MS)[10] c. 2285-2230 MS Adab: c. 2280-40[11]

Umma B: c. 2260-2230[12]

Gasur: c. 2260-2200?[13]

Nippur, Enlile-maba (OSP 2): c. 2280-2230
Narām-Suen 2261-2206
Classic Sargonic (CS)

c. 2230-2180

 Umma C;[14] Saĝub/Mesag archive;[15] Adab[16]; Isin[17]; Nippur, Akkadian texts; Nippur, Onion archive; Nippur;[18] Mugdan (MAD 5 66-101)[19]; Ĝirsu, governor’s archive[10]

Lugal-ra (Lagaš): c. 2210-2180;
Šuilīšu Archive (Umm el-Hafriyat): c. 2200-2180[21]
Šarkališarrē 2205-2181
Dudu 2177-57 Late Sargonic (LS)

c. 2180-2110

 Kiš?
Šu-Durul 2156-42
Ur-Bau & Gudea c. 2140-10 Lagas II c. 2140-2110 Girsu, Lagaš II (Šaraisa etc.): c. 2140-2100
Ur III Dynasty 2110-2003 undated Ur III tablets (if not early or e.g. Ur craft archive): c. 2060-2020 (i.e. Šulgi 33 to IS 7)


[1] Estimated dates based on estimate of generations after Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 83-84; Marchesi 2015: 142-143, 150-151; on the texts Bartash 2017; on the chronological distribution Notizia/Visicato 2016: 5-10, with an estimated time span of p. 2: “90 years“, based on the attested numbers of years (Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 217).
[2] Dates based on the tables of Marchesi 2015: 142-143; on the texts Schrakamp 2015: 197.
[3] Powell 1978; the dissertation on this group by Armando Bramanti is still unpublished.
[4] Schrakamp 2015: 211-212.
[5] Schrakamp 2015: 221.
[6] Following Maiocchi 2009: xxi and Molina 2014: 28 with literature given in fn. 22.
[7] Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 39-40; Marchesi 2015: 151; definition of archive by Foster 1982
[8] Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 94-95: Meskigala from Lugalzagesi 7-25 until Rimuš 1-2; Marchesi 2015: 152, c. 300 texts; Bartash 2017: 2-3: Silim-Utu; e2-tur; Molina 2014: 29 no. 1-19; Pomponio 2015: 193 on the historical setting.
[9] For Rimuš as successor of Sargon see Schrakamp 2020b: 627 with references (against the testimony of USKL)
[10] Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 108 fn. 337: references.
[11] Molina 2014: 29-30: “Early Narām-Suen tablets“, governors Šarru-alī and Lugal-ayaĝu, i.e. SCTRAH no. 20-311/329 and CUSAS 20 23.
[12] Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 40: “first half of the reign of Naramsuen“; definition of archive by Foster 1982
[13] Schrakamp 2015: 231: “dating to the (earlier?) reign of Naramsuen based on palaeography, tablet format, metrology and the occurrence of a Sumerian verbal form with e-prefix is nowadays preferred“.
[14] Sallaberger/Schrakamp 2015: 40; definition of archive by Foster 1982
[15] Schrakamp 2015: 255 and 2020b: 666.
[16] OIP 14, Adab, BdI 1, CUSAS 13 19 are the main publications after Bartash 2017: 3.
[17] Bartash 2017: 3: CUSAS 26, 45-59; CUSAS 35, 364-378; Schrakamp 2015: 235.
[18] Overview Schrakamp 2015: 253-254.
[19] Schrakamp 2015: 249.
[20] Schrakamp 2015: 237.
[21] Milano/Westenholz 2015: 16: “late in Sharkalissharri’s reign“.

3. Chronology of the Ur III period (21st c. BCE)

Šu  = Šulgi (2092-2045)

AS = Amar-Suena (2044-2036)

ŠS = Šu-Suen (2035-2027)

IS = Ibbi-Suen (2026-2003)

3.1. Absolute dates of the Ur III kings

Šulgi
Šulgi
Year 1 2092 Year 17 2076 Year 33 2060
Year 2 2091 Year 18 2075 Year 34 2059
Year 3 2090 Year 19 2074 Year 35 2058
Year 4 2089 Year 20 2073 Year 36 2057
Year 5 2088 Year 21 2072 Year 37 2056
Year 6 2087 Year 22 2071 Year 38 2055
Year 7 2086 Year 23 2070 Year 39 2054
Year 8 2085 Year 24 2069 Year 40 2053
Year 9 2084 Year 25 2068 Year 41 2052
Year 10 2083 Year 26 2067 Year 42 2051
Year 11 2082 Year 27 2066 Year 43 2050
Year 12 2081 Year 28 2065 Year 44 2049
Year 13 2080 Year 29 2064 Year 45 2048
Year 14 2079 Year 30 2063 Year 46 2047
Year 15 2078 Year 31 2062 Year 47 2046
Year 16 2077 Year 32 2061 Year 48 2045
Amar-Suena.
Amar-Suena
Year 1 2044
Year 2 2043
Year 3 2042
Year 4 2041
Year 5 2040
Year 6 2039
Year 7 2038
Year 8 2037
Year 9 2036
Šu-Suen.
Šu-Suen
Year 1 2035
Year 2 2034
Year 3 2033
Year 4 2032
Year 5 2031
Year 6 2030
Year 7 2029
Year 8 2028
Year 9 2027
Ibbi-Suen.
Ibbi-Suen
Year 1 2026 Year 13 2014
Year 2 2025 Year 14 2013
Year 3 2024 Year 15 2012
Year 4 2023 Year 16 2011
Year 5 2022 Year 17 2010
Year 6 2021 Year 18 2009
Year 7 2020 Year 19 2008
Year 8 2019 Year 20 2007
Year 9 2018 Year 21 2006
Year 10 2017 Year 22 2005
Year 11 2016 Year 23 2004
Year 12 2015 Year 24 2003

 

Bibliography

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