Hi, I´m specifically looking for books about the Uruk period and the early dynastic period, before the Akkadian Empire. Any suggestions???

by Lukassrod

Hi, I checked the book recomendations, but what I´m looking in regards to the Sumerians is books on their early civilization, the late Uruk period and the early dynastic period, before the establishment of the Akkadian Empire. My knowledge about the subject is limted, and your help would be much appreciated.

Bentresh

For general readings on the Sumerians, see the Sumerians section of the AskHistorians reading list.

I recommend the following for overviews of early Mesopotamia:

  • A Companion to the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East edited by Daniel Potts. This is a two volume work that covers all time periods and cultures of the ancient Near East from the Pleistocene to the end of the Sasanian period.

  • Art of Mesopotamia by Zahnab Bahrani. This is an excellent new overview of Mesopotamian art history that includes chapters on the Uruk and Early Dynastic periods. It's beautifully illustrated with color photographs and architectural plans.

  • The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy by Mario Liverani. This is arguably the best introduction to ancient Near Eastern history and covers the gamut of Mesopotamian history from the Neolithic period to the Achaemenid period. Liverani incorporates quotations from cuneiform texts as well as helpful illustrations.

  • Ancient Mesopotamia by Susan Pollock. This is a somewhat dense, anthropologically-oriented overview of Mesopotamia from the fifth to third millennium BCE.

  • Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur edited by Richard L. Zettler. The tombs of Ur are without doubt the most famous discovery from the Early Dynastic period. This is a beautiful museum catalogue with color photographs and detailed descriptions of 230 objects from the excavations at Ur.

  • The Uruk World System: the dynamics of expansion of early Mesopotamian civilization by Guillermo Algaze. Algaze has been one of the foremost experts on the Uruk expansion and the "colonies" of the 4th millennium BCE.

  • Rethinking World-systems: Diasporas, Colonies, and Interaction in Uruk Mesopotamia by Gil Stein. This book is based on Stein's excavation at Hacinebi in Turkey and is an attempt to provide a theoretical framework for the study of Uruk colonies.

  • On The High Road: The History of Godin Tepe, Iran by Hilary Gopnik and Mitchell Rothman. This does not focus exclusively on the Uruk period, but it discusses Godin Tepe V, one of the most important Uruk colonies in Iran.