Sumer and its neighbours at the end of the third millennium BCE
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What is it like nowadays?
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The Land of Sumer
ki.en.gi
Cities
Marshes
Steppe
Fields and palm groves
Two rivers
Sea level during Sumerian times
Get the Essential Guide today to find out more!
Sea level nowadays
Ebla
Sumer has distant and irregular relationships with this powerful and wealthy city in the far north.
Modern Middle-Eastern countries
When are you going to Sumer ?!
Right now, the great king Šulgi is ruling over the Land of Sumer and Akkad. It is the Year 44 of his reign.
Susa
The relationships with Susa are complicated: sometimes peaceful, sometimes conflictual. Susa has been several times under the dominion of Sumerian cities, then regained independance or was conquered by Anšan or other Elamite kingdoms. Elam is another name for the region.
Susa is a huge, wealthy and strategic transit place for trade. But trade via the Lower Sea was often more reliable for the Sumerians, because of the clashing relationships with Susa and Elam.
Meluhha
The name probably refers to the Indus Valley, but in Sumerian times, most people had no idea of the precise location of Meluhha as it was so far away. It became a name to refer to an exotic, distant land in the East. Many costly products come from there or from even more distant regions, as Meluhha is itself a transit place: carnelian, ivory, spices, shells, lapis-lazuli and a much-appreciated hard black wood, probably ebony.
Magan
Located a bit further south to Dilmun, Magan is an essential trade place for the Sumerians. The relationships between Sumer and Magan were always good (despite the brutal policy of the Akkadian kings). The country is rich in copper and diorite. It also is a natural trade station with further countries like Meluhha, from where merchants get carnelian, lapis lazuli or ivory. Those precious goods are stored in vast warehouses in Magan harbours.
Aratta
According to Sumerian legends, Enmerkar, the king of Uruk was the first to open trade routes with the Land of Aratta, from where Sumerians could obtain gold and lapis-lazuli, in exchange of food and… writing! Goods come from Aratta during the whole Sumerian period but they mostly transit via Susa, Magan or Dilmun. Direct exchanges between both countries were probably scarce.
Dilmun
Trade with the southern countries around the “Lower Sea” was always flourishing. But the precise location of Dilmun has changed during Sumerian times. The name seems to have referred to any country in the geographical area, from where Sumerians could obtain a specific range of product, that is timber, copper, tin, and semi-precious stones.
Anšan
Anšan is the name for both a city and a kingdom that has tumultuous relationships with Sumer, often conflictual.
The Land of Guti
The Sumerian country is desperately flat so that mountains are concealed, terrifying territories. The mountainous barrier, east of Sumer, is a mysterious land, sacred realms of the gods, full of demons and… horrendous enemies like the Gutians!
The dreadful Gutians are the sworn enemies of the Sumerians!
The Cedar Forest
Only the bravest of the brave and the most powerful kings have the courage to go to the mountains, and especially to the dark cedar forest to cut down the precious trees. The most famous is Gilgameš. The illustrious king of Uruk was the first to go to the distant cedar forest, where he slaughtered its formidable keeper, Humbaba.
Following his steps, many powerful kings went on expeditions to the Cedar Mountain, or pretended they went there. Cedars, and other coniferous trees, are coveted to build magnificent temples and palaces. The more cedar palaces and temples they have, the more prestigious are the king and his city.
Mari
The newly founded city on the Euphrates has regular relationship with Sumer. It is a wealthy and powerful city and a transit place for goods from Anatolia and the Levant.
Subir
The relationships with northern Mesopotamia are loose. They much depend on the safety of the roads leading to the North. Sumerians are not too sure what the name 'Subir' stands for, but there are several huge cities in the area.
Sumer geography
Marie Besnier
Created on December 16, 2023
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Transcript
Sumer and its neighbours at the end of the third millennium BCE
When are you going?
Explore the map to find more information!
What is it like nowadays?
Get the Essential Guide today!
The Land of Sumer
ki.en.gi
Cities
Marshes
Steppe
Fields and palm groves
Two rivers
Sea level during Sumerian times
Get the Essential Guide today to find out more!
Sea level nowadays
Ebla
Sumer has distant and irregular relationships with this powerful and wealthy city in the far north.
Modern Middle-Eastern countries
When are you going to Sumer ?!
Right now, the great king Šulgi is ruling over the Land of Sumer and Akkad. It is the Year 44 of his reign.
Susa
The relationships with Susa are complicated: sometimes peaceful, sometimes conflictual. Susa has been several times under the dominion of Sumerian cities, then regained independance or was conquered by Anšan or other Elamite kingdoms. Elam is another name for the region.
Susa is a huge, wealthy and strategic transit place for trade. But trade via the Lower Sea was often more reliable for the Sumerians, because of the clashing relationships with Susa and Elam.
Meluhha
The name probably refers to the Indus Valley, but in Sumerian times, most people had no idea of the precise location of Meluhha as it was so far away. It became a name to refer to an exotic, distant land in the East. Many costly products come from there or from even more distant regions, as Meluhha is itself a transit place: carnelian, ivory, spices, shells, lapis-lazuli and a much-appreciated hard black wood, probably ebony.
Magan
Located a bit further south to Dilmun, Magan is an essential trade place for the Sumerians. The relationships between Sumer and Magan were always good (despite the brutal policy of the Akkadian kings). The country is rich in copper and diorite. It also is a natural trade station with further countries like Meluhha, from where merchants get carnelian, lapis lazuli or ivory. Those precious goods are stored in vast warehouses in Magan harbours.
Aratta
According to Sumerian legends, Enmerkar, the king of Uruk was the first to open trade routes with the Land of Aratta, from where Sumerians could obtain gold and lapis-lazuli, in exchange of food and… writing! Goods come from Aratta during the whole Sumerian period but they mostly transit via Susa, Magan or Dilmun. Direct exchanges between both countries were probably scarce.
Dilmun
Trade with the southern countries around the “Lower Sea” was always flourishing. But the precise location of Dilmun has changed during Sumerian times. The name seems to have referred to any country in the geographical area, from where Sumerians could obtain a specific range of product, that is timber, copper, tin, and semi-precious stones.
Anšan
Anšan is the name for both a city and a kingdom that has tumultuous relationships with Sumer, often conflictual.
The Land of Guti
The Sumerian country is desperately flat so that mountains are concealed, terrifying territories. The mountainous barrier, east of Sumer, is a mysterious land, sacred realms of the gods, full of demons and… horrendous enemies like the Gutians!
The dreadful Gutians are the sworn enemies of the Sumerians!
The Cedar Forest
Only the bravest of the brave and the most powerful kings have the courage to go to the mountains, and especially to the dark cedar forest to cut down the precious trees. The most famous is Gilgameš. The illustrious king of Uruk was the first to go to the distant cedar forest, where he slaughtered its formidable keeper, Humbaba.
Following his steps, many powerful kings went on expeditions to the Cedar Mountain, or pretended they went there. Cedars, and other coniferous trees, are coveted to build magnificent temples and palaces. The more cedar palaces and temples they have, the more prestigious are the king and his city.
Mari
The newly founded city on the Euphrates has regular relationship with Sumer. It is a wealthy and powerful city and a transit place for goods from Anatolia and the Levant.
Subir
The relationships with northern Mesopotamia are loose. They much depend on the safety of the roads leading to the North. Sumerians are not too sure what the name 'Subir' stands for, but there are several huge cities in the area.