description Sumerian King List Overview
The Sumerian King List is a clay inscription dating from the 3rd millennium BCE. It provides a chronological record of rulers in ancient Sumer, primarily focused on city-states like Kish and Ur.
The list combines purported historical reigns with legendary figures, offering valuable insight into early Mesopotamian political organization and beliefs. Scholars use it to study the development of kingship and royal succession within Sumerian civilization.
insights Why this score
Sumerian King List ranks #46 of 155 in the Inscription ranking, behind Linear B Tablets (Knossos), ahead of Shi Gu Wen (Stone Drum Inscriptions).
help Sumerian King List FAQ
Where was the Sumerian King List discovered?
The most complete version of the text was discovered on a clay prism, often called the Weld-Blundell Prism, which was found in ancient Mesopotamia. The prism dates back to the early first millennium BC, though it describes events from much earlier.
What is the most famous claim in the Sumerian King List?
The Sumerian King List is notable for blending historical facts with mythology, most famously claiming incredibly long reigns for early antediluvian (pre-flood) kings. Some of these early rulers supposedly ruled for tens of thousands of years before the great flood.
What historical purpose did the Sumerian King List serve?
The ancient cuneiform text was designed to legitimize the political power of the king who commissioned it by linking them to a continuous, divine lineage of succession. It recorded the successive kings of various Mesopotamian cities and the lengths of their reigns.
What language is the Sumerian King List written in?
The text is written in ancient Sumerian using cuneiform script, one of the earliest known systems of writing in the world. Later versions of the list were also translated and written in Akkadian for the Babylonian and Assyrian empires.
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