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Conflict Middle East

Early Sumerian City-State Wars

2900 BCE – 2350 BCE · 550 years

Early Dynastic Sumerian cities competed for territory and resources. This is a period overview, not a single dated war.

See it on the timeline

Belligerents

The main peoples, kingdoms and states involved.

  • City-state of Kish
  • City-state of Uruk

Key moments

Defining events in the Early Sumerian City-State Wars.

  1. Lagash–Umma border conflicts (third millennium BC)

Elsewhere in Middle East at the time

Records whose own span overlaps this one, found by the same test the canvas draws with. The bar under each card is where it sits inside this one.

See the whole view

Landmark · Middle East

Great Pyramid of Giza

2560 BCE – still standing

Polity · Middle East

Egypt

Attested 3000 BCE – 2026 CE

Trade route · Middle East

Egyptian Red Sea Trade

2500 BCE – 30 BCE

Conflict · Middle East

Umma–Lagash Border War

2500 BCE – 2350 BCE

Landmark · Middle East

Great Sphinx of Giza

2500 BCE – still standing

Polity · Middle East

Semites

Attested 3000 BCE – 2000 BCE

Trade route · Middle East

Nile River Trade

3000 BCE – 30 BCE

Landmark · Middle East

Kerma

2500 BCE – 1500 BCE

Dated moments inside this span

Events the timeline places between 2900 BCE and 2350 BCE.

2750 BCE Tyre 2700 BCE Saqqara 2600 BCE Royal Tombs of Ur 2560 BCE Great Pyramid of Giza 2500 BCE Umma–Lagash Border War 2500 BCE Kerma

And in the rest of the world

Records running through the same years, on the other side of the map.

Tarxien Temples Landmark · Europe 3600 BCE – 2500 BCE Beaker Polity · Europe 2600 BCE – 1800 BCE Harappan Maritime Trade (Indus–Mesopotamia) Trade route · South Asia 2600 BCE – 1900 BCE Skara Brae Landmark · Europe 3180 BCE – 2500 BCE Yamnaya culture Polity · Europe 3299 BCE – 2599 BCE Avebury Landmark · Europe 2850 BCE – 2200 BCE
Image credits5 pictures from Wikimedia Commons