Ur : The Rise and Fall of the Ancient Sumerian City State

3000 - 2000 BCE - The fascinating rise and fall of this iconic Sumerian city-state and a look at the incredible work of Sir Leonard Woolley.
We watch as Chris from The History of the World Podcast takes us on a journey to the ancient Near East and into Ancient Mesopotamia. We explore archaeology, Sumerian society, hierarchy, slavery, religion, warfare and so many other aspects of this wonderful part of history.
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[@Emcee_Squared]

I find it amazing that for thousands of years this great city was entirely lost to history, yet people would mention its name all the time when they read the bible as the city in which Abraham was born in. I am not a religious person, but the Bible has preserved a great wealth of knowledge and clues about the ancient world.

[@karenabrams8986]

I agree. I’m atheist but I like learning about the bible and Torah. Fascinating compilations of ancient lore all mashed up and heavily edited. There’s a bunch of color in the Bible and now we know a little bit of context to be able to understand it better. Beyond morality tales misapplied to our modern frame of reference. I’m still having a hard time envisioning a Sumerian life. I am glad to exist now.

[@flamingoqueen281]

Emcee Squared the guy who discovered the ruins NAMED them after the place mentioned in the Bible. There probably wasn’t a real life link.

[@Emcee_Squared]

@@flamingoqueen281 Incorrect. The site was not randomly named after a biblical site. It was Henry Rawlinson, who in 1849, deciphered some cuneiform inscriptions on some bricks from that location and was able to identify the site as Ur. The good thing about the Sumerians is that they left their presence known in stone writing. I am an atheist too, I'm not trying to bible thump, just stating archaeological facts and the usefulness of the bible as a record, however imprecise, of certain parts of human history.

[@husambotros3958]

@@Emcee_Squared totally agree with you in your reply.. they say the half educated are the most dangerous in society.. its better not to state something unless 100% sure and even though there is always new discoveries to change the course of history but for now they are facts.

[@edstar83]

History covered up the the morally corrupt winners of WWII. kzbin.info/www/bejne/envco6N8j9x7b6M kzbin.info/www/bejne/anW2XqGdi7yam5Y kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYSlmHhoYqqikK8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIPUp5ukZtZsgZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6fPY3Z4rMeqjNE kzbin.info/www/bejne/ql6caoOvbZxkgtU kzbin.info/www/bejne/raGai4Fndrd4oNk kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHnJZaOFn9qFr7M kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZmwZp-sgcZkZ8U kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4CwY5mKa9l1fKc

[@unitor699industries]

Listened to this 2 years ago and now KZbin recommended it again

[@harperwelch5147]

Definitely the most beautiful photographic collection of Sumerian art in this podcast, compared with others. This really shows off the colors and details of this sophisticated artistic culture.

[@jordaneggerman4734]

"Those who slept on the roof, died on the roof; Those who slept in the house, had no burial" -the lament for Ur

[@lisamilam4443]

So poignant that the experience of the everyday people was recorded with such realism and pathos.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

I love how you leave the images long enough for the viewer to study them. Thanks.

[@annascott3542]

I’ve seen numerous presentations on Ur and I have to say, this is one of the best. It was refreshing to see artifacts hitherto unseen and learn some new information. I am a fan HWP & I look forward to and am really enjoying the visual presentations! Keep ‘em coming pa-lease!! Thanks for posting!

[@jibster7332]

I’ve been listening to him on Spotify on my commutes, does not disappoint:)

[@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449]

What are your thoughts on this awesome episode by Chris from The History of the World Podcast? Check out the links in the video description above to support his awesome podcast and to listen to more episodes! Help support The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages by joining us at these links below! Check out our new store! teespring.com/stores/the-history-shop Get your Sea Peoples | Late Bronze Age Merch below! Mugs: teespring.com/new-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=658&cid=102950 Hoodies | Shirts | Tank Tops: teespring.com/get-sea-peoples-mediterranean?pid=212&cid=5819 Get your Hittite Merch below! Mugs: teespring.com/HittiteEmpireMug?pid=658&cid=102950&sid=front Shirts | Tank Tops | Hoodies: teespring.com/hittite-empire-shirt?pid=2&cid=2397 Trojan War Merch Below! Mugs: teespring.com/trojan-war-coffee-mug?pid=658&cid=102950 Tank Tops | Shirts | Hoodies: teespring.com/TrojanWarShirt?pid=2&cid=2397 Become a Patron of The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages and make history matter! Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/The_Study_of_Antiquity_and_the_Middle_Ages Check out history related merchandise through our affiliate link to SPQR Emporium! spqr-emporium.com/?aff=3 The link above is an affiliate link which means we will receive a small commission from your generous purchases, just another way to support your history channel. Donate directly at our PayPal: paypal.me/NickBarksdale?locale.x=en_US Facebook: facebook.com/THESTUDYOFANTIQUITYANDTHEMIDDLEAGES/ Twitter: twitter.com/NickBarksdale Instagram: instagram.com/study_of_antiquity_middle_ages/ Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/164050034145170/

[@chickensdontsurf]

You need to pin this comment

[@flora3765]

Really good episode, very insightful!

[@flavius22]

Such a good documentary for free ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@harrietlyall1991]

Totally excellent. Clearly and cogently explained and superbly illustrated. This is a first class channel.

[@MrRourk]

Thanks so much! Excellent story and music. Loved it.

[@donnysandley6977]

Totally in love with this channel 💓 and so great that the visuals pertain to what the story is talking about 👍 what a disappointment in other channels that talk about story and show visuals from nothing to do with it 😖

[@harperwelch5147]

That chart that illustrates the changes in power over time was fascinating! Brings history to life!

[@MadMax-bq6pg]

Chris, you did NOT get carried away, it was awesome. Love ya work. Hi from Oz.

[@jkool3366]

Fine presentation, nice to pay attention to details

[@newpinglegend9304]

That music at the end is wicked. This is a good video, I'm going to have see it a couple more times to really haul it all in.

[@SteveKaynan]

Totally agree!

[@JamesBroadwater]

Excellent work. Thank you very much.

[@jackiemargaret437]

I really appreciate the manner in which you presented your information.... straightforward and honest. Thank you.👍🥰

[@kahasson]

This is just excellent! Thank you.

[@ALANJohnnaveenchandar]

Adds a special dimension to the history of Mesopotamia, the Sumerians and Indus valley...as I read the history of the part of present day State of Goa in India

[@deborahromilly2766]

Brilliant and fascinating, thank you very much!

[@LuciFeric137]

Fascinating. Well done, yeah. Gorgeous photos too..

[@MyRealName148]

The flood theory was a common phenomenon. Around the world nearly every early civilization has a flood myth. Most religions begin with the same narrative

[@GrumblingGrognard]

"*most* religions" !? Over half of all religions, ever, begin with a flood story??? You really think so? No. Not even close.

[@zethloveless7238]

Mary C no it’s not history it’s just the fact that this literally is a flood plain 😂 no worldwide flood ever happened

[@GrumblingGrognard]

@Mary C Then you are ignorant of a vast majority of the world's religions to put it mildly.

[@zethloveless7238]

Paul Beduhn your dead wrong I can’t tell you how many times people like your story has been proven wrong by actual science.

[@TheMargarita1948]

@Paul Beduhn OK, Paul, show us your data.

[@Jim-sb7dt]

Love the information

[@ariellehart9312]

Fascinating! Thank you!

[@curledup]

This channel is insanely good. I can't believe I used to have to scrounge around in Google Videos looking for ANY documentary on ancient history. THANK YOU!!!!

[@artsiompronin756]

THANK YOU! what music did you use in the end and the beginning?

[@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449]

It’s called Tribal War!

[@artsiompronin756]

@@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449 thank you!!! is it the name of the band?

[@Dalexb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKfLh2SOf5VpmsU

[@pierrepierre5006]

Hi, very impressive..could you tell the name of the animated software around 25 min? is it homemade or university owned?

[@paisleypeacock]

*I really enjoyed this!* - *What is the track of music used in the beginning and end of video?* 🖤🖤🖤

[@artsiompronin756]

would be happy to hear the answer

[@Dalexb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKfLh2SOf5VpmsU

[@paisleypeacock]

@@Dalexb *Thank you!*

[@veganman1961]

Well done Chris

[@jimwagoner4741]

Very interesting. Thank you!

[@MackerelCat]

I love Chris, his presentation is accessible but in depth.

[@TheMargarita1948]

In depth? Evidence that a large flood happened once near the confluence of two large rivers is evidence for the historicity of the Bible? Is that what you mean?

[@BlackSakura33]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@BlackSakura33]

And it proves that the world is 6000 years old and flat. Correct idiot.

[@rpreto72]

it wasn't a long pod cast :) i liked it.

[@barbarabalen7278]

Does anyone know who does the drum music at the beginning. It's wonderful

[@FxUxCxMx]

You executed that lamentation wonderfully! Could you upload just that segment?

[@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449]

Didn't he do awesome?! Loved it!

[@paulapridy6804]

I have seen Finkel play on the board he made as a youth. No apology necessary for your content. Thoroughly done and appreciated.

[@devonmoreau]

Love these videos, thank you!

[@doomedtolinger2213]

Excellent as usual -- Learned a few factiods about the culture of which I was unaware... The museum pics helped frame the narration tremendously. Kudos and Thanks

[@jameshudson7053]

Was very good... thanks for the post sir

[@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449]

Welcome! And thank you for commenting and watching!

[@anitapollard1627]

New subscriber here 🙂 you do a great job!! Not too long AT ALL!! Thank you 💕

[@radzewicz]

Ur is at a location which very well may have been once settled, then flooded, then settled again when the floods subsided. During the Ice Age the entire "gulf" was exposed dry land with the single combined river running through it. When the ice melted the "gulf waters" rose and flooded inland to well above Ur. Subsequent silting from the combined river would have then put Ur back as dry land with a flood level under it.

[@theresawilliams4296]

Like always Chris, you always produce good informative material on such fascinating topics. Love and admiration from an Aussie fan from Down Under. BTW, my husband loves your stuff as well.

[@historyoftheworldpodcast5234]

Thank you so much!

[@elegomeskin]

Love those Celtic drums...!

[@adelinehorst7359]

Very interesting thank you very much

[@staticdynamic1605]

This is another compelling presentation, as I've found consistent with your others.

[@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449]

Glad to hear that! Thanks for watching!

[@JS-jh4cy]

Good to see the stuff that is in museum halfway around the world in multiple countries

[@AikanaroAnarion]

The intro music sold it for me

[@leoniewilliamson2811]

Amazing podcast.

[@johnmbongenizondi9912]

Very interesting!

[@Cate7451]

Awesome show

[@Amadeu.Macedo]

Although I was originally aware of the noteworthiness of the Sumerian civilization, particularly in connection with the remote city of UR, I was not fully informed about the long-lasting impact of this culture, notably in relation to the venerable city of UR. Thank you very much for this meticulously researched documentary in this video. /////////////////////////////////// Embora eu estivesse originalmente ciente da importância da civilização suméria, particularmente em conexão com a remota cidade de UR, não estava totalmente informado a respeito do impacto duradouro desta cultura, notavelmente em relação à venerável cidade de UR . Muito obrigado por este documentário meticulosamente pesquisado neste vídeo.

[@daleblue22]

Irmão. Dá uma passada no canal : Fall of Civilizations. Paulo Cooper. Ele tem um video de 2 horas. Eu recomendo. Abração

[@Amadeu.Macedo]

@@daleblue22 Obrigado, amigo, mas já assisti quase todos os maravilhosos vídeos de Paul Couper, especialmente “8. The Sumerians - Fall of the First Cities”

[@daleblue22]

@@Amadeu.Macedo awesome!!!!! Eu também já vi todos. Realmente os videos dele são de belissima qualidade. O último dele sobre Petra ma Jordania foi de arrasar. Já estou juntando uns cascalhos pra conhecer esse lugar. Anyway. Boa sorte. Abração.

[@jus_sanguinis]

Interesting.

[@JS-jh4cy]

Can we get dvd on these shows with subtitles

[@MistressGomorahhReigne]

Get carried away anytime! hehe LOVE IT... Thank you!

[@coreywilliams4678]

Great video! I love hearing about Bronze Age cities.

[@galland3496]

Very good presentation and very clear. Well done you for giving us excellent maps which suit the narrative very well and are beautifully CLEAR and look as though you know what you are talking about....which you most assuredly do. Thanks once again for a beautifully prepared and presented PODCAST.

[@Sinsteel]

Great episode. Onager is more like a wild donkey than horse btw. Dilmun is mentioned in some creation literature of Sumerians, as well as a location in the Epic of Gilgamesh. "The land where living is easy".

[@jonjameson2629]

fascinating

[@tariganter6238]

The Akkadians who suddenly appeared with a strange language in 2334 BC were actually Turkic Mongolian raiders with Hurrian merceneries and slaves. The Turkic Mongolian raiders came from Altii Mountains via south of Caspian sea and south Caucasus. The Akkadians were foreign small bandits of Invaders and colonizers. The Akkadians were expelled from Sumer and worked with the nomadic Amorites in Levant deserts for 500 years then sneaked and invaded. Kmt and the Kmtians called them heka shasut Hyksos foreign rulers of nomads. The rulers were Turkic Mongolian Akkadians and the nomads were the Amorites. The Hyksos amalgamation were driven out of Kmt. Most of the hyksos fled to Levant desert. The wandering Hyksos were called Aperu Hebrew. They invaded Sumer, Subar and Ugarit. They formed the colonies of Kassites and Arameans.

[@Mentox2]

I´ve been reading Will Durant´s History of Civilization series, and this came in a good time since im reading the chapter on Sumeria. Very interesting.

[@leesmith-collins5578]

Good job, well done, artissteel

[@CHAS1422]

"Long since gone from silting"...yes, and also tectonic uplift. The Persian gulf becomes shallower each year, and the Red Sea opens up as the Arabian Plate drifts toward the Eurasian Plate, at about 15 mm per year.

[@MarkVrem]

Need one of those Super-Tsunami shifts hopefully within our lifetime, so we can accelerate that maybe can open up a "WHOLE NEW WORLD"

[@hoplite22]

Dammit i love this channel !!!!!

[@davidgreen5099]

Subscribed. Thanks for not talking about ancient aliens.

[@nibbienibiru1076]

A VERY VERY VERY GOOD JOB, I DO BACK UP WHAT YOU SAY.

[@theindusscript6043]

I am from INDIA and I love your podcasts related to history

[@ottarvendel]

Good description of the Sumerian city states. What lacks is the internal organization thou we here about the justice system and prisons. Wooley suggests the Sumerians had a sort of possibly elected counsil which ran society and thus was a forerunner of elected parliaments etc.

[@coolfix948]

In south Indian Dravidian languages (Kannada Tamil Telugu malayalam tulu) Ur (ಊರ್) means town, city , village , dwelling land , inhabitation , living space , planting the seed , support

[@VincentIrkallaOfficial]

Would love to have the name of that song playing over the end credits.

[@Dalexb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKfLh2SOf5VpmsU

[@NoCoverCharge]

It must have been wild living back in the days of UR

[@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449]

I feel like I am living in UR right now, haha! People in OK, USA are losing their minds. It's like the Amorites are on their way!

[@gloriascientiae7435]

YEAH lets party like its the 25th year in the reign of Sargon

[@mamapetillo8675]

I find it amazing that people don’t recognize the common threads in pretty much the majority of religions; mysterious birth, death in an unjust manner, then miraculous rebirth. Not all that long ago, you could lose your station in life, if not your life, should you think outside the ruler’s religious dictates. Interesting time we’re in.

[@maryblushes7189]

Many believe the attendants accompanied Queen (or high priestess) Puabi did so willingly in order to share her goddess like life in the afterlife, something commoners could not have. Touchingly, one of the young ladies had run late and her golden ribbon headress was in her pocket rather than on her head, as if she would finish placing it after death.

[@isaacandproud3367]

Larsa city is one of the oldest city and it is inhabited by the Arsians Iraqis 🇮🇶♥and that its inhabitants and love it ♥

[@wedgeantilles7731]

Great documentary, but it needs more ads. I almost remembered what it was about!

[@davidagiel8130]

I think Abraham never existed but his story could be really about a tribe of people that left Ur and travelled through Canaan until Egypt before settling in Canaan and eventually after mixing together they became the Israelites.

[@brunopimenta8204]

Was the Sumerian Wheel made with stone or with wood? as this two material were both rare.

[@julianroybal4843]

Damn how many channels do you have

[@Mr67Stanger]

I was in Ur in 2011. There's a lot left to do there as far as excavations.

[@alexd5637]

I like to fall asleep listening to such masterpiece. But the sound is so loud at the end (and the beginning).

[@kaarlimakela3413]

Too bad you can't get another Like for every time I come back for a refresher! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@safe1star]

I wonder if Ur is Urartru which is ancient Armenia?

[@karenjohnson4271]

Ty

[@SurSurSur]

Thank you for putting this together, would love one on Urartu and ancient Armenia

[@chopsddy3]

Don’t apologize! It went by too fast. More please.👍

[@kaarlimakela3413]

As to that ancient game ... I can imagine the same object being made of less costly material ... even scratched on a flat surface. Gambling must have been popular as you say, as it represented holy luck more or less. Romans thought of it that way too. But I could see the average Joe Sumerian experiencing time on his hands for games and frittering away time ... after all, it's a hierarchy so 'hurry up and wait' could have left anybody looking for something to do overcome boredom.

[@VelMurugan-qb1xq]

Dr K Loganathan explains why Sumerian language is not an 'language isolate' but archaic Tamil. @

[@sal6695]

Put it on 1.25 speed trust me

[@Avan-ij1jw]

According to the great historian Soran Hamarash in his bok ”The Lost and Untold History of the Kurd”, the Kurdish spoken in Kirmaşan in Kurdistan is the closest dialect to Sumerian, which was an ancient Kurdish dialect or a Zagrosian dialect as Soran refers to it. So, if you wants to understand Sumerian, you should look for the original Kurdish dialect from Kirmaşan (Changed to Kermanshah by the colonialists) or the nearby villages. The Kurds (The Zagrosians) are the oldest population of Mesopotamia, i.e., the indigenous people. However, remember that the word "Kurd" is a collective name for all kinds of Kurds, i.e., an umbrella term. Zagrosian/Proto-Kurdish: Spoken from approximately 15,000 to 5300 BCE. This was the oldest form of Kurdish, spoken in the Zagros Mountains and the surrounding plains. Old Kurdish (OK): Spoken from approximately 5300 to 3000 BCE. During this time, languages like Sumerian, Hurrian, Lullubian, Gutian, and others were also spoken in the region. Middle Kurdish (MK): Spoken from approximately 3000 BCE to 800 CE. During this period, the languages Median and Mannaean can be considered dialects of Middle Kurdish. New Kurdish (NK): Spoken from approximately 800 CE to the present day and includes today's Kurdish dialects. Many Kurds have historically and even today primarily identified themselves through their geographic area or dialect affiliation, such as “I am Hakkari, or I am Luri or Kalhuri or Kengir or Gutian”. This diverse linguistic landscape not only enriches the cultural heritage of the Kurds but also emphasizes the complexity and richness of Kurdish as more than just a language, but as a mosaic of identities and histories woven through time. Moreover, the Kurdish language is a giant compared to other Indo-European languages. According to my interpretation, Kurdish might be the foundation of all European languages, positioning it as the mother tongue for the entire European linguistic family. A recent remarkable discovery supports this fascinating perspective: a Neanderthal was found in the Shanidar Cave in Erbil, Kurdistan. This discovery, also featured in a Netflix documentary, highlights a Neanderthal estimated by researchers to be 75,000 years old, making it the oldest Neanderthal ever discovered. So the least that can be done to correct previous misconceptions is to officially recognize Kurdish with its own branch in the Indo-European language tree, named the Zagrosian Proto Kurdish language. Additionally, whether there are misconceptions or not is up for debate, but what can be certainly stated is that Kurdish has been treated distinctively by colonial powers and adapted to fit the political agenda of the region.

[@timboslyce1290]

Where can we trace math and writing back to them Please tell me

[@michaelsmyth3935]

Being an apologist for the endless subjugation of the many by the few is an interesting tact. Slavery was and is still slavery.

[@kevinrbarker]

Great show. Love the cockney accent...

[@izharfatima5295]

Findings if these board games in my opinion actually indicates a period of sophistication achieved in a society where humans mental abilities are matured to virtual manipulation and linking it to material gains rather then in a ground sitting and watching players fighting or other types of physical activity linking material gains in

[@radzewicz]

Where is the video of the board game mentioned here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bn7MpqCDhdagg7M that you said you would post?

[@trull122]

Very sure the flood plain at Ur has anything to do with the original flood story. The original flood story was already ancient history to the Sumer when they joined the Akkadians at Ur. When those final glaciers were melting, that lasted from 10 thousand BC to 5 thousand BC. Long before that flood at Ur.

[@TheLionFarm]

6:00 36:55 fall

[@madilynnsma]

Now go check out the Oera Linda Book

[@MadKingOfMadaya]

*_0:30_**_ Anyone else thought their Phone rang in the background_*

[@prairiestategenetixseeds9726]

UR you ready!!!

[@ControlledDemolition]

I want to play a game of Ur, please.

[@annascott3542]

I would love to see more HWP on Egypt. That would be heaven.

[@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449]

Check out his episodes on Ancient Egypt at his website! I will eventually be bringing them here as well!

[@historyoftheworldpodcast5234]

Here's the full list of Volume Two episodes here... historyoftheworldpodcast.com/volume-2-the-ancient-world/