Around 2500 BC, Ur was in decline.
The city of Lagash seized the moment to beat up their neighbors.
Then their neighbors got mad and burned Lagash to the ground.
Then some random Akkadian kid called Sargon saw an opportunity, and took over all of Sumer.
Wait...what?
Conversation
Now I know what you're thinking.
What the heck is an Akkadian?
Sumerians and Akkadians had been living side by side in Mesopotamia the whole time.
Sumerian was the dominant culture, but Sargon was about to flip it all around.
1
1
Sargon created a new capital city for his empire, called Akkad.
He destroyed the walls of every city, so it would be harder for them to rebel.
He put Akkadians in positions of power everywhere, and made Akkadian the official language.
Sumerians tried to rebel, but failed...RIP
1
1
And then climate change happened, leading to drought and famine around the world.
Life is hard when people can't eat.
"Who was king? Who was not king?" asks the Sumerian king list.
The Barbarians (Gutians) in the hills saw this struggling empire and decided to take it.
1
1
The invading Gutians burned Akkad to the ground so hard that we still can't find the ruins.
Gutians were illiterate, and weren't good at the whole leadership thing.
They released all of the livestock because animals should be free!
Not a great policy if you want people to eat.
1
1
Eventually some Sumerian guy was like, hey, remember when we were Sumerians and things-were-actually-good™?
Let's do that again.
So they overthrew the Gutians.
Goodbye Gutians.
Hello Neo-Sumerian Empire.
1
1
Sumer returned to its former glory, creating an early version of currency, and the oldest surviving legal code.
These laws were no joke, you got a death penalty for robbery.
And cutting off another man's foot was a ten shekel fine.
The king also built a TON of ziggurats.
1
1
Around 2350 BC crop yields were decreasing.
The ground was getting saltier over time.
Salt may be good in your food, but it is not-good in the soil.
So there was less and less food.
And you probably know what happens next...
1
1
Less food = decline.
There were more invasions from Gutians and other tribes.
A king sent his general to go buy some food.
The general took the money and ran, establishing his own kingdom elsewhere.
Honestly, that's pretty messed up.
1
1
The last king of Sumer made valiant attempts to save the city.
He built a great big wall.
It didn't work.
He tried to ally with enemy tribes.
It didn't work.
Ur had fallen.
And Sumer was dead.
"The gods have abandoned us..." they said.
That's rough buddy.
1
1
For a more in-depth overview of the rise and fall of Sumer, check out the amazing by
