Visual Timeline: Sumerians

To navigate the timeline, click and drag it with your mouse, or click on the timeline overview on the bottom.

6000 BCE 5500 BCE 5000 BCE 4500 BCE 4000 BCE 3500 BCE 3000 BCE 2500 BCE 2000 BCE 1500 BCE  
 
 
6000 BCE - 1750 BCE: Sumerian civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates valley.
 
5400 BCE: The City of Eridu is founded.
 
5000 BCE: Sumer inhabited by Ubaid people.
 
5000 BCE - 4100 BCE: The Ubaid Period in Sumer.
 
 
5000 BCE: Evidence of burial in Sumer.
 
4500 BCE: The City of Uruk founded.
 
 
4500 BCE: The Sumerians built their first temple.
 
4100 BCE - 2900 BCE: Uruk Period in Sumer.
 
 
3600 BCE: Invention of writing in Sumer at Uruk.
 
3200 BCE: First instance of written language in Sumerian.
 
2900 BCE - 2334 BCE: The Early Dynastic Period in Sumer.
 
2500 BCE: Beginning of literature in Sumerian.
 
 
2350 BCE: First code of laws by Urukagina, king of Lagash.
 
 
2150 BCE - 1400 BCE: The tales of Gilgamesh written which inform The Epic of Gilgamesh
 
 
2047 BCE - 1750 BCE: The Ur III Period in Sumer, known as the Sumerian Renaissance.
 
 
2047 BCE - 1750 BCE: The Ur III Period in Sumer. Great Wall of Uruk still standing.
 
 
1772 BCE: The Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest codes of law in the world.
 
 
1750 BCE: Elamite invasion and Amorite migration ends the Sumerian civilization.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6000 BCE 5500 BCE 5000 BCE 4500 BCE 4000 BCE 3500 BCE 3000 BCE 2500 BCE 2000 BCE