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Dundy O
United States
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
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Ur. Ancient city extrordinaire. An Archeologist’s dream. Trade hub of the Fertile Crescent. Game capital of the world?
In the area where most anthropologists, archeologists, and historians call the Cradle of Civilization, Ur may have been the baby in that cradle. Set near the convergence of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates as they spill out into the Persian Gulf, Ur dominated the ancient world.
Rich, vast and long-lasting, Ur was much more than a city. It was a kingdom. Preponderating influence over it’s surrounding geographic locations, Ur was settled to an advanced degree even before the Sumerians began calling it home.
As our modern world tends to grow similar cities near each other, so did the ancient world. Chicago, Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee are cities that developed from trade route locations to manufacturing centers. Chicago, of course, being the largest and most influential of that group. Numerous cities in northeastern Pennsylvania are known as coal-region cities, with Pittsburgh holding the biggest banner. Though the reasons are various, cities within close proximity tend to resemble one another.
Ur’s influence spurred the same trend. Surrounding Ur were numerous cities that developed reputations as being the same type as Ur. Lagash, Ukak, Kish and Nippur were called “temple towns.” Ur itself is right in the center of the Ziggurat zone.
Ziggurat: zik·ku·rat, zig·oo·rat noun. A type of tower found in the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cities of Mesopotamia. This tower was often built on a rectangular platform and comprised of several stepped levels, which gave it the appearance of a terraced pyramid, except for having a flat top. They were constructed of sun-baked clay bricks. The first ziggurats began appearing during the 4th millenium B.C. Were thought of as the home of the god, and only priests were allowed in or on a ziggurat. One of the most famous ziggurats is that from the Sumerian City of Ur.
This, now, brings us to the Royal Game of Ur.
It is given this illustrious name because of where it was found. British archaeologist Leonard Woolley discovered it and three other board games during excavations of the Royal Cemetery of Ur in the 1920s and 1930s. This cemetery consisted of 16 tombs, each containing many items of much greater quality and of more unique status then any grave outside of the Royal Cemetery. Precious metals, stones and fabrics were found in these tombs, many of which were imported from regions outside of Ur.
One of the more interesting and unique finds during excavations were the four boardgames. Interesting because historians, sociologists, and anthropologists have often wondered why people would consider a game so important as to bury it with themselves. Unique because it is considered the oldest board game known to man. It is also unique in only the Royal Tombs of Ur contain the game, none have ever been found in Ur outside the Royal Cemetery.
This is an image of the most famous of those four board games.
Part two of this post will explain the rules of play, what social scientists think of this game, and a question to ponder...
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