As known builders of the first civilizations, the Sumerian history and culture have always been shrouded in mystery. This Sumerian civilization, which lasted for nearly 2,600 years, became the direct origin of much of the technological inspiration for later generations. Among them, there are not only primitive agricultural cultivation represented by wheat and barley, but also the first domesticated pigs, sheep, goats and donkeys. Coupled with their outstanding performance in the fields of metal smelting, writing creation, construction industry upgrading, transportation technology and astronomical calendar, it is enough to write a thick book of scientific and technological commendations.
Seal of the Sumerian king from 3100 BC
Early cuneiform tablets from around 4000 BC
As for the most important military level, the Sumerian civilization also has many finishing touches that can make the blood of future generations rush. After all, these pioneers, who lived between 4000 and 1900 BC, were the founders of the first regular army in history.
Bust of Sumerian princess from around 2150 BC
As early as around 4000 AD, the early Sumerians were born out of the more ancient Samara culture and began to form city-states in the lower reaches of the two river basins. The whole group can be divided into three main groups by a clear division of labor, including farmers who can drain swamps with ditches, hunter herders who are constantly trying to domesticate new breeds of livestock, and fishermen who row between rivers, lakes and seas. At the same time, the accumulation of wealth promoted social progress, and the sacrificial class and various secular leaders were further refined, thus giving birth to a cross-era cuneiform writing system.
Sumerian dagger from 2600 BC
Of course, the vigorous development of urban civilization began to limit the living space of the Sumerian countries. Despite the fact that they were both epic ancestors of the same culture, disputes over water, pastures, forests, minerals or arable land inevitably led to the first arms race in human history. Even if we look back at the tricky angles of future generations, many small advances are not eye-catching, but they are enough to have a far-reaching impact on the world's military development for more than 2,000 years.
A painting of your flag on a wooden box
A flat view of the painting of the banner of your
In 1927-28, the famous British archaeologist Sir Woolley excavated the famous ruins of the city of your in Iraq. One of the most important artifacts is the early Sumerian military style"Banner of your". It is a primitive mosaic from 2600 BC, composed of shells, limestone, lapis lazuli and asphalt attached to a wooden box, and mainly records the exploits of King your Pabilsag.
Sumerian chariot painted on the banner of your
It is also the earliest ancient chariot known to mankind
It is thanks to this ancient painting that we can get a glimpse of the oldest Sumerian chariot in history. Although the wooden compartment of this original equipment seems to be relatively bulky, and the four solid wheels mounted on the bottom also pose safety risks, it is already the top equipment in the obscurantist stage. Usually only one rider is needed to handle it easily, and the samurai with the tomahawk next to you can throw a spear. To any adversary who has never encountered such a situation, to meet these combat vehicles that are galloping at a uniform speed towards them is tantamount to facing the era"Tank cluster".
13th century BC Ancient Egyptian fresco of a donkey
Of course, considering that horses had not yet been introduced into the valley of the two rivers, the Sumerians should have relied on domesticated wild asses for propulsion. In other words, once it is targeted by a large number of opponents who are besieging in groups, it is likely to overturn due to technical limitations such as inconvenient steering and weak acceleration. As a result, every samurai who had a war had to be accompanied by escorts and logistical support personnel. It was usually spear-wielding infantry dressed in woolen fabric, and young slaves who were responsible for leading donkeys. The former had to fight with the vehicle's trajectory and was therefore equipped with the same original helmet as the commander. The latter is supposed to be a charioteer's schoolboy who uses the club in his hand to complete many auxiliary tasks.
A modern image of the Sumerian chariot restored
It is worth mentioning that the picture of this "Banner of your" is not mechanical and static, but depicts the combat dynamics in a manner similar to that of a four-panel comic. The viewer only needs to move their gaze from left to right to clearly understand the entire accelerated charge of the Sumerian chariot unit. As for the long line of captives on the screen, it is the rich fruit of this royal expedition. After all, the Sumerians were still in the typical stage of the slave economy, and naturally needed to collect cheap labor for the growing mother state by means of warfare of this limited scale. It was precisely by relying on this kind of violence that the city of your had its ups and downs in the long history of Sumerian civilization, and even rose to the top spot among the cities for a time.
Sumerian chariots and light infantry on the banner of your
However, the combination of the wild donkey chariot + lightly armed spearmen did not keep the military fortune of your city long. Around 2350 BCE, the more powerful city of Lagash rose to prominence in the north. Not only did they defeat your powerful enemy in the war, but they also used the elaborately carved mel vulture stele to permanently preserve the heroic posture of the mother state's army. In the 19th century, it took British and French archaeologists 18 years to rediscover all seven fragments of the stele. These hard-won scenes are restored, which precisely reflects the victory of the Lagash army!
Although very primitive, the Sumerians did have a formidable army
Due to the typical ancient Lianghe style, the known vulture tablet contains at least two layers. The first is the god of war Ninurta and the goddess Nihursag that appear on the upper left part of the steleAnd then the right half of the victorious division is presented:
Sumerian vulture monument no later than 2350 BC
Ninurta the god of war holding a scepter and a bone type**
Among them, Ninurta holds a very conspicuous mace in his right hand, in addition to the scepter he holds in his left hand. Obviously, this is the prototype of the bone that was later used by the multi-** team to the 17th century, and it is also a new ** that was not found on the flag painting of your in the early years. For the copper helmet, which was already widespread among the Sumerians, it was undoubtedly more lethal than an ordinary spearhead or a primitive battle axe. It can even be used to smash open the wooden planks of the carriages, inflicting lethal injuries on heavily armed local samurai.
Sumerian phalanx infantry on a vulture monument
Secondly, above the right half of the stele, the most primitive phalanx of infantry in known human history is depicted. These soldiers were significantly more trained to maintain a tight line as they advanced, and to form a movement in reverse with their large shields. Behind them was an unknown number of companions, who pointed their spearheads through the gaps between the shield walls. In other words, any enemy who dares to charge head-on will be met with a simultaneous threat of at least 6 spears in an instant. If you add in the officers who appeared at the front of the ranks, it is enough to prove the professionalism of Lagash's army.
Sumerian chariot and light infantry on the Vulture Monument
However, this new and powerful army of the Sumerian world still retains the fine traditions of its ancestors. So below the depiction of the phalanx troops, you can also see the traditional chariot + light infantry combination. It is also characterized by the image on the banner of your in the early years, with a chariot with a crew of two leading the way, and soldiers armed with spears to protect the generals. However, there are clear signs of an increase in their number compared to the previous surviving evidence, indicating that the intensity of the war between the Sumerian city-states was intensifying. The small detachments of the past, which were more suitable for capturing slaves and captives, were forced to be replaced by large legions of future generations.
The Sumerians on the vulture monument are building graves for the dead
In the absence of more archaeological evidence, it is unclear whether the failed your was able to keep up with this military innovation in time. But the cuneiform that remains on the stele is enough to show that they were defeated before the Lagash. The war broke out in a farmland between two large cities, reminiscent of the conflict of the ancient Greek city-states more than 1,000 years later.
2270 BC Ragash killed by Akkadian soldiers
Seeing this, perhaps some careful readers will have a question in their minds: It seems that the ancient Sumerians did not know how to use bows and arrows to fight? If only the available archaeological evidence is considered, this speculation seems very close to the truth. But considering that there were a large number of Orions among the people of origin of the Sumerian civilization, the probability of the regular army abandoning long-range shooting** is close to zero.
Akkadian cattle breeders in 2200 BC
In fact, during the time when the Sumerian civilization was thriving, the Two Rivers region was also inhabited by a large number of Akkadians. They also relied on simple agriculture and a nomadic economy, so they were professional hunters similar to the habits of their Sumerian ancestors. Moreover, he has not yet shifted from migratory life to settled production, so he is naturally not good at using chariots, let alone the habit of organizing phalanx legions. Relying only on archers armed with tomahawks or bones, they can make their way around the major cities.
2200 BCE Akkadian soldiers captive to Sumer
Eventually, it was this group of doves who took over the magpie's nest and built an even more powerful Akkadian empire, which for a time trampled the declining Sumerians underfoot. The technical traditions of both sides intertwined and shaped the vast imperial foundations of Babylonia, Assyria, and Persia. But long before these historical upheavals were launched, the arrogant Sumerians had been forced to learn from the Akkadians in the realm of the best.
Helmet of Karamdug from 2600 BC
For example, the Meskaramdug helmet, which belongs to the same era as the flag of your, shows a very pronounced Akkadian style in the details. As the royal crown of a generation of kings, this helmet is made entirely of **high**. While maintaining a beautiful appearance, it also takes great care to protect the wearer. In particular, the ** human ears located on both sides can ensure safety and keep the king from hearing the surrounding sounds clearly. This does not seem necessary in ordinary life, but it is a fatal factor for many ancient people who died on the battlefield.
The back of the Karamdug helmet has room for buns
Sumerian aristocratic head from 2150 BC
2350 BC Image of a Sumerian civilian captive with his hair tied
But in the back half of the helmet, there is extra space deliberately reserved to accommodate the bun. Interestingly, the ancient Sumerians did not have such a tradition of wearing braids. Numerous archaeological excavations have proved that the aristocracy was usually keen to keep their heads bald, while the common people had only short hair. On the contrary, the Akkadians, who were regarded as barbarians, had a custom of wearing their hair in a bun, which shows that their military influence was already feeding back into the center of civilization after 2600 BC. As a result, the best archers from this group were often able to serve the Sumerian kings as mercenaries, so much so that they automatically became "invisible" in the latter's artwork depicting their own bravery.
2250 BC Akkadian archers who defeated the Sumerians
Ironically, the Akkadian Empire only reigned sustained for 83 years in the valley of the Two Rivers. After that, the whole line collapsed due to internal and external troubles, allowing the Sumerians living in the south to achieve a great revival. However, the spark of civilization has long been scattered with the form of **, war, etc., and those who cannot afford to be self-contained have been drunk for too long. Between 2028 and 2004 BCE, the last Sumerian civilization was completely destroyed by the Elamite Empire, which rose to the east.
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