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Ur-Namma

Nammu or Namma?

Year names of Ur-Namma

1. mu ur-^dnamma lugal : Year: "Ur-Namma (is) King"

unattested

b. mu ur-^dnamma lugal-e sig-ta igi-nim-še₃ giri₃ si bi₂-sa₂-a : Year: "Ur-Namma, the king, straightened out the road from the south to the north"

Identified as year h in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 14).
RTC 261 (Girsu) rev. 2.14: mu# ur-{d}namma lugal-e# sig-ta igi-nim-sze3 giri3# si bi2-sa2-a
RTC 262 (Girsu) rev. 2: mu ur-{d}namma lugal-e sig-ta igi-nim-sze3 giri3 si bi-sa2-a
RTC 263 (Girsu) rev. 4: mu ur-{d}namma lugal-e sig-ta igi-nim-sze3 giri3 si bi2-sa2-a
MVN 7, 380 (Girsu) rev. 9: mu ur-{d}namma lugal-e [sig-ta igi-nim]-sze3 giri3 si bi2-[sa2-a]
BM 28770 (Girsu): mu lugal-e gìr si bi-sá-a
BM 28688 (Girsu): mu lugal-e gìr [si] bí-sá-[]

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma b

c. mu ur-{d}namma nig₂-si-sa₂ kalam-ma mu-ni-gar : Year: "Ur-Namma declared an amnesty (misharum) in the land"

Identified as year h/ii in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 16)
unattested

d. mu en-^dinanna unu^ki-a dumu ur-^dnamma lugal-a maš-e ba-pa₃-da Year: "The en-priest of Inanna, a child of Ur-Namma, the king, was chosen by extispicy"

Identified as year i in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 16)
RTC 264 (Girsu) rev. 2.6: mu en {d}inanna unu{ki}-a dumu ur-{d}namma lugal-a masz-e ba-pa3-da-sze3#

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma d

e. mu bad₃ uri₂^ki ba-du₃-a : Year: "The wall of Ur was built"

Identified as year p in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 19)
RTC 269 (Girsu) rev. 4: mu bad3 uri5{ki} ba-du3-a
MVN 6, 518 (Girsu) rev. 11: mu bad3 uri5#[{ki}] ba-du3

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma e

f. mu lugal-e nibru^ki-ta nam-lugal šu ba-ti-a : Year: "The king received kingship from Nippur"

Also identified as year f in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 12)
unattested

g. mu e₂ ^dnanna ba-du₃-a Year: "The temple of Nanna was built"

Also identified as year g in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 14)
unattested

h. mu en ^dnanna maš-e ba-pa₃-da : Year: "The en-priestess of Nanna was chosen by extispicy"

Identified as year b in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 10)
unattested.
Note the similarity between this year name and the abbreviation frequently used for SH 43: mu en {d}nanna masz-e i3-pa3

i. mu i₇-a-^dnin-tu ba-al : Year: "The 'A-Nintu' canal was dug"

Identified as year q in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 19)
RTC 232 (Girsu) rev. 2.1: [mu i7 a {d}]nin#-tu# [ba-ba-al]-la#?
RTC 270 (Girsu) rev. 6: mu i7 a-{d}nin-tu ba-al
MVN 7, 459 (Girsu) rev. 8 : mu i7 a-{d}nin-tu ba-al
ITT 5, 6708 (Girsu) rev. 5 : mu i7 a-{d}nin-tu
BPOA 1, 117 (Girsu) rev. 1: mu i7 {d}nin-tu ba-ba-al

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma i

j. mu nin-dingir ^diškur maš-e pa₃-da Year: "The nin-dingir-priestess of Ishkur was chosen by extispicy

Identified as year n in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 18)
RTC 257 (Girsu) rev. 2: mu nin-dingir {d}iszkur masz-e ba-pa3-da
MVN 7, 170 (Girsu) rev. 1 : mu nin-dingir {d}iszkur masz-e pa3-da
BM 26269 (Girsu): mu nin-dingir {d}[iszkur] masz-e pad3-da
AOAT 25, p. 81, 10 (Girsu) rev. 4: mu nin-dingir {d}#[iszkur] masz2-e ba-pa3-da

Sigrist & Damerow attribute very similar year names to Ur-Ningirsu year (ca) and to Ur-Namma year (j) and these tablets could belong to either.

Muazzez Çig (AOAT 25, p. 78) suggests the possibility of reading AOAT 25, p. 78 10, rev.3-4 as ur-a[b-ba] ensi2. If this is correct then the year name on this tablet is more likely to correspond to Ur-Namma rather than Ur-Ningirsu.

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma j

k. mu gu-ti-um^ki ba-hul : Year: "The land of Guti was destroyed"

Identified as year d in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 11)
unattested

l. mu e₂ ^dnin-sun₂ uri₂^ki-a ba-du₃-a : Year: "The temple of Ninsun was built in Ur"

Identified as year k in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17)
RTC 265 (Girsu) rev. 3.7: [mu e2] {d}nin#-sun2 [uri5{ki}]-ma# ba-du3-a

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma l

m. mu e₂ ^den-lil₂-la₂ ba-du₃-a : Year: "The temple of Enlil was built"

Identified as year l in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17)
unattested

But note,

UNT 101 (Girsu) rev. 5: mu us2-sa e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 si sa2-a
NFT p. 185, AO 4305 (Girsu) rev. 6: mu us2-sa e2 {d}en-lil2-la2 si-sa2

This year-name is not listed by Sigrist & Damerow. See NFT p. 183 and UNT p. 274 for brief discussion.

n. mu i₇-en-erin₂-nun ba-ba-al-la : Year: "The Iturungal canal was dug"

Identified as year m in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17-18) with a discussion on the name of the canal.
NFT p. 185, AO 4308 (Girsu) rev. 3: mu# i7 en-sig-nun [ba-ba]-al

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma n

o. mu ^gešgigir ^dnin-lil₂ ba-dim₂-ma : Year: "The chariot of Ninlil was made"

Identified as year j in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 17)
RTC 266 (Girsu) rev. 10: mu {gesz}gigir {d}nin-lil2 ba-dim2-ma
MVN 6, 515 (Girsu) rev. 7: mu {gesz}gigir# [{d}nin-lil2 …] ba-[dim2-ma]
MVN 6, 517 (Girsu) rev. 13: mu {gesz}gigir {d}nin-lil2 ba-dim2-ma
MVN 6, 521 (Girsu) rev. 11: mu {gesz}gigir {d}nin-lil2 ba-dim2-ma
ITT 4, 7986 (Girsu)

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma o

p. mu ^dlugal-ba-gara₂ e₂-a-na ku₄-ra : Year: "The god Lugal-bagara was brought into his temple"

Identified as year Šulgi 12b in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 99); see Carroué ZA 90 (2000) pp. 161-193
MVN 15, 125 (Girsu) rev. 3: mu lugal ba!-gara2 e2-a ba!-ku4
ASJ 2, 7 10 (Girsu) rev. 3: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2
BM Messenger 206 (Girsu) rev. 5: mu lugal-ba-gara2
USC 6597 (unclear) rev. 2: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2# [e2-a ba-an-ku4?]
ANM 3707 (Girsu) rev. 1: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 e2-a ba-an-kux(KWU147)
LB 261: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 = ?
ZA 90, 167, AO 7872 (Girsu) rev. 5: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2
ZA 90, 169, AO 29700 (Girsu) rev. 1-2: mu {d}nin-gir2-su e2-ba-gara2 ku4-ra
Studi Mayer 62 (rev. 2): mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 e2-a ba-ku4?

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma p

q. mu ^dlugal-ba-gara₂ e₂-a ku₄-ra us₂-sa : Year after: "The god Lugal-bagara was brought into the temple"

Identified as year Šulgi 13b in RIME 3/2 (Frayne 1997, 100); see Carroué ZA 90 (2000) pp. 161-193
UET 3, 291 (Ur) rev. 5: mu {d}lugal-ba-gara2 e2-a ku4-ra us2-sa
Nisaba 5, U 16525 (Ur): mu lugal-ba-gara2 e2-a ku4-ra us2-sa

click here for CDLI entries dated to Ur-Namma q

Note

Only the first year name can be securely assigned to a particular year in Ur-Namma's reign, namely his first year. The use of letters rather than numbers for the rest of the year names indicates that they correct sequence is unknown.

Bibliography

Frayne, Douglas. 1997. Ur III Period (2112-2004 BC). The Royal Inscriptions of Mespotamia, Early Periods. Vol. 3/2. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Frayne, Douglas. 1981. The Historical Correlations of the Sumerian Royal Hymns (2400-1900 B.C.). Ph.D. dissertation, Yale University. (See, in particular, pp. 72-138)
Kraus, F.R. 1951. Zur Chronologie der Könige Ur-Nammu und Šulgi von Ur. OrNS 20, 385-398.
Sollberger, E. 1954-1956. Sur la chronologie des rois d'Ur et quelques problèmes connexes. AfO 17, 10-14.

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