amorites ( martu)

Third Dynasty c.2112 - 2004 BC

The Third Dynasty was established by the former general, Ur-Nammu, replacing Uruk's final dynasty as the leading Sumerian power. It rose to control all of Mesopotamia, including the Assyrian city states to the north. Viewed as the 'last great Sumerian renaissance', the region was already becoming heavily settled by Amorites (Martu) who would found the city state of Isin in circa 2017 and who would later found Babylon. Although Ur re-established Sumerian as the primary language, it was already on the way to becoming a purely literary and liturgical language (just as Latin would later be in early modern Europe). Ur also traded with the Indus Valley peoples of India.

Some sources name Ur-gur (or Ur-Engur) and Dungi, who both rebuilt Naram-Sin's temple work at Nippur, as kings of Ur in around 3000 BC, while also placing them as successors of Sargon and Naram-Sin of Agade. This places them at no earlier than circa 2200 BC and ties them in with the resurgence of Ur at this time. The probability is that they were in fact Ur-Nammu and Shulgi.

This is the nineteenth set of entries on the Sumerian list comprising kings 120-124. Five kings ruled for 108 years (List 1), or four kings ruled for 108 years, or five kings ruled for 117 / 120 + X / 123 years (List 2).