Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Code of Ur-Nammu
References
Britannica AI Icon

Code of Ur-Nammu

Ur history
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

The Code of Ur-Nammu is the oldest known legal code, dating to the reign of Ur-Nammu, the founder of the 3rd dynasty of Ur (c. 2112–c. 2004 BCE). This Sumerian code, predating the more famous Code of Hammurabi, dealt with issues such as bodily injury, witchcraft, and the flight of slaves.123

The city of Ur, located in ancient southern Mesopotamia, was a significant center during the 3rd dynasty, serving as the capital of an empire. Ur-Nammu was instrumental in directing overseas trade through Ur and established the title "king of Sumer and Akkad". He also commissioned the construction of impressive ziggurats, including the one at Ur.423

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
  1. cuneiform law
  2. Ur
  3. history of Mesopotamia - Administration
  4. history of Mesopotamia - Ethnic, geographic, and intellectual constituents

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.