Jemdet Nasr

Jemdet Nasr is an ancient Sumerian archaeological site located in the Babil Governorate of Iraq. Recognized as the type site for the Jemdet Nasr period (3100–2900 BCE), the site provides valuable insights into early Mesopotamian urban development. The settlement is characterized by its large mudbrick administrative buildings, where numerous proto-cuneiform clay tablets were discovered. These tablets indicate a centralized economy, with records of agricultural production and craft activities such as pottery and weaving. Occupied from at least the Ubaid period through to the Early Dynastic I period, the site illustrates the evolution of urban centers in southern Mesopotamia. Despite the poor early excavation records, later efforts have confirmed Jemdet Nasr's significance in understanding the region's prehistory and its connections with other major Sumerian cities.