The Lamentation over the Destruction of Sumer and Ur

The Lamentation over the Destruction of Sumer and Ur, Volume 1, is a comprehensive presentation of a significant Sumerian poem. This work of elegiac poetry details the suffering and devastation within Babylonia during the collapse of the Third Dynasty of Ur. As a primary example of native historiography, the text serves as both a historical record and a sophisticated literary composition.

Piotr Michalowski provides an academic introduction that situates the poem within the broader Sumerian language and literary traditions. This volume evaluates the text as a historical source and includes detailed indexes and copies of previously unpublished texts. This scholarly edition offers a critical look at ancient Mesopotamian history through the lens of classical Sumerian texts.