c. 3500-3000 B.C. Earliest Sumerian civilization.

Typical sites. Older strata at Telloh (LAGASH); Fara (SHURUPPAK);
Tell 'Obeid (ancient name as yet unknown); Shahrein (ERIDU).

Characteristics. Writing. First appearance of script, already
conventionalized from pictographs. Cut on stone and incised on clay
tablets and bricks of characteristic early style. Brick buildings,
with crenellated walls (until the discovery of Tell 'Obeid supposed
to date only from the later Sumerian period) of typical plano-convex
bricks, baked or crude, usually with thumb-mark down length of
convex side (Shahrein), or with two thumb-holes (for carrying the
brick when wet?), or vent-holes ('Obeid); at first uninscribed, later
with long inscriptions; measuring 10 x 6 x 2-2 1/4 ins. (Shahrein),
and 8 x 6 x 2-2 1/4 ins. ('Obeid); poorly shaped and baked (see XIV,
Fig. 3). Bitumen used for mortar; laid very thick. Hard white stucco
on internal faces of crude brick house walls, often decorated with
red, white, and black painted horizontal stripes (Shahrein.)
Pottery. Wheel and hand-made; drab, fine or coarse paste, unpainted
and usually undecorated. Typical shapes: (see XIV, Figs. 2 abc)
mostly handleless vases, and cups, and spouted 'kettles' (again often
resembling early Egyptian types).

Metals: Copper. Extensive use: large copper figures of animals,
heads cast, bodies of copper plates fastened by nails over a core of
clay with a mixture of bitumen and straw; the figures have eyes,
tongues, and teeth of red and white stone and nacre (Tell 'Obeid);
goat's head with inlaid eyes of nacre (Fara). Otherwise ordinary
treatment of eye shows a number of wrinkle lines round it, and it is
always disproportionately large (bull's heads, Tell 'Obeid and
Telloh). Small fragments of copper or bronze on the surface of a tell
should never be neglected, as there may be enough in any fragment to
give an idea of possible archaic remains within the tell.

Silver. Rare. Fine engraved vase of Entemena (Telloh, _Louvre_).

Gold. Not uncommon. Copper nails with gold-plated heads (Shahrein).

Stone. Portrait figures in round (Bismaya, Telloh, &c.), usually
representing men, with face and head shaven; very prominent large
curved nose; usually squatting with arms crossed, sometimes standing;
only garment a kilt apparently made of locks of natural wool. Usually
inscribed in archaic characters on back of shoulders. Material: a
grey or a white limestone most usual; tu