Record #00324Human Society archive
Oldest Surviving Written Law Code
The Sumerian Laws of Ur-Nammu are commonly identified in Oxford University's Bodleian Library resources as among the earliest surviving written law collections, dating to about 2100 BCE, though only fragments remain.
ARCHIVE VISUAL / 01
NOT TO SCALE
Current Record
about2100BCE
Current record value
- Holder
- Laws of Ur-Nammu
- Location
- Ancient Sumer, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)
- Start date
- —
- Record status
- VerifiedReport an issue
Verification basis and limitations
VerifiedThe record conclusion has sufficient verification support.
Verification explanation pending
- Last editorial review
- 2026-11-04
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
Overview
Archive NoteThe Laws of Ur-Nammu come from ancient Sumer in Mesopotamia. Their cuneiform tablets cover such matters as personal injury, marriage, property and false accusation.
Fragments preserve around 40 identifiable legal provisions. Scholars date the text to the Ur III period on historical and textual grounds. It predates Hammurabi's 18th-century BCE code, but should not be claimed as the invention of all legal rules.
Record history
1 Milestones- about 2100 BCELaws of Ur-NammuAncient Sumer, Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)Current Record
Sources
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