The Early Dynastic Period from 2900 to 2350BC included such legendary figures as Enmerkar and Gilgamesh who are supposed to have reigned shortly before 2700BC. It was during this time that their writing changed from pictograms to symbols. The center of Sumerian culture remained in southern Mesopotamia. The earliest king who was authenticated by archaeological evidence is Enmebaragesi of Kish in 2600BC and whose name is also mentioned in the Gilgamesh epic. Because of the increased violence cities many of the major cities became walled and increased in size. It was the Akkadian Empire from 2350 to 2170BC that brought all of the separate city-states under the control of just one ruler. The type of government that Akkadian created became the foundation of all the governments that followed in both Sumer and Babylonia. …show more content…
In addition to bringing all of the different cultures of Mesopotamia together under one rule the Akkadians also replaced all of the various languages spoken along with their dialects with just two languages. Akkadian was spoken and written as the common language and Sumerian was used only for religious ceremonies and scientific purposes. There have been many clay tablets written entirely in Old Akkadian found that were dated from 2500BC. During the rule of Sargon the Great in 2270 to 2215BC Akkad had become one of the première countries of its time. Akkadian and Sumerian coexisted for about one thousand years but by around 1800BC the Sumerian language was becoming more of a literary