What if some of history’s earliest kings were really queens?
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What if some of history’s earliest kings were really queens?
What if some of history’s earliest kings were really queens? 17 Minutes Read 3544 Words EN Premium HISTORY & CULTURE The excavation of the ancient city of Ur revealed wealthy, powerful rulers. There’s a compelling case they were actually women. What if we’ve underestimated the power women held in ancient Mesopotamia? Some academics are reconsidering the archaeological discoveries at the Sumerian city-state of Ur. SZ Photo/Scherl/Bridgeman Images By Liddy Berman Published June 23, 2026 Rising from the alluvial plains of southern Mesopotamia, in modern Iraq, the ancient city of Ur flourished more than 4,000 years ago. One of the world’s earliest experiments in urban life and centralized power, its rulers commanded far-flung trade networks, constructed monumental architecture, and oversaw complex religious institutions. Ur was continuously occupied for more than three millennia before the Euphrates River retreated and the advancing desert swallowed the city. The rulers of Ur represent some of th…