A more detailed account of her rise to power comes from the Weidner Chronicle, which isn’t a proper history so much as “a blatant piece of propaganda,” in the words of Canadian Assyriologist Albert Kirk Grayson. One source claims, vaguely, that Kubaba “seized” the throne.
(However, some versions of the King List do not show an intervening Akshak Dynasty between Kubaba and her descendants.) How Kubaba Rose to Power But Kish returned to prominence once more with Kubaba's son, Puzer-Suen, and grandson, Ur-Zababa, who served as the first two rulers in the city’s fourth and final dynasty. Before Kubaba, the lone member of the Third Dynasty of Kish, the kingship rested in Mari for more than a century. It shifts from place to place, bestowed by the gods upon one city and then, at their pleasure, transferred elsewhere after a few generations. In the Sumerian tradition, kingship isn’t tied to a permanent capital. Alongside her name it reads, “the woman tavern-keeper, who made firm the foundations of Kish.” Her epithet is longer than most, which suggests that ancient scribes found her especially noteworthy. Kubaba’s reign is more plausible, but she’s still credited with an unlikely 100 years at Sumer’s helm. Enmen-lu-ana, for example, allegedly ruled for 43,200 years. The little we know about her comes from this list, a chronicle of rulers that frequently blurs the line between history and legend. She is the only woman to bear this title. The King List refers to her as lugal (king), not as eresh (queen consort). To be clear, she was a true monarch - a queen regnant who ruled in her own right, rather than a queen consort, who is simply the wife of the monarch. But Kubaba ascended to the throne of Sumer long before them all, likely around 2400 B.C.
The story of powerful ancient women often centers on Egypt, where Sobekneferu, Hatshepsut and Cleopatra reigned as pharaohs. But alongside its male monarchs, the world’s first known civilization also produced the first known female ruler: Kubaba (also Kug-Bau or Ku-Baba) who brewed and sold beer in the ancient city of Kish in Mesopotamia. Books and other publications may be viewed inside the reading rooms.The Sumerian King List is unsurprisingly filled with the names of men: Alulim, Hadanish and Zizi. Please note that we are a non-circulating library. Material can also be requested from the catalog. Please refrain from sending individual requests for each box. If you need multiple boxes from one collection, list the collection and accession number once, then list the box numbers.
Include this information on the provided form or in an email to To request multiple boxes or items, please list the collection, accession, and box numbers within the form or email message. This will greatly assist us in delivering the requested material to the reading room. To request material from the archives, provide us: Litigators may not view the collection without approval. No restrictions on access this collection is open for research. IMPORTANT: Prior to requesting material, please review listed access restrictions. For more information and to plan a visit, please see researcher services. Physical access to archival collections is limited to the grounds of Hagley Museum and Library.
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