By the late 4th millennium BC, Sumer was divided into about a dozen independent city-states, whose limits were defined by canals and boundary stones. Each was centered on a temple dedicated to the particular patron god or goddess of the city and ruled over by a priestly governor (ensi) or by a king (lugal) who was intimately tied to the city's religious rites.
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The five "first" cities said to have exercised pre-dynastic kingship:
- Eridu (Tell Abu Shahrain)
- Bad-tibira (probably Tell al-Madain)
- Larsa (Tell as-Senkereh)
- Sippar (Tell Abu Habbah)
- Shuruppak (Tell Fara)
Other principal cities:
- Kish (Tell Uheimir & Ingharra)
- Uruk (Warka)
- Ur (Tell al-Muqayyar)
- Nippur (Afak)
- Lagash (Tell al-Hiba)
- Ngirsu (Tello or Telloh)
- Umma (Tell Jokha)
- Hamazi
- Adab (Tell Bismaya)
- Mari (Tell Hariri)
- Akshak
- Akkad
- Isin (Ishan al-Bahriyat)
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Minor cities (from south to north):
- Kuara (Tell al-Lahm)
- Zabala (Tell Ibzeikh)
- Kisurra (Tell Abu Hatab)
- Marad (Tell Wannat es-Sadum)
- Dilbat (Tell ed-Duleim)
- Borsippa (Birs Nimrud)
- Kutha (Tell Ibrahim)
- Der (al-Badra)
- Eshnunna (Tell Asmar)
- Nagar (Tell Brak)
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