Jemdet Nasr

Jemdet Nasr is an archaeological tell in central-eastern Iraq (Wasit Governorate) and is the type site for the late Chalcolithic/early Bronze Age cultural horizon known as the Jemdet Nasr period (circa 3100-2900 BC). The site produced distinctive painted pottery and early administrative clay tablets.

The visible feature at Jemdet Nasr is a tell - a flattened mound of archaeological deposits - that contains remains from late 4th and early 3rd millennium BC occupation. Many of the most important objects excavated at the site, including painted ceramics and clay tablets, are preserved in museum collections rather than on display in situ.

The site was occupied in the late Chalcolithic and early Bronze Age and yielded material evidence of early urban administration, including inscribed clay tablets and painted pottery. Archaeological work at Jemdet Nasr established its importance for understanding the development of state-level administration in southern Mesopotamia.

Jemdet Nasr is located on the Mesopotamian plain in Wasit Governorate in central-eastern Iraq. It lies within the broader riverine landscape of lower Mesopotamia and is one of a cluster of prehistoric tells in the region.

• Type site: Gave its name to the Jemdet Nasr period (late 4th to early 3rd millennium BC) because of the distinctive painted pottery and early administrative tablets found there.
• Access and finds: Many important finds from the site are held in Iraqi and international museum collections; the archaeological tell itself is not generally developed for tourism and access may be restricted.