The Ubaidian culture flourished roughly from 5000 to 4000 BC in southern Mesopotamia, which is now modern Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Ubaidians gradually replaced the Halaf culture. The Ubaidians farmed and fished but they are most noted for their pottery. Typical pottery included bowls and human figurines made from terracotta, as first excavated by Sir Leonard Woolley in 1923 and 1924. The Ubaidians were responsible for inventing the tournette, which made their pottery easier to manufacture and paint. The tournette allowed much more uniformity, but is not considered a true potter's wheel because it lacks bearings so it only turns as long as someone moves it.
The Ubaidians founded the ancient Sumerian cities of Adab, Eridu, Kish, Kullab, Lagash, Larsa, Nippur, and Ur. Around 3500 BC, Semite people from the Arabian and Syrian deserts began coming into Ubaidian areas, both peacefully and forcefully. Around 3250 BC, what would later become the Sumerian culture started immigrating to Ubaid territory as well. They brought their own language to the region and there is evidence of Ubaid-Sumerian overlapping of language and customs. Ubaidian traditions were added to by the Uruk culture that came after the Ubaidians.
The Ubaidians were known for their large temples as well as their pottery and their settlement of southern Mesopotamia. Woolley found a huge temple to the earth god Nin-Khursag (Ninhursag). The temple had a dedication inscription (in the Sumerian language) by the king of Ur.
Other objects the Ubaidians made included; boats for fishing the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the Persian Gulf; stamp seals and stamped envelopes, though the Ubaidians had no written language; flint sickles, used for reaping grain irrigated by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, later evolved into clay sickles which were more fragile but cheaper to produce; and grindstones and grinders found at Yarim Tepe in Northern Iraq, which were probably used to trade for other items.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on Ubaidian culture.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the web address of this page.
References:
Ubaid Culture (5000-4000 BC) Iraqipages.com http://iraqipages.com/iraq_mesopotamia/ubaid_culture.htm March 2, 2003
In the first days, in the very first days... http://siduri.tripod.com/AlUbaid.html March 2, 2003
Early History Ancient Near East.com http://www.eee.bham.ac.uk/ancientneareast/education/ubaid.html March 2, 2003
Written by Ben Rieger, 2003