| style="background:#fcc; text-align:left; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa" | '''Source'''
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; background:#ddffdd; text-align:right;" | {{circa|5300–4100}} BCE
| style="background:#fee; text-align:left;" | [[Ubaid period]]
| style="text-align:left;" |
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; background:#ddffdd; text-align:right;" | {{circa|4100–2900}} BCE
| style="background:#fee; text-align:left;" | [[Uruk period]]
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Warka Vase|Uruk vase]]{{sfn|Suter|2014|page=551}}
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; background:#ddffdd; text-align:right;" | {{circa|2900–2334}} BCE
| style="background:#fee; text-align:left;" | Early Dynastic period
| style="text-align:left;" |
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; background:#ddffdd; text-align:right;" | {{circa|2334–2218}} BCE
| style="background:#fee; text-align:left;" | [[Akkadian Empire]]
| style="text-align:left;" | writings by [[Enheduanna]]:{{sfn|Leick|1998|page=87}}{{sfn|Collins|1994|page=111}}<br />
| style="text-align:left;" |
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; background:#ddffdd; text-align:right;" | {{circa|2047–1940}} BCE
| style="background:#fee; text-align:left;" | [[Ur III|Ur III Period]]
| style="text-align:left;" | ''[[Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta]]''<br />