Conclusion

Though the Standard of Ur has never really received the proper attention of historians, it is unquestionably one of the earliest representations of regulated and complex society. The academic literature specifically devoted to the Standard is relatively limited in comparison to Egyptian artifacts of the same period, perhaps because of its artistic simplicity. A more detailed and clear representation of contemporary Sumerian society may not exist. The registers display a society wherein laborers work hard to deliver offerings to an elite class that sits with the ruler. This class stratification also evidences the existence of an agricultural surplus that allowed this society to support it military, bureaucracy, religious institutions and of course, the artisans who would have created an elaborate piece like the Standard of Ur.