thumb|The Standard of Ur, 2600 BC, the Early Dynastic Period III. Shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli on wood. Discovered at the Royal Cemetery at Ur, Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq With the end of the Uruk phase, walled cities grew. Many isolated Ubaid villages were abandoned, indicating a rise in communal violence. An early king Lugalbanda was supposed to have built the white walls around the city. As city-states began to grow, their spheres of influence overlapped, creating arguments between other city-states, especially over land and canals. These arguments were recorded in tablets several hundreds of years before any major war—the first recording of a war occurred around 3200 BC, but was not common until about 2500 BC.Winter, Irene J. (1985). "After the Battle is Over: The 'Stele of the Vultures' and the Beginning of Historical Narrative in the Art of the Ancient Near East". In Kessler, Herbert L.; Simpson, Marianna Shreve. Pictorial Narrative in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, Symposium Series IV. 16. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art. pp. 11–32. .
thumb|the standard of ur 2600 bc the early dynastic period iii shell red limestone and lapis lazuli on wood discovered at the royal cemetery at ur dhi qar governorate iraq with the end of the uruk phase walled cities grew many isolated ubaid villages were abandoned indicating a rise in communal violence an early king lugalbanda was supposed to have built the white walls around the city as city-states began to grow their spheres of influence overlapped creating arguments between other city-states especially over land and canals these arguments were recorded in tablets several hundreds of years before any major war—the first recording of a war occurred around 3200 bc but was not common until about 2500 bcwinter irene j (1985) "after the battle is over the 'stele of the vultures' and the beginning of historical narrative in the art of the ancient near east" in kessler herbert l; simpson marianna shreve pictorial narrative in antiquity and the middle ages center for advanced study in the visual arts symposium series iv 16 washington dc national gallery of art pp 11–32 