What is the significance of the King List's clear division of history into 'Antediluvian' and 'Postdiluvian' periods?

Okay, let's talk about this fascinating topic.

The Great Flood: More Than Myth, It Was the Sumerians' "World Reset Button"

Imagine if our history wasn't divided by BC/AD, but by "Before the Great Catastrophe" and "After the Great Catastrophe." That's essentially what the "Before the Flood" and "After the Flood" division in the Sumerian King List signifies. It's not just a point in time; it's a worldview, a political declaration, and a deeply ingrained cultural memory.

Simply put, the significance of this division manifests on three main levels:

1. The Dividing Line Between the "Age of Gods" and the "Age of Mortals"

One of the most striking features of the Sumerian King List is the "outrageous" lifespans of the kings before the Flood.

Antediluvian Period: During this era, kings reigned for tens of thousands of years – one for 28,800 years, another for 36,000. These were clearly not beings we would recognize as "human." This period resembles a mythical age, a "Golden Age" where gods (specifically, the Anunnaki, as many mention) interacted intimately with humans, even ruling them directly. The kings were more like demigods, possessing lifespans and abilities far exceeding mortals.
Postdiluvian Period: The Flood acted like a command formatting a hard drive, wiping the slate clean. Afterwards, kingship was "once again" lowered from heaven, this time upon the city of Kish. The kings of this period, while still living longer than us (hundreds or even a thousand years), saw their reigns drastically "shortened," becoming increasingly closer to the mortals we understand.

Therefore, the Great Flood serves as a clear dividing line, marking the end of a mythical age dominated by near-divine rulers and the beginning of a more "down-to-earth" era governed by mortal heroes.

2. The Source of Legitimacy for the "Divine Right of Kings"

What mattered most to ancient rulers? Legitimacy! Or, "Why am I entitled to rule?"

The Sumerian King List opens with: "Kingship was lowered from heaven."

Pre-Flood Kingship: In that mythical age, kingship cycled among several cities like Eridu and Bad-tibira.
Post-Flood Kingship: After the Flood, everything reset. The King List immediately states that kingship was "once again" lowered from heaven, this time upon Kish.

This "once again" is crucial! For the post-Flood rulers, this was a declaration to all:

"See, the old world was destroyed by the gods with the Flood. We are the founders of the new world. Our power was freshly granted by the gods after the deluge – it is new and legitimate! We inherit the most ancient tradition; we are the rightful successors!"

In essence, using the Flood to divide history was a form of political propaganda employed by contemporary rulers to consolidate their power. It transformed a likely real and massive natural disaster (common in the flood-prone Mesopotamian river valleys) into a sacred "authorization ceremony," providing unparalleled legitimacy for the new dynasties.

3. A Cultural Memory "Anchor Point"

For the ancient inhabitants of Mesopotamia, floods were a real and terrifying threat. A catastrophic deluge could destroy cities, farmlands, and alter the entire landscape. Such a disaster inevitably became an indelible collective memory for a people.

Historical Anchor: This "Great Flood" became the most crucial "anchor point" in their historical narrative. Everything was defined as happening "before the Flood" or "after the Flood." It functioned like "the Industrial Revolution" or "the World Wars" in our history – a fundamental event defining "before" and "after."
Source of Stories: This narrative template proved so powerful that it extended far beyond the Sumerian King List. The later, famous Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh contains a detailed Flood narrative. Subsequently, the core story of Noah's Ark in the Bible we know is intricately linked to this Sumerian origin.

Thus, this division also illustrates how a massive natural disaster was elevated into a foundational myth for a people and a civilization. It explained the "reset" of the world, explained why the gods no longer interacted with humans as intimately as before, and provided endless inspiration for later literature and religion.

To summarize:

Dividing history into "Before the Flood" and "After the Flood" held significance far beyond merely recording an event.

Worldview-wise, it distinguished the mythical age from the human age.
Politically, it was a powerful tool for new rulers to proclaim the legitimacy of their divine right.
Culturally, it represented a civilization's collective memory and mythical reshaping of a colossal disaster, profoundly influencing the later world.