Workers Compensation: A Walk down the Memory Lane Workers Compensation A Walk down the Memory Lane | Page 3

Roots in Ancient History
Historians claim that worker compensation was not the
work of the modern day man’s rational approach to take
measures against workplace hazards, it was, in fact, an age-
old concept adopted much earlier into civilizations. It was
found that a Nippur Tablet dating back to 2050 BC and
belonging to ancient Sumeria contained the Law of Ur. This
law was mandated by the then King of the city-state of Ur,
who was known as Ur-Nammu. According to the law,
workers were compensated for particular injuries on the
body parts and this also included fractures. Similarly, more
of such compensation laws and their accounts can be found
in Ancient Arab, Chinese, Greek, and Roman history as well.