What both eras had in common was that the Akkadian Empires rule extended throughout the territory of the Mesopotamian City States.
Sargon of Akkad was the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, who ruled the Sumerian City States from the 24th or 23rd centuries. The Babylonian and Assyrian kings claimed to be heirs to the Akkadian throne. Representative kings from the Mesopotamian city-states included Sargon II and Nabonidus. The later ruler would order excavations of Sargon's places and those of his successors.