URUK

The Rise, Fall, and Ultimate Collapse of The World’s First Big City

BACKGROUND

The world’s first major city, Uruk, sprang up in a fertile region of land called Mesopotamia.

Cities began to develop across Mesopotamia during the Uruk Period (4100-2900 BCE) and Uruk became the most influential city in the world. The city was most influential between 4100-c.3000 BCE when Uruk was the largest trade center.

What were the geographic and resource challenges for this civilization?

Uruk was located in the southern part of Mesopotamia, an ancient site of civilization, on the Euphrates river. The city was surrounded by the Arabian desert, making it harder for the people to find a suitable place to live because their needs included water and a place to plant their crops. Living near the desert didn't provide any solutions to these needs.

It was through the domestication of native grains from the foothills and irrigation techniques that the area was able to support a vast variety of vegetation. This domestication of grain and its closeness to rivers enabled Uruk's growth into the largest Sumerian settlement in population and area.

    What were its great achievements and its legacy? 

The city of Uruk is most famous for its great king Gilgamesh but also for a number of firsts in the development of civilization which occurred there.

One was in the development of civilization was writing, which began in Uruk as a way to keep track of how many sheep, goats, and measures of grain passed through the central warehouses. It began with pictures made in wet clay representing the various goods. After about 400 years people had figured out how to use symbols and abstract numbers instead of drawing a picture for each item.

Another one of the firsts in development of civilization was the increase in trade and specialization of crafts, fueled by Uruk's agricultural surplus and large population base.

    What factors led to its decline? 

Uruk faced eventual decline despite its great contributions. Sargon of Akkad conquered most of Uruk after Mesopotamia experienced several hundred years of constant warfare. Not only did war lead to its decline, a serious drought occurred in 2250 BCE. The irrigation that the Mesopotamian used to increase their crop yields increased the salt content of the soil. As the salinity of the soil increased, the yields of grain decreased gradually. By 1700 BCE crops were depleted by as much as 65 percent.

Did the collapse of the civilization align with any of the three generally accepted theories for why civilizations collapse?

The three generally accepted theories for why civilizations collapse is due to either external conflict, internal conflict, and disease.

The collapse of Uruk aligned with the accepted theory of external conflict and internal conflict. Starting in 2000 BC, when there were struggles between Babylonia and Elam, the city slowly lost importance. The loss of crops also lead to the decline of Uruk, which was valued for it being a center of trade.

Was the collapse the result of a single cause, or were there multiple causes for the collapse of the civilization.

There were multiple causes for the collapse of the civilization. Like previously stated, the collapse of the civilization was due to both internal and external conflicts, such as the struggles due to war and the decline in need for supplies.

The historian Paul Kriwaczek has noted that “the everlasting conflict between progressives and conservatives, between the forward and backward looking, between those who propose `let’s do something new’ and those who think `the old ways are best’. No great shift in culture ever took place without such a contest” (21).

Citation Page

AncientPages.com, and Kommagene Civilization And The Ancient City Of Perge Ancient Places | Jan 25. “Uruk: The First City Built By King Gilgamesh 4,500 Years Ago.” Ancient Pages, 5 July 2019, www.ancientpages.com/2016/07/26/uruk-the-first-city-built-by-king-gilgamesh-4500-years-ago/.

Dhwty. “The Great City of Uruk Became Sumerian Powerhouse of Technology, Architecture and Culture.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 8 July 2019, www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/uruk-sumerian-003653.

Georgievska, Marija. “Uruk: The First Major City in the World, Built by King Gilgamesh.” The Vintage News, 6 July 2017, www.thevintagenews.com/2017/07/05/uruk-the-first-major-city-in-the-world-built-by-king-gilgamesh/.

Mark, Joshua J. “Uruk.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 22 Feb. 2020, www.ancient.eu/uruk/.

Metmuseum.org, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/uruk/hd_uruk.htm.