Essay Sample about Uruk: First City of the Ancient World

When considering ancient locations important to the study of human history, the city of Uruk is one that comes to the minds of many scholars. Not only is Uruk considered by most to be the first city in ancient Mesopotamia, some stretching as far as calling it the first city ever created. Located in southern Iraq on an ancient channel of the Euphrates River (NASA JPL 2013), the city of Uruk was believed to have been between 250-300 Hectares with a population of about 50,000 people at its height. Residents began living in Uruk around 4500 BCE, and continued to occupy it until it was abandoned in ~500 AD, though this date is disputed. What is known, though, is Uruk was a site of advancements, legends, and societal change on a level never seen before.

The city of Uruk first caught the public's attention for its religious and mythological importance. Originally, archaeologists were most interested in southwest Asia in search of evidence of  Bible stories, and Uruk was no exception to this; Uruk (sometimes referred to as Erech) is mentioned by name in Genesis 10:10 as a city founded by Noah's descendants (Gebhard J. Selz 2020). In addition to this, the discovery of a seventh century BCE copy of the epic of Gilgamesh (which tells an ancient version of the "Flood Story") was found in the Royal Library of Nineveh, and names Uruk as the city of Gilgamesh. The first excavations at Uruk took place between 1912 and 1913 and were done by the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft: a German scholar society (Science 2019). During their time at Uruk, the Germans were able to uncover information on the Uruk peoples and an understanding of the chronology of Uruk's architectural history. Though many layers of buildings exist at the site, the layers of Uruk occupied during the Uruk Period are considered the most important to understanding early Mesopotamian history. 

Archaeologists in Uruk have found a multitude of material cultures cementing Uruk as one of the principal locations in southern Mesopotamian history. Firstly, the city's architecture was on a scale not previously seen. The two main temples of Uruk, the Eanna Precinct and Anu Temple dedicated to the goddess Inanna and god Anu respectively, were mud brick structures surrounded by large, densely populated residential zones. Secondly, the artifacts found in Uruk suggest the city was the first location of important societal advancements. These include clay tablets from the late-Uruk period (~3600 BCE) found in the main temples believed to feature the first writing system, as well as the thousands of single-use beveled rim clay bowls likely mass produced for ration consumption. Lastly, Uruk art like the Uruk Vase, steles, and cylinder seals, were found depicting some form of Urukian leader or ruling class. This evidence points towards Uruk being one of, if not, the first states in world history. The size and population of Uruk is clear proof of it being a city. The creation of beveled rim bowls suggests occupational specialization, since their production would require full-time work. Most of their material cultures points towards class stratification within Uruk society, since a strong working class of farmers, artisans, and builders would be needed in order for a city to prosper, priests were needed to run the temples and record information, and a ruler would be needed to oversee it all. Finally, The artwork, temples, and writing are all evidence of V. G. Childe's secondary characteristics of states. With the amount of evidence being discovered proving Uruk's ancient statehood, researchers believe the city to be one of the most important locations in world history.