Lagash Archaeological Project
Posted on 10/23/2022 12:01:21 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
New remote-sensing studies at southern Iraq’s massive Tell al-Hiba site, shown here from the air, support an emerging view that an ancient city there largely consisted of four marsh islands.
A ground-penetrating eye in the sky has helped to rehydrate an ancient southern Mesopotamian city, tagging it as what amounted to a Venice of the Fertile Crescent. Identifying the watery nature of this early metropolis has important implications for how urban life flourished nearly 5,000 years ago between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where modern-day Iraq lies...
Because Lagash had no geographical or ritual center, each city sector developed distinctive economic practices on an individual marsh island, much like the later Italian city of Venice, she suspects. For instance, waterways or canals crisscrossed one marsh island, where fishing and collection of reeds for construction may have predominated.
Two other Lagash marsh islands display evidence of having been bordered by gated walls that enclosed carefully laid out city streets and areas with large kilns, suggesting these sectors were built in stages and may have been the first to be settled. Crop growing and activities such as pottery making may have occurred there.
Drone photographs of what were probably harbors on each marsh island suggest that boat travel connected city sectors. Remains of what may have been footbridges appear in and adjacent to waterways between marsh islands, a possibility that further excavations can explore.
Lagash, which formed the core of one of the world’s earliest states, was founded between about 4,900 and 4,600 years ago. Residents abandoned the site, now known as Tell al-Hiba, around 3,600 years ago, past digs show. It was first excavated more than 40 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...
No city wall? And the city was destroyed by the none-too-neighborly neighbors? Call 60 minutes!
My first bumping into Lagash was in the dictionary of archaeology Penguin (at least used to) publish. Gudea of Lagash is an old favorite.
https://search.brave.com/images?q=gudea%20of%20lagash
https://search.brave.com/search?q=gudea+of+lagash&source=desktop
https://search.brave.com/videos?q=gudea%20of%20lagash
Very cool. That composite map is interesting.
Such archaeological treasures all through Iraq.
BTW, advocates of the agenda-driven life did this research, so their biases about how early towns had no central (patriarchal) authority or (exclusionary) city was are in evidence.
Weird that the whole thing because a hell hole right after the Big Old Mo’s followers took over.
As I recall Venice was also built in a marsh for defensive reasons and had no walls.
Of course when the marsh disappears, so does your defense.
The people probably destroyed it themselves having never getting a good night sleep having the perpetual high frequency buzz of mosquitoes in your ears all night
Venice is still around, but prudently joined the rest of crazy Italy. ;^) Marshes surrounded the hilltop where Alfred the Great holed up to arm and build his army. It was a great defensive position, but as the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. The marshes weren't going to protect him forever.
That’s a fact, but what are you gonna do when a bunch of crazy Danes come calling.
Corner them and kick the poo out of them.
https://freerepublic.com/tag/greatheathenarmy/index
https://freerepublic.com/tag/greatvikingarmy/index
https://freerepublic.com/tag/alfredthegreat/index
I’m glad that ISIS and looters have not destroyed everything.
Maybe I should demand equity and reparations from Denmark.
:^)
They don’t like to get anywhere near water, unless a mullah first spits into it.
I worked in Baghdad for a number of years, doing security.
They’ve said that the marshland created by the convergence of the Tigris and Euphrates could create one of the most incredible waterfowl hunting locations in the world. One where people would pay 1000s to come and have the opportunity to hunt. Much the same way folks travel to Africa and Central/South America to hunt.
Nope...folks stuck in the 3rd century can’t see past the end of their noses.
And that is in addition to all the religious sites in the country, that would be a once in a lifetime trip for so many, that they’d pay whatever is asked. Some of which I had the opportunity to see.
Insane.
They’re so insane they’re outsane.
too true
This paper smells of M O N E Y !
Doh, Mesopotamian settlements progressed upstream precisely because of the silt build up.
Just image how long ago... To us, 2450 AD is the far future, but this happened 4472 years ago!
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