The Urban Revolution In Southern Mesopotamia

In 6000 BC farming and irrigation were on the rise. Since there was little rain in Southern Mesopotamia they created irrigation which lead farmers to settle in Southern Mesopotamia. With the large increase in population in Southern Mesopotamia, things quickly changed. There were new inventions and ideas, which led to the exchange of those inventions and ideas- known as trade. Over hundreds of years farmers and inhabitants settled along the Tigris and Euphrates River banks and plains. Some of the villages were religious and will later evolve into Sumerian city states. A reflection of this settlement pattern is known as the Urban Revolution. By 3500 BC many of these villages have reached capacity of thousands of people and are considered cities. The largest city was Uruk, inhabiting 40,000 some people. During this period, demands of administering land and wealth stirred up challenges, so they developed a system of symbols to record transactions. From this, writing scripts evolved. From

Elam was lost, Northern Mesopotamia and Syria drifted away from Akkadian rule. The Gutians then invaded Mesopotamia and entirely shut down Akkadian rule. They then ruled Sumer and Akkad. They only kept rule for about 100 years and then Ur-Nammu, the ruler of Ur took over. These are examples of external influences, these people are coming in from other kingdoms and overruling one another- influencing new values, culture, and ways of life in a sense. Ur-Nammu, still the ruler of the Ur empire, died in battle. His son, Shulgi then took the throne. Manufacturing centers were set up throughout the kingdom to produce a wide range of goods. The kings of Ur also set up a network of allied states. Shulgi dies and the kingdom lasts about 20 years after. The kingdom the falls apart and Akkad and Sumer break away and claim their independence. Elam then sacks the city and takes control of Ur. This is another external