The Land of Sumer: Urban Revolution

This video is an animated documentary on the urban revolution in ancient Mesopotamia focusing on the city of Eridu considered by many to be the oldest city in the region and possibly even the world. It will also explore the important role the temples had in the development of the first cities and the vital role they played in forming the first governments.
Music
Swinging With The Sultan
Doug Maxwell
You Tube Audio Library
Pictures
1 Weld-Blundell Prism
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Ashmolean Museum / CC BY-SA (creativecommon...)
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2 Sumeriankinglist
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Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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3 Зиккурат в Эриду
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Ltybcc1 / CC BY-SA (creativecommon...)
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4 Руины Эриду
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Ltybcc1 / CC BY-SA (creativecommon...)
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5 Фото - городище Абу Шахрейн
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upload.wikimed...
Таис Гило, Public domain, via Wikimedia Common
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6 David Stanley
Ziggurat at Eridu
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Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
changes include border and sizing
7 Excavation of Eridu 1941
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8 Ea (Babilonian) - EnKi (Sumerian)
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The British Museum Collections, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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9 Bas-relief (probably) of an Apkallu figure from the temple of Ninurta at Nimrud
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unknown - drawing from ancient bas relief / Public domain
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Primary Sources
Weld Blundell Prism, Kings List.
etcsl.orinst.o...
Myths from Mesopotamia, Creation, The Flood, Gilgamesh and Others, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2008. (Translation by Stephanie Dally.)
Secondary Sources
Paul Kriwczek, Babylon Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization, London, Atlantic Books, 2010.
Gordon Kerr A Short History of the Middle East, From Ancient Empires to Islamic State, Herts, Pockett Essentials, 2016.

[@travelhistorycountryside4150]

This is awesome. A proper history show with assessment and argument with reference to primary sources. This is so cool. Well done Topicus, I'm into this 👌

[@Topicushistory]

Thanks for the great comment its great to hear from you History Country side

[@DigitalGhost269]

This whole channel is phenomenal n underrated af

[@Topicushistory]

Thank you for your support, its great to get good feed back much appreciated.

[@michaelr3583]

Good luck growing your page. Very well done

[@Topicushistory]

Thank you for your support Michael its great to get encouragement like this it means a lot.

[@TheWrightLifeTravelChannel]

This has been another amazing video! I've learned so much!

[@Topicushistory]

Thanks this was my first experiment lol

[@peterweicker77]

The first recapitulation of civilization's origins which left me with some sense of understanding. Usually these are like looking at a fraction of the pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. With no picture to work from. Well done.

[@Topicushistory]

Thank you so much and can't tell you how good it is to read a comment like that thanks.

[@MoviesAllNights]

Great work man, I subscribed

[@Topicushistory]

Thank you very much for subscribing its very much appreciated.

[@princesskayz2000]

Great video, very informative

[@taylormadevacationrental8802]

Very informative.

[@suparnabagchi4354]

Great👍

[@18breaths66]

It bogus the way civilization is considered starting in Sumeria with a city state but ancient Egypt has two nations combined (both full of cities) before it is considered start of civilization.
Make it make sense?

[@Topicushistory]

Yes even the definition of a city varies many have argued for Uruk and consider Eridu as a town

[@ezgiunlu8450]

👍

[@scottsueker]

The problem I have a your video is it offers little proof of your assertions. Who has made the determination and from what sources that the King list was actually a priest list? You make us assume you know what you're talking about.

[@princesskayz2000]

Go create your own channel

[@Topicushistory]

Well that's a very good question thank you for asking and the answer lies within the archeology of the cities. Cities of ancient civilizations would have a government building usually a palace in some cases a senate such as in the case of Athens or Rome as well as temples as a separate building, two important branches of society coexisting within the same city. However, if we look at the archeology before around 3000 BC in cities such as Uruk or Eridu for example there is only one major building always located in the center a temple. Because we find remains of projects such as defensive walls, canals as well as the expansion of those temples dated to that time we know that a government must have existed to organize them. Therefore the administration for taxes, food for workers and materials gathered must have been organized by that central temple.