The Sumerian World (Routledge Worlds)

Jason Ur

Figure 7.8 Later second millennium BC (Kassite) settlement, including Adams’ proposed

watercourses (based on Adams 1981; Wright 1981; Gibson 1972)

GENERAL TRENDS IN SETTLEMENT

Early Mesopotamia first experienced steady urban growth at the expense of the
countryside, followed by a resurgence of rural life. This review has focused primarily
on the Sumerian plain between Nippur and Uruk, which is the best surveyed and
published region, and to a lesser extent on the Ur-Eridu region and the Diyala plain
(Figure 7.9).
Initial settlement in the fifth millennium is difficult to evaluate because many sites
are buried beneath alluvium or later settlements. When settlement patterning first

Kassite

Settlement

0.1 - 4 ha

4.1 -10 ha

10.1 -20 ha

20.1 -40 ha

40.1 -200 ha

200+ ha

Trace/Uncertain

0 25 Km