The Sumerian World (Routledge Worlds)

— Patterns of Settlement in Sumer and Akkad —

4500 4000 3500

Approximate Years BC

3000 2500 2000 1500 1000

Early Uruk Late Akkadian Ur 111- Old

ED Larsa Babylonian

Early Dynastic Akkadian Ur III-

Larsa

Old Kassite

Babylonian

Figure 7.9 Number of sites (left y-axis) and settled area (right y-axis) in three surveyed

regions (based on Adams 1981: table 13, 1965: tables 10-14; Algaze 2008: appendices 1-2;

Wright 1981: 338-345)

becomes reliable in the early fourth millennium, it was characterized by extensive
occupation with many small sites. By the end of the fourth millennium, however, site
numbers declined continually until reaching their lowest point in the mid-third
millennium BC phase of Early Dynastic city-states. While site numbers were dropping,

Late Uruk ED I

250 ■

200

150

100

50 •

0 ■

100

50

0

Late Ubaid Uruk Early

ED

Late

ED

Akkadian Ur III-

Larsa

Late Larsa/

Old

Babylonian

Kassite

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

Kassite

Ur-Eridu Region

(Wright 1981)

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

L arg e Towns (> 1 0 ha)

S m a ll Tow ns (4 - 1 0 h a)

V illa g e s (< 4 h a)

U n cla ss ified

Total S e ttle d A rea (h a )

200

150

100

50

O

Late Ubaid Uruk

Diyala Plain

(Adams 1965)

Nippur-Uruk Region

(Adams 1981) M ajo r C itie s (> 6 5 ha)Lg Towns ( 2 2 .5 - 6 5 ha)^

Sm T o w n s (1 1 -2 2 .5 ha)

Lg V illa g e s (4 .5 -1 1 ha)

Sm V illa g e s (< 4 .5 ha)

Total S e ttle d A re a (h a )