The Sumerian World (Routledge Worlds)

J.-C. Margueron, trans H. Crawford

Figure 27. 4 Plan of City II (© Mission Archeologique de Mari)

in case of an attack. All the evidence points to an identical defensive system round the
town, perhaps with slight deviations.
If the general plan of City II had not changed, the internal structure was completely
different from that of City I (Figure 27.3). City II is built on the remains of City I
which were smoothed over and levelled to the height of 174.50-175 m. Analysis of the
site plan shows that the road system was laid out, with various landmarks in place on
street corners, and an absorbant surface on the roadways before the different quarters
and major monuments were built. It is clear that the new city was not built in a
haphazard way, but that it was the result of central planning, systematically carried out.
If, as we have seen, the general structure of the city was preserved, the internal
organisation was completely changed. The religious buildings remained at the heart

0 100 200 300m

MARI CITY II

Actual remains Reconstruction

Survey 2002