The Ancient City of Uruk and its Context

• Uruk: Largest city in the world 6,000 years ago, located in southern Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).
• Population: At least 50,000 people.
• Legacy: Unmatched in size for 3,000 years until Classical Age.
• Gilgamesh’s Homeland: Famous for a colossal mud brick wall attributed to King Gilgamesh.

Early Settlements and Jericho

• Early Settlements: Existed over 5,000 years before Uruk in the region, marking the first examples of static communal living.
• Jericho: Known as one of the oldest cities, linked to the biblical story of its walls.
• Firsts at Jericho:
  • First walled settlement.
  • First evidence of large-scale communal labor.
  • First known tower in history.
• Absence of Writing: Besides pictographs, writing developed much later.
• Domestication and Agriculture: Early experimentation with animal domestication and agriculture.

Archaeological Discoveries and Significance

• Kathleen Kenyon’s Excavations (1951-1958):
  • Used stratigraphic excavation methods.
  • Discovered evidence of habitation from 9,400 to 1,580 BC.
• Jericho’s Tower:
  • Built around 8000 BC, earliest known tower.
  • Significance in communal and possibly religious activities.

Societal and Environmental Context

• Neolithic Revolution: Introduction of farming and communal living.
• The Fertile Crescent: Natural springs and fertile land supported early settlements.
• Relation to Other Sites: Linked through trade and culture within the region.

Theories and Interpretations

• Purpose of Jericho’s Tower:
  • Could be religious, defensive, or both.
  • Possible observatory or temple.
• Skull Cult of Jericho:
  • Early ancestor worship or religious tradition.

Decline and Resurgence

• Abandonment: Around 7300-7000 BC, with possible causes including natural disasters or invasions.
• Reoccupation and the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Culture:
  • New architectural styles and societal structures.
• Transition to Bronze Age:
  • Jericho reoccupied permanently around 3000 BC.
  • Influence from Egyptian and Mesopotamian powers.

Later History and Cultural Influence

• Bronze Age Jericho:
  • Walled cities with advanced construction.
  • Egyptian influence and potential Amorite and Mitanni presences.
• Middle Bronze Age Prosperity:
  • Large-scale urbanization and prosperity.
  • Possible Biblical connections to the destruction of the city.

Modern Context

• Tourism: Jericho’s biblical fame continues to attract visitors.
• Discovery and Excavation: Ongoing potential for new archaeological finds.