The urbanised landscape of ancient Mesopotamia is dominated by water. Southern Mesopotamian cities lie on the seashore or in lagoons. They are encircled by marshes and crossed and connected by rivers and canals. In this chapter, I discuss in detail three waterscapes which are culturally and linguistically distinguished in Sumerian sources: the watercourses, rivers, and canals (i7/id2); marshes and lagoons (ambar/sug); and the sea (ab/a-ab-ba). I analyse the 3rd millennium written sources from different points of view, from economy to ecology, politics to religion. I argue that the three waterscapes (watercourse - marsh/lagoon - sea) constitutes a water continuum where the elements follow each other without interruption.
From the marshes to the sea: The waterscape of ancient Sumer / Verderame, Lorenzo. - 3:(2025), pp. 7-14. (Intervento presentato al convegno Sumer and the sea tenutosi a Sapienza Università di Roma (online causa COVID)) [10.1484/M.ARATTA-EB.5.143617].
From the marshes to the sea: The waterscape of ancient Sumer
Verderame, Lorenzo
2025
Abstract
The urbanised landscape of ancient Mesopotamia is dominated by water. Southern Mesopotamian cities lie on the seashore or in lagoons. They are encircled by marshes and crossed and connected by rivers and canals. In this chapter, I discuss in detail three waterscapes which are culturally and linguistically distinguished in Sumerian sources: the watercourses, rivers, and canals (i7/id2); marshes and lagoons (ambar/sug); and the sea (ab/a-ab-ba). I analyse the 3rd millennium written sources from different points of view, from economy to ecology, politics to religion. I argue that the three waterscapes (watercourse - marsh/lagoon - sea) constitutes a water continuum where the elements follow each other without interruption.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
