Fall of the First Cities - youtube documentary

[Bulletpoint]

I came across this last night and found it very interesting. It tells the story of how the Sumerian civilization arose in Mesopotamia, their expansion and wars against each other and agaist barbarian tribes surrounding them, and the surprising reason their great cities eventually fell into ruin.

It's two hours long, but I think it's well worth watching.

 

[Lethaface]

I came across this last night and found it very interesting. It tells the story of how the Sumerian civilization arose in Mesopotamia, their expansion and wars against each other and agaist barbarian tribes surrounding them, and the surprising reason their great cities eventually fell into ruin.

It's two hours long, but I think it's well worth watching.

Nice one indeed, thanks!

 

[Bulletpoint]

I think one of the interesting things about it is that the rise of the first cities seems to coincide with the first organised warfare.

It's the organisation needed to dig irrigation canals that leads to the coordination necessary for war. And it's only with the rise of the first cities that enough resources become accumulated locally that it's worth going to war in the first place.

 

[Lethaface]

Plus one can only have an 'organized war' if there is actually large enough societies to wage war for and with. Some village raids or tribal gatherers / hunters could be very bloody but indeed much more like the real 'total war' Clausewitz describes compared to 'organized war' where armies are organized not pure adhoc basis but do stuff for ultimately political reasons.
I have read (parts of) a number of books about the shift between hunter/gatherers and 'settled people'. I find it quite interesting subject, as it has many relations with how things are today.

 

[Lethaface]

Think I will check the rest of the series too!