User:SomeGuyWhoRandomlyEdits/Eridu
Archaeological site in Iraq / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eridu (Sumerian: 𒉣𒆠, NUN.KI/eridugki; Akkadian: irîtu; modern Arabic: Tell Abu Shahrain) is an archaeological site in southern Mesopotamia (modern Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq). Eridu was long considered the earliest city in southern Mesopotamia.[1] Located 12 km southwest of Ur, Eridu was the southernmost of a conglomeration of Sumerian cities that grew around temples, almost in sight of one another. These buildings were made of mud brick and built on top of one another.[2] With the temples growing upward and the village growing outward, a larger city was built.[2] In Sumerian mythology, Eridu was originally the home of Enki, later known by the Akkadians as Ea, who was considered to have founded the city. His temple was called E-Abzu, as Enki was believed to live in Abzu, an aquifer from which all life was believed to stem.
Location | Tell Abu Shahrain, Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq |
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Region | Mesopotamia |
Coordinates | 30°48′57″N 45°59′46″E |
Type | Settlement |
Area | At most 10 ha (25 acres) |
History | |
Founded | Approximately 5400 BC |
Abandoned | Approximately 600 BC |
Site notes | |
Official name | Tell Eridu Archaeological Site |
Part of | Ahwar of Southern Iraq |
Criteria | Mixed: (iii)(v)(ix)(x) |
Reference | 1481-007 |
Inscription | 2016 (40th Session) |
Area | 33 ha (0.13 sq mi) |
Buffer zone | 1,069 ha (4.13 sq mi) |
Coordinates | 30°49′1″N 45°59′45″E |