Read Next
The beginnings of monumental architecture in Mesopotamia are usually considered to have been contemporary with the founding of the Sumerian cities and the invention of writing, about 3100 bce. Conscious attempts at architectural design during this so-called Protoliterate period (c. 3400–c. 2900 bce) are recognizable in the construction of religious buildings. There is, however, one temple, at Abū Shahrayn (ancient Eridu), that is no more than a final rebuilding of a shrine the original foundation of which dates back to the beginning of the 4th millennium; the continuity of design has been thought by some to confirm the presence of ...(100 of 5792 words)