New research uncovers how ancient tides shaped the rise of Sumer. Newly released study questions established beliefs about how urban civilization first emerged in ancient Mesopotamia, proposing that Sumer’s development resulted from the complex interaction of rivers, tides, and sediment deposits at the northern edge of the Persian Gulf..
The study presents a new paleoenvironmental model proposing that tidal forces shaped the earliest stages of Sumerian agriculture and the rise of complex societies. These findings contribute to the ongoing Lagash Archaeological Project, a joint effort between Iraqi archaeologists and the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Our results show that Sumer was literally and culturally built on the rhythms of water,” said Giosan. “The cyclical patterns of tides together with delta morphodynamics -how the form or shape of a landscape changes over time due to dynamic processes – were deeply woven into the myths, innovations, and daily lives of the Sumerians.”
Sumer was an ancient civilization located in southern Mesopotamia, in what is now modern-day Iraq. It is often considered the cradle of civilization due to its numerous innovations, including the invention of writing, the wheel, and organized intensive agriculture. Sumerian society was structured into city-states like Ur, Uruk, or Lagash, each with its own ruler and religious institutions.
The study shows that from about 7000 to 5000 years ago, the Persian Gulf extended farther inland, and tides pushed freshwater twice daily far into the lower reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates. The scholars propose that the early communities must have harnessed this dependable hydrology using short canals to irrigate crops and date groves, enabling high-yield agriculture without the need for large-scale infrastructure.
