Warka Uruk — Anu South Precinct
Warka Uruk — Anu South Precinct Tell
Uruk (4000–3100 BCE)·Sumerian·🇮🇶 Muthanna Governorate, Warka (Uruk), Iraq
About
About Warka Uruk — Anu South Precinct
Warka Uruk — Anu South Precinct in Muthanna Governorate, Warka (Uruk), Iraq is a Uruk (4000–3100 BCE) temple complex attributed to Sumerian culture. German and Syrian excavations document stratified sequence with ceramic seriation and radiocarbon. The site includes a principal mound and ancillary settlement.
Why it mattersKey Sumerian site illustrating Uruk (4000–3100 BCE) temple-complex traditions.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Urban planning of Warka Uruk — Anu South Precinct
- 02Chronology of lower town
Theories
- 01Administrative centre for Sumerian
- 02Trade hub on Euphrates/Khabur
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 4000 BCE
- Period
- Uruk (4000–3100 BCE)
- Culture
- Sumerian
- Purpose
- South precinct of Anu with Lugalirra temple
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 4000 BCE
Initial settlement
c. 2000 BCE
Major expansion and fortification
On the ground
Structures & features
31.3231° N · 45.6322° E · 438 m · 3 mapped features
Warka Uruk — Anu South Precinct — Main Mound
moundMain tell mound Warka Uruk — Anu South Precinct 15 m high with stratified phases
31.3239° N · 45.6330° EWarka Uruk — Anu South Precinct — Lower Town
settlementLower town settlement 10 ha with houses and kilns
31.3222° N · 45.6317° EWarka Uruk — Anu South Precinct — Gate Area
gateFortified gate with mudbrick walls and bastions
31.3242° N · 45.6315° E