519. The World's First City

519. The World's First City

In as early as 5000 BC the vast and spectacular city of Uruk - replete with towering walls, glistening temples and complex irrigation systems - lay sprawled across the face of Southern Mesopotamia. Not only is Uruk the oldest city in the world, but it is arguably one of the most consequential, having facilitated one of the great turning points of human civilisation. Here, in this mysterious metropolis lay the origins of urbanisation, making Uruk the predecessor and antecedent of every modern city today. It was the cradle of formidable trading networks, sophisticated craftsmanship, agricultural prosperity, the earliest examples of writing, and even home to the very first person in human history to be named. Yet, by 700 AD this once great wonder of the ancient world had been abandoned, leaving nothing behind but haunting ruins and two burning questions: firstly, how did this marvel of urbanisation come to exist, and secondly, what led to its ruin? Was it colonisation, climate change, or conquest…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Uruk, the first city in the whole of world history and the mother of modern urbanisation, revealing the remarkable tale of its discovery, its mysterious origins, and equally enigmatic decline. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(697)

647. The Fall of the Incas: The King in the North (Part 4)

647. The Fall of the Incas: The King in the North (Part 4)

How did the Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro take advantage of the Incan civil War? Were they able to discover the glorious city of Cusco, with all of its riches? And, what terrible bruta...

26 Feb 1h 10min

Greatest Paintings: The French Revolution - Millet's Angelus

Greatest Paintings: The French Revolution - Millet's Angelus

Why was Jean-François Millet’s The Angelus considered highly controversial and politically divisive in pre-industrial 19th-century France? What do we know about his personal background, his ambiguous ...

25 Feb 6min

646. The Fall of the Incas: Death to the Emperor (Part 3)

646. The Fall of the Incas: Death to the Emperor (Part 3)

What happened to the emperor of the Incas after he was taken prisoner by the Spanish conquistadors? Did the formidable buccaneer, Francisco Pizarro, and his men succeed in discovering the treasure tro...

23 Feb 1h 5min

The Book Club: Wuthering Heights

The Book Club: Wuthering Heights

Why does Emily Brontë's novel, Wuthering Heights, have such an enduring romantic association? Is Heathcliff a romantic lead, or an abusive antihero? Are the characters aspirational in any way, or irre...

20 Feb 20min

645. The Fall of the Incas: Massacre in the Andes (Part 2)

645. The Fall of the Incas: Massacre in the Andes (Part 2)

What happened when the Spanish conquistadors lead by Francisco Pizarro came face to face with the ruthless emperor of the Incan Empire, Atahualpa? How did the Incas treat their strange, pale, alien vi...

19 Feb 1h 9min

Greatest Paintings: Age of Enlightenment - Raeburn's Skating Minister

Greatest Paintings: Age of Enlightenment - Raeburn's Skating Minister

How does Henry Raeburn’s Skating Minister represent both the Scottish Enlightenment and the Romantic movement? In what ways does subject Reverend Robert Walker’s personal history connect to the famous...

18 Feb 6min

644. The Fall of the Incas: Empire of Gold (Part 1)

644. The Fall of the Incas: Empire of Gold (Part 1)

Why was the Spanish conquest of the Incas one of the most pivotal moments in world history? Who was Francisco Pizarro, the buccaneer behind this bloody event? And, what was the glittering Incan Empire...

16 Feb 1h 16min

643. Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage Destroyed (Part 4)

643. Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage Destroyed (Part 4)

Three decades after the defeat of Hannibal, how had the Roman Empire managed to conquer vast swathes of the known world? Why did the predatory eyes of this terrifying behemoth turn once more to Cartha...

12 Feb 1h

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