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→The Motives of Trade
Perhaps, though, the first true great city that developed in this time frame was Uruk. This town grew to about 250 hectares in size in this period, which is about the size of downtown London, with two large temple districts that were devoted to major gods of the city (Figures 2 and 3).<ref>See (pg. 103) Algaze, Guillermo. 2008. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/022614237X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=022614237X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=6fb3eb342739f61d36ea83b58b29670c Ancient Mesopotamia at the Dawn of Civilization: The Evolution of an Urban Landscape]''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.</ref> This growth was largely fueled by Uruk’s abilities, through its connections along developing canals and riverine systems, to access trade from far away regions in Anatolia (modern Turkey), Iran, the Persian Gulf, and elsewhere. As the region around Uruk was resource poor, except for being agriculturally fertile, precious stones, timber, gold, and even stone building materials were needed from areas outside of southern Mesopotamia. Thus, trade and location were critical in why the city was able to grow.
The need for trade was created based on a lack of resources, while location along canals and rivers facilitated the transport of goods. The fertile agricultural area was irrigated with canals, allowing a large population to develop. In essence, low cost transport helped fuel trade growth. Once trade began to make this city wealthy, this then fueled growth further through positive feedback growth. In other words, growth in the city and its trade simply fueled more growth and trade as the city used resources to further invest and grow in other areas, expanding its reach.<ref>Lane, D., Pumain, D., Leeuw, S.v.d. 2009. Introduction, in: D. Lane, D. Pumain, S.v.d. Leeuw, and G. West (Eds.): <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9048181798/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=9048181798&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=19197796d30f73ffb902faeec611ea05 Complexity Perspectives in Innovation and Social Change]</i>. Springer, Berlin, pp. 1-7.</ref> Additionally, other urban areas, as demonstrated through archaeological survey, seem to be growing in this period, suggesting the rise of urbanism began to spread in southern Mesopotamia.<ref> Bob Adams’ extensive surveys in southern Iraq had demonstrated how early urban centers developed. See: Adams, Robert McC. 1981. ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0226005445/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0226005445&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=1a308caf084aa23b657bd6584ee2a5e6" Heartland of Cities: Surveys of Ancient Settlement and Land Use on the Central Floodplain of the Euphrates]''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.</ref> In fact, urbanism in the fourth millennium BC was not simply confined to southern Mesopotamia but also northerly regions.<ref>Oates, Joan, Augusta McMahon, Philip Karsgaard, Salam Al Quntar, and Jason Ur. 2007. ''Early Mesopotamian urbanism: A new view from the North''. Antiquity 81 (2007): 585–600.</ref>
[[File:Eanna5.svg.png|thumbnail|Plan of one of the major temple districts (Eanna District) in Uruk during the late fourth millennium BC]]
[[File:Anu_district.svg.png|thumbnail|Plan of the Anu District in Uruk, which was initially established in the fourth millennium BC]]
