11: Introduction to Ubaid Mesopotamia, 6500-4200 BCE (Bird vs Fish)

It's season two! (Re-recorded as of June 27, 2022)

Guest: Annika

First, we visit the chronological beginning of Sumerian cosmology again. As soon as Enki transforms the Tigris-Euphrates alluvial plain into marshland, our two combatants make themselves at home and immediately start insulting each other.

Then, an introduction to the Ubaid period in southern Mesopotamia (mid-6000s to late 4000s BCE), specifically its climate and wetland ecosystem.

Then, we visit Tell el-'Oueili, the oldest known settlement in southern Mesopotamia, and explore its connections to the earlier Pottery Neolithic cultures in the north. Also, a brief introduction to the chronology of the Ubaid period.

Then, an introduction to Ubaid crafts: wool & textile production, advancements in pottery technology, and the uniquely Ubaid "ophidian" figurines.

Finally, Bird and Fish each engage in some light infanticide before they decide to take their case to the proper authority. 

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Works cited