Abstract
Surveying the references to the sea in Sumerian literature, this paper discusses the general idea that the sea is underrepresented in Mesopotamian cultures of the third millennium BCE. The common idea on Mesopotamian civilizations is that these were based on the rivers. However, recent research suggests the early Mesopotamian urban settlements of the third millennium BCE are on the ancient coast of the Persian Gulf and in the middle of lagoons or marshes. Coastal marsh cultures would not only have looked at the mainland, but also to the sea. Through a study of Sumerian literature and royal inscriptions, the historical relationship of the Mesopotamian cultures with the Persian Gulf is discussed. The image of the sea that emerges from literary sources reflects the changes that occurred in coastal region of southern Iraq during the third millennium BCE.
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