Discovery of a Lost Megacity Forces Us to Rethink History YouTube

Eridu, a megacity older than the first known civilization, and older than the Pyramids of Giza, was buried in the sands of the Mesopotamian desert for over 2,000 years. Now, scientists have made a discovery that changes what we know about the ancient city. They found over 4,000 canals around Eridu that brought water to more than 700 farms where people worked between the 6th and the early 1st millennium BCE. Eridu was founded around 5400 BCE and was the city of the first kings and history's first city according to the Sumerian king list, an ancient text on a clay tablet. Ancient Sumerians believed that deities created this city when they decided to settle on Earth. Eridu plays such a big role in Sumerian myths and legends that, at some point, people used to think it was just a mythical location. The most famous Eridu myth says that the skies got angry because humans were too noisy, so they decided to send a great flood to wipe them out. A new study showed that the Euphrates River served as the source of water for the entire city. The researchers mapped what remains of the ancient landscape and found a well-developed network of artificial irrigation canals. They discovered 200 large main canals pulling water from the Euphrates, and those canals fed another 4,000 smaller canals. The team used everything from satellite images and drone footage to soil analysis, old records, and remote sizing tech to map out the area. The 700 farms that used the water from the system were different in size, from about 5,000 square feet to over 200,000 square feet. The main canals were a little over a half-mile long, and some stretched more than 5 miles. The smaller canals could be as short as 32 feet. Rivers in Mesopotamia were the main water sources for farming, so ancient farmers had to learn how to guide water from the river to their fields. It all started with simple methods, like digging small canals. But over generations, they learned how to build massive canals up to 62 miles long. The Euphrates itself helped the farmers. Water was moving thanks to gravity down its elevated riverbanks, and natural breaks in the banks let it spill onto the land. Researchers aren't sure when each canal was in use, and it's unlikely that all 4,200 canals were active at the same time during that long period. Eridu used to be an important religious and trade center because of its strategic location on the Persian Gulf. Its economy mostly had to do with fishing, thanks to the Euphrates River. Researchers found fishing nets and weights, and whole bales of dried fish at the site. And there were even models of reed boats, the earliest physical evidence we have for constructed boats anywhere. The city was thriving until people abandoned it around the year 600 BCE, and scientists still aren't sure why they did it. The local residents, plus the visiting pilgrims and merchants, had just exhausted all the resources of the land. They had to let it rest several times before abandoning the city for good. It happened when the Euphrates changed its course, and they lost their main source of water. Many centuries later, in 1854, a British official was on a mission to this area to check out a remote place that had a bunch of mounds called tells, which are piles of debris left behind by ancient human settlements. At first, Taylor wasn't impressed. He had been hoping to find something big, maybe statues, ancient writing, or ruins of palaces and temples. But with the time he had, all he found were things like walls, drains, stone platforms, and pieces of limestone columns decorated with tiny mosaic cones. But he didn't know that these boring mounds were hiding one of the oldest cities on Earth, Eridu. The people at the British Museum got interested in the finding, but the first full-scale excavations took place here only around a century later. The local Iraqi authorities got really interested in the excavations as they were hoping to find more about the earliest days of Mesopotamian history. So they focused on Mound 1, a massive tell, as tall as an 8-story building. Soon they uncovered part of an unfinished step pyramid from the end of the 3rd millennium BCE. As they dug deeper, they found layers of human life going back in time. There were levels from the Uruk period, and even remains from a time before the Sumerians called Proto-history. In those lower layers, they discovered multiple rebuilds of the Temple of Enki, the city's main deity. People rebuilt this temple again and again for over 2,000 years. Every time the temple collapsed, they built a new one right on top. Each new version of the temple was bigger and more impressive than the last. From the middle of the 4th millennium BCE, these temple buildings became massive, more advanced than anything else humans had built up to that point. The city in Eridu was also becoming more complex, with clearer social classes. Eventually, they stopped rebuilding the temple and put up a step pyramid on top of the ruins. Even though Eridu faded, it likely stayed important as a religious site. Archaeologists found pottery from the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE during excavations, although there were no signs of houses. The Sumerians were an innovative civilization, as you can tell. By 1500 BCE, they invented the cedar plow, a tool that let farmers plow and plant seeds at the same time, using animals like oxen to pull it. This gear even came with instructions! The Sumerian farmers' almanac gave farmers advice on how to grow more crops with proper tilling and irrigation. These smart farming tricks helped feed more people, which led to larger cities, an organized ruling system, and more focus on religion. And as their cities expanded, so did their work in writing, math, and spiritual life. 5,000 years ago, the Sumerians had already produced cuneiform, one of the first writing systems in history. So another recent find from the same part of the world proves that bureaucracy existed already 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists found ancient administrative tablets in another ancient Sumerian city. These clay tablets are the oldest solid proof we have of the world's first empire, the Akkadian Empire. The tablets were inside a state archive building made of mud bricks, which had different rooms that acted like offices. Before this discovery, archaeologists didn't really understand how the first known empire in the world, the Akkadian Empire, worked behind the scenes. But now, thanks to the recent Gurso excavations, we have the first real and unambiguous evidence of the empire's administrative system. They tracked everything – deliveries, spending, and inventory – from fish to sheep to grains, fabric, and even gems. The tablets also include population records, with names and jobs of men, women, and kids – an ancient version of a census. From these records, scientists found out that women played a key role in Akkadian society. Some women had powerful positions, like high priestesses. The tablets also show a wide range of jobs, from skilled workers like stonecutters to people with simpler roles, like temple floorsweepers. Some even included building blueprints, field layouts, and canal maps, proving that the empire had serious organization and planning. Eventually, the city rebelled and gained its independence, and the Akkadian Empire's 150-year rule ended. Now, researchers are carefully cleaning and translating the tablets to fully understand what they say. These new finds will replace older, incomplete ideas about the empire, and give us a way more accurate picture of how Akkadian power and the ruling system actually were. At some point in its long and very interesting history, our dear planet Earth was sort of snoozing, just doing its planetary thing, spinning around the sun, and then bam, life starts getting fancy. Plants and animals start strutting their stuff, showing off their complexity. Fast forward a bit, about 65 million years ago to be exact, and a cosmic disaster strikes, or at least that's what we presume. An asteroid probably smashed into Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs and other big animals. We can't pinpoint specifics about the asteroid, but we do know that it was extremely large and it crashed into our precious planet, creating a dusty mess that settled everywhere. You can still find remnants of that dust layer in sedimentary rocks today. If you dig beneath it, you'll uncover a whole bunch of fossils. These prehistoric creatures were living it up before the asteroid crashed the party. Think of it as the planet going on a cleaning spree, leaving a bunch of empty spaces waiting to be filled. And guess who took the opportunity? Mammals! These furry little critters were the ones to rise to fame. But why is it that this disaster became such a great opportunity for mammals? It's pretty simple actually. With no big bullies around, they grew, multiplied, and had a population expanse. All kinds of mammals joined to fill in the blanks. Primates, rodents basically, the whole furry gang. We're talking about placental mammals, marsupials, and even egg-laying mammals, adding some serious variety to the mix. We like to think of primates as our closest relatives here on Earth. What's their story? Well, around 63 million years ago, just a couple of million years after the dinosaurs' final dance, the primates decided it was time for a family reunion. They split into two groups, the dry-nosed primates, who became the cool monkeys and apes we know today, and the wet-nosed primates, who went off to become lemurs and aye-ayes, hey-heys. The fun didn't stop there. About 58 million years ago, the dry-nosed primates began their own little mission. One special guest called the Tarsier, Tarsier, arrived on the scene, featuring big eyes that were perfect for late-night shenanigans. This Tarsier took a different path from its primate relatives, embracing its unique niche and evolving separately. To this day, the Tarsier is the only primate that feeds exclusively on meat. These little guys have a taste for insects, small birds, rodents, and even lizards. But that's not all that makes them unique. Their eyes are twice the size of their brains. Also, their heads can do a full 180-degree spin, just like an owl. Because of their features, the Tarsiers are the true kings and queens of the night. With their superpower of ultrasonic tracking, they can spot their prey instantly. Plus, their legs and feet are like springs ready to launch them into action. They've got this special ankle bone called the tarsus, which gives them those epic leaping skills. Hence the name, if you were wondering. But let's leave these little critters to rest and get back to our story, shall we? About 55 million years ago, the Earth cranked up the heat, literally. This sudden hot pod was a bit too much for many deep ocean dwellers and plants to handle, and they bid their farewells. But hey, every goodbye is an opportunity for something new, right? The oceanic mammals known as cetaceans saw their chance and took it. They splashed into those empty niches, becoming the rulers of the sea. In this category of creatures, you can find the blue whale and the dolphin. A special primate guest made an appearance around 47 million years ago. Scientists now affectionately call the fossil of such a creature Ida. This little wonder caused quite a stir, initially hailed as the missing link in human evolution. But here's the hilarious part. It turned out Ida was not one of us dry-nosed primates, but a cheeky wet-nosed one. Moving forward to 40 million years ago, this is when another big event happened in the primate world. The New World monkeys, our distant cousins, decided to take a different path and branch off from our lineage of old world monkeys. They packed their bags and set off to conquer South America, where they're still living it up today. What's the difference between the two, you might ask? Well, one crucial thing that sets them apart is the fact that the old world monkeys had nostrils that pointed downwards. Around 25 million years ago, another troop of apes entered the scene. And these guys had something special, the lack of a tail. These unique creatures would go on to become our closest relatives. We're talking apes and great apes, the cool gang who share a whole lot of genetic similarities with us. The first ape to break free from the monkey madness was the gibbon. About 18 million years ago is when this little acrobat swung into the picture. A few million years later, the great apes made their grand entrance to orangutans were the pioneers venturing into the wilds of southern Asia. We're getting closer and closer to the present. It was 7 million years ago when the great apes took a major fork in the evolutionary road. One path led to our ancestors, the future homo sapiens, and the other path led to chimpanzees and bonobos. These two primate branches remained united for a million years before finally going their separate ways. 5.6 million years ago, a game-changing ape called Artipithecus made its way into our evolutionary history. It had a special talent, bipedalism. That's right. This was one of the first apes to walk on two feet, probably making its primate buddies raise an eyebrow or two. The real showstoppers, however, arrived around 4 million years ago, the Australopithecus crew. These were the earliest members of the Hominina hominina sub-tribe, our tribe. What made them so special? Well, probably the fact that they brought some serious tools to the game. Stone tools, to be precise. It seems that at some point in their evolution, these clever primates started using stones to make their lives easier. Now here comes a crucial turning point in our story. About 2 million years ago, our ancestors faced a food shortage. Survival of the fittest was the name of the game, and two strategies emerged. Group 1 went for stronger jaws, allowing them to chomp on tough foods like nuts. Group 2 had a different idea. They opted for weaker jaws, but bigger brains. They wanted access to a wider range of food options. Obviously, the bigger-brained group took the prize. And here's where our gang comes into play. Around 2.5 million years ago, a type of primate also known as Handyman made its mark on history. These clever beings had larger brains and knew how to put those neurons to good use. About 1.9 million years ago, a new star emerged, Homo erectus. These creatures not only walked upright, but also had brains that were almost twice the size of the Handyman's. They took the world by surprise, becoming the first of our direct ancestors to venture out of the African continent. They even knew how to tame fire. Approximately 700,000 years ago, the world witnessed a culinary revolution. The earliest evidence of cooking appeared. And around 500,000 years ago, our ancestors decided it was time to become a bit more fashionable, donning the first evidence of clothing. Our very own species came to be just 300,000 years ago. Told you we were late to the party. But the world was never the same after the appearance of Homo sapiens, the anatomically modern humans. Alongside our other relatives, we emerged, ready to conquer the world with our innovative minds and complex societies. The exact path of our evolution remains a bit of a mystery. But what we do know for sure, is that Neanderthals joined the party around at some point too. As Homo sapiens flourished, so did our capacity for language. Modern speech is believed to have emerged almost hand in hand with our species. We started expressing ourselves, sharing stories and shaping the world with our words. So, there you have it. It took 13.8 billion years of cosmic history for humans to make their entrance. Think about it. 99.998% of the time since the big bang, we weren't even around. Our species, Homo sapiens, is the toddler of the Earth's family, existing for just the tiniest fraction of the universe's timeline. Yet, in this blink of an eye, we've managed to unravel the entire story that led to our existence. The story won't end with us. It's an ongoing saga, still being written with every passing moment.