Urban history starts in ancient Mesopotamia. In this volume Marc Van de Mieroop examines the evolution of the very earliest cities which, for millennia, inspired the rest of the ancient world. The author argues that the city determined every aspect of Mesopotamian civilization, and the political and social structure, economy, literature, and arts of Mesopotamian culture cannot be understood without acknowledging their urban background.

"...this is the first book to place the Mesopotamian city firmly within the long-standing discourse on the ancient city....in a masterful concluding chapter...he succeeds in encapsulating a view of the Mesopotamian city that is both familiar to other Mesopotamianists...and comparable to later classical cities."

Marc Van De Mieroop, Professor of Ancient Near Eastern History, Columbia University