Excavations in Iraq in the 1920s and '30s
二十世紀二十和三十年代在伊拉克的出土物
began to reveal how intensive irrigation of the planes
揭示了在底格里斯河和幼發拉底河之間的
between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates had allowed
平原上的集約灌溉是如何促使
the world's first true cities to arise.
世界上第一個真正城市群的崛起
By about 5,000 years ago,
到大約五千年前為止
cities with tens of thousands of inhabitants,
擁有成千上萬的人口的城市
such as Ur and Uruk,
比如烏爾和烏魯克
were producing art
產生了展現
that reflected the self-image of the powerful.
強者形象的藝術
Here is the Standard of Ur
這是烏爾軍旗
where mosaic inlaid in bitumen
瀝青上鑲嵌的馬賽克圖案
showed the scenes that mattered most.
展現了當時最為重要的場景
Soldiers march,
士兵行軍
war wagons roll,
戰車前進
and on the reverse, a court convenes
在其背面 是一個宮廷聚會的場景
with the king depicted larger than his priests and courtiers,
國王的尺寸大于他的祭司和朝臣們
ranged below the catering classes, the toilers and hewers.
第二層是侍從階級 最下面一層是苦工
It's a complete social world,
這是個完整的社會風貌
and it came with writing.
與之一起被發掘的 還有這些文字
These scripts usually recorded administrative matters,
這些文稿通常記錄著行政事務
but sometimes told the stories of heroes
有些也講述英雄事跡
and deities.
和神明故事