November/December 2015 Challenge: Nippur

[Chick]

So I have decided to go with a map that shows the architecture of the city in 2500 BCE, namely mudbricks for most everything, including city walls (Bogie, that is why they are thick, they are not stone and thus easier to assault), large residence buildings, and smaller rural homes. The streets were actually paved, possibly with real stone as was Babylon. The legend will of course be in cuneiform

The surrounding countryside was arid, supported entirely by the Euphrates River, so canals were constructed to bring water to the agricultural areas surrounding the city. There were several gates, with roads leading to the other Sumerian cities, roads which later became the foundation of Darius's Persian Royal Road and eventually the Silk Road trade routes to the orient. There was strife, but also extensive trading between the Sumerian cities, so the roads were well-travelled and well-kept. Nippur itself was primarily a religious city, not governmental, and pilgrimages also brought many travelers and much trade. The local agriculture was primarily grain, vegetables, fruit orchards, and animal livestock.

### Latest WIP ###


Right now, I'm struggling with how to depict the croplands and pastures, so suggestions most welcome!