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Good Morning all,
My name is Jay Dongieux.

The Earth has become uninhabitable as we all know.

How sad that we have become so self-focused that we have allowed our world to crumble and wither away.

This has occurred partially as a result of fragmented societies.  Families as

well as individuals focused too much on themselves rather than the planet as a whole. The year is 2100.

Our goal here together today is to choose four art works to carry aboard our

space ship, to preserve and serve as inspiration for our people.

The work I have chosen is the Ziggurat of Ur.

The reason I have chosen this work is because of its architectural, historical

and societal influence. The building of the Ziggurat of Ur showed that huge

throngs of people could come together for long periods of time to accomplish

a common goal for the good of the people as a whole.

It is architecturally significant in the fact that it was the first known structure

of its kind anywhere in the world.  It showed the architectural awareness of

its builders. It is historically significant because it was

followed by many other ziggurats, 32 that we know of today. It was similar to

the pyramids of Egypt. It is societally significant because , unlike the society

of today where families and communities are splintered off and separated,

thousands of people probably came together for years at a time to build

this magnificent building.  Society should become more communal ,rather

than individualistic. When we become so individualistic, we lose focus of the

good of all mankind as a whole.

A ziggurat is a rectangular tiered temple mound.  Many have seven tiers. The

seven tiers represent the heavens.  It was erected by ancient Babylonians

around 2100 B.C.   Ziggurat is the moderm term derived from

the Akkadian word ziggurratu. They resembled pyramids, and are made of

mud-brick and stone.  The structures were intended to be ladders to the

gods. Building techniques were mastered by the third

millenium. Ziggurats are similar to pyramids, because they have

stair-stepped shape and temple tops.  Ziggurats had large stairways, or in

some cases ramps.

Ur is a Sumerian city in southern Iraq. Abraham, from the bible,  home was

known as Ur. It is along the Euphrates River. Water is essential to human

survival, so the location of structures  is of the utmost importance.

An ur is a "tell" , which is an artificial mound containing remains of

accumulated habitants.

The ziggurat is the most enduring symbol of the Mesopotamian era.  They are

monuments of their kings, as well as to the combined labor forces of the time.

The Ziggurat of Ur was basically the center for many community activities

such as religion,economy,education and government.

The Ziggurat of Ur was the first known structure of its kind anywhere.  It

was constructed under the direction of King Ur-Nammu. Ur-Nammu directed

the construction of ziggurats in the cities of Eridu, Uruk and Nippur.Nanna is

the moon god, who was the patron deity and divine king of Ur.Knowledge of

the peoples life, history, business and art is now fairly complete and detailed.

Both ziggurats and pyramids were viewed as symbolic representations of the

first land to appear on earth.  Ziggurats remind us of the possibility of a higher

power, being, god or divinity figure. It helps us focus on something other

than ourselves. Taking the focus away from oneself allows us to grow.

The first serious excavations at Ur were made after World War I by H.R. Hall

of the British Museum.

The Ziggurat of Ur has also been referred to as the Tower of Babel.

Unlike Egyptian pyramids, ziggurats were never tomb

buildings. So far , archaeologists have found the remains of thirty-two

ziggurats in and around the Mesopotamian plains.

Followed was  Mr. Leonard Woolley led the well

published excavations between 1922 and 1934. Woolley's excavations gave

us information about Ur. The information from his work focused on walls,

tombs, houses and a religious center. His  work was very important , because

it greatly expanded our knowledge of  history. There is some evidence

that the occupation of Ur ended with a flood, the  one described in Genesis in

the Bible. Woolley's work showed that the builders were familiar with

columns, arches, vaults and domes.  Excavations have revealed

storerooms, courtyards,other buildings and a shrine. Excavations have also

revealed massive treasures of gold, silver, bronze and semiprecious stones.

The ziggurat was an icon of the community at the time. It was the center of

activity for its people. It was used very frequently and was the most

significant structure in the area. Judging by the detail of what was found in

the excavations of Woolley and Hall, it contained items relevant to all facets

of life in the present, and up to and including present day year 2100 such as

religion,art,science,industry and government.

The Ziggurat of Ur should be preserved to remind future generations of how

to accomplish a common goal over a long time period and among a  huge

number of people. Society has become so splintered and multi-focused today

that we have forgotten the common good for immediate gratification.

Internet, cell phones, instant messages, everything is disposable and nothing

is made to last or carry any meaning behind it.  Nothing these days has any

lasting value, permanence or significance. Columns, canals, perfumes and

glass were all very important innovations of the time of the ziggurats.