I wasn't much interested in 'windblown old sites' until I found a hardcover picture-book in a nearby library: <i>The Past from Above</i> by pilot/photographer George Gerster.<p>My attitude completely changed after I experienced this collection of 240+ aerial photos from around the world. It put the magnitude and impermanence of human history right in my face. Strong recommend if you've <i>any</i> interest in world history!<p>Wikipedia nearby libraries: [ <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources?isbn=0892368179" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources?isbn=08923...</a> ]<p>Can be borrowed from Internet Library. [ <a href="https://archive.org/details/pastfromaboveaer0000gers/page/n423/mode/2up" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/pastfromaboveaer0000gers/page/n4...</a> ]<p>2005 (expensive) hardcover, 2007 paperback. Goodreads reviews [ <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/576680.The_Past_from_Above" rel="nofollow">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/576680.The_Past_from_Abo...</a> ]
4kya is 1500 years after the first Mesopotamian cities we know about arose.<p>Before the Persian Gulf filled in, ~8kya or another 2500 years back, there could have been cities there, now underwater, downstream from the known ruins. If made of un-fired mud brick, they would have since dissolved.
I remember learning that cuneiform isn't an alphabet and doesn't have characters, but rather characters to write syllables so it could be used to spell English or Chinese.