The purpose of ancient Mesopotamian ziggurats is a subject of debate among historians and archaeologists, and there isn't a definitive answer to this question. Ziggurats were monumental stepped structures built in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly in Sumer and Babylon, around 4,000 to 2,500 BCE. They served various functions within the societies of that time.
While ziggurats provided elevated platforms for temples and religious rituals, their precise functions and design intentions are not explicitly recorded in historical texts. The available evidence suggests that ziggurats had religious, cultural, and administrative significance, rather than being solely intended for air conditioning purposes.
Some proposed functions and interpretations of ziggurats include:
Religious and Spiritual Purposes: Many scholars believe that ziggurats served as sacred sites, connecting Earth and heaven. They were likely associated with the worship of specific deities and served as platforms for religious ceremonies, including offerings and rituals. The height and prominent positioning of ziggurats may have symbolized a connection between the divine and human realms.
Administrative Centers: Ziggurats may have also functioned as administrative and economic centers. They could have served as places for storage, record-keeping, and conducting administrative affairs. The temple complexes built around ziggurats were often significant centers of economic and political activity.
Civic and Social Gathering Places: Ziggurats might have been important civic and social centers, where people gathered for communal events, festivals, or public gatherings. The wide base and multiple levels of ziggurats could have accommodated large numbers of people.
Regarding the hypothesis of providing air conditioning through evaporation, it's challenging to determine the exact intentions of the builders. While ziggurats would have provided a vantage point for capturing breezes and benefiting from higher wind speeds at elevated heights, it is speculative to assert that they were specifically designed for air conditioning via evaporation. The primary functions of ziggurats seem to be deeply rooted in religious and cultural practices rather than climate control.
It's important to note that the average wind speed being proportional to the logarithm of height is a principle known as the logarithmic wind profile, which applies to open environments like unobstructed terrain. The effect of wind on the upper levels of ziggurats would depend on the specific local topography and the design of the structure.
Overall, while ziggurats might have provided some advantages in terms of airflow and elevated views, their primary purposes were likely religious, administrative, and social in nature, rather than serving as early forms of air conditioning systems.