Gilgamesh and Aga cuneiform tablet. Unknown maker. Old Babylonian (c. 1900-1600 BCE), present-day Iraq (Courtesy of The University of Manchester JRL 0931, at Wellcome Collection exhibition "Thirst: In Search of Freshwater"
https://flic.kr/p/2rFfSWi
FRESHWATER AND THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH
The earliest account of a war for water comes from the Sumerian poem Gilgamesh and Aga from the Epic of Gilgamesh, composed around 2100-2000 BCE. King Aga demands to enslave the subjects of King Gilgamesh of Uruk to dig wells for his city. Aga threatens to cut off Uruk's water supply upstream on the Euphrates River if Gilgamesh refuses. A blend of historical record and mythology, the poem illustrates how important access to freshwater has been since early civilisations. Another notable story from the Epic tells of the deluge. The universal flood, orchestrated by the five gods and intended to destroy most of humanity, is similar to the Judeo-Christian biblical story of Noah. Throughout the poem, water symbolises the cycle of life while also highlighting human vulnerability, at the mercy of nature.
[Text from exhibition label]