Why was the temple at Eridu built on an artificial terrace?

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The Great Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq, a massive ancient brick structure with broad staircases and terraced levels, stands alone in a barren landscape. — Mesopotamian art and architecture Ziggurat at Ur (modern Tall al-Muqayyar, Iraq), constructed c. 2100 bce.

The temple at Eridu was built on an artificial terrace primarily to protect the structure from flooding.1

During the Ubaid period, this raised platform—constructed of mud brick—served as a foundational base for the temple. This architectural design is widely considered the prototype for the ziggurat, the characteristic stepped temple tower that would later become a central feature of religious architecture throughout Mesopotamia.12