What kinds of work did temples organize in the city of Girsu?

In the city of Girsu, temples functioned as major economic hubs that organized a wide range of activities. Based on archives from the temple of Baba, these institutions managed nearly every aspect of the local economy, including:

• Agriculture and Horticulture: The temples oversaw farming, vegetable gardening, and tree cultivation.1
• Animal Husbandry: This included cattle raising and the processing of various animal products.1
• Industry and Labor: Temples directed significant labor forces, particularly in the textile industry and the grinding of flour, which were largely carried out by female laborers.1
• Commerce and Distribution: Temples were involved in trade and the payment of workers and employees through merchandise.1

While historical interpretations once suggested that temples owned all land in a "temple city," modern scholarship clarifies that these archives represent only a portion of the total administration. A private sector existed alongside temple operations, though it is less documented in the surviving records. Additionally, temples were supported by a bureaucracy that utilized precise accounting to manage these diverse economic processes.12