Final answer:
85% of all written texts from the Uruk period were used for economic purposes, documenting trades and inventories within the city's redistributive economy. The advent of cuneiform writing facilitated the management of surpluses from agriculture and trade, essential for Uruk's complex administrative needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Uruk period, approximately 85% of all written texts were related to economic transactions and record-keeping. This period in Mesopotamia was marked by the development of cities, trade networks, and the centralization of economies. The writing system that emerged, cuneiform, initially served to document trades, inventories, and redistributive economic policies. As the city of Uruk flourished, a bureaucracy developed to manage the complex economy, necessitating a written method to keep track of the vast amount of goods moving in and out of the city and its surrounding areas.
The redistributive economy was a central aspect of Uruk's management, emphasizing the importance of recording economic activities. Surpluses from intensive agriculture were collected and then distributed by the city-state government. This system supported large-scale public works and the theocratic political system, where a god was recognized as the ruler. With the expanding trade and complexity of economic interactions, writing became an essential tool for maintaining order and ensuring the smooth administration of Uruk's economy.