Ancient Mesopotamia refers to the place where humans first formed civilizations.

It was
here that people first gathered in large cities, learned to write, and created
governments. For this reason Mesopotamia is often called the "Cradle of Civilization".

Map of Mesopotamia by Atanas Kostovski

Geography

The word Mesopotamia means "the land between rivers". When people say
Mesopotamia they are referring to a section of land in the Middle East between and
around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Today this land is located mostly in the country
of Iraq. There are also portions in southwestern Iran, southeastern Turkey, and
northeastern Syria.
The heart of Mesopotamia lies between the two rivers in southern Iraq. The land there is
fertile and there is plenty of water around the major two rivers to allow for irrigation and
farming.

Civilizations and Empires

Early settlers in Mesopotamia started to gather in small villages and towns. As they
learned how to irrigate land and grow crops on large farms, the towns grew bigger.
Eventually these towns became large cities. New inventions such as government and
writing were formed to help keep order in the cities. The first human civilization was
formed.

Sumer - The Sumerians were the first humans to form a civilization. They invented
writing and government. They were organized in city-states where each city had its own
independent government ruled by a king that controlled the city and the surrounding
farmland. Each city also had its own primary god. Sumerian writing, government, and
culture would pave the way for future civilizations.

Akkadians - The Akkadians came next. They formed the first united empire where the
city-states of the Sumer were united under one ruler. The Akkadian language replaced
the Sumerian language during this time. It would be the main language throughout
much of the history of Mesopotamia.

Babylonians - The city of Babylon became the most powerful city in Mesopotamia.
Throughout the history of the region, the Babylonians would rise and fall. At times the
Babylonians would create vast empires that ruled much of the Middle East. The
Babylonians were the first to write down and record their system of law.

Assyrians - The Assyrians came out of the northern part of Mesopotamia. They were a
warrior society. They also ruled much of the Middle East at different times over the
history of Mesopotamia. Much of what we know about the history of Mesopotamia
comes from clay tablets found in Assyrian cities.

Persians - The Persians put an end to the rule of the Assyrians and the Babylonians.
They conquered much of the Middle East including Mesopotamia.
 Interesting Facts About Mesopotamia

 The Babylonian law created by King Hammurabi, the Code of Hammurabi, may
be the oldest written law in the world.
 The Sumerians are often credited with inventing the wheel.
 At the center of each major city was a temple to the city's god called a ziggurat.
 The Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers are both well over 1,000 miles long.
 Because this is where people first began to write, Mesopotamia is often called
the place where history began.
 Mesopotamia is part of a larger area that archeologists call the Fertile Crescent.
 Many of the buildings, walls, and structures were made from sun-dried bricks.
These bricks didn't last long, so very little of Ancient Mesopotamian cities still
stand.
 Much of what we know about Mesopotamian history comes from thousands of
clay tablets found in the library at the Assyrian city of Nineveh.

Religion

The Ancient Sumerians worshipped many different gods and goddesses. They thought
that the gods influenced much of what happened to them in their lives. Babylonian and
Assyrian religion was heavily influenced by the Sumerians.

Shamash - Mesopotamian Sun god

by Denis Drouillet
A God for Each City

Each city had its own god. At the center of the city was a large temple or ziggurat built
to that god. This was where the priests would live and make sacrifices. Some of the
ziggurats were huge and reached great heights. They looked like step pyramids with a
flat top.

Sumerian Gods

Some of the Sumerian gods and goddesses included:

 Anu - Sometimes called An, Anu was the god of the heavens and king of the
gods. The city associated with Anu was Uruk.
 Enlil - The god of air, wind, and storms, Enlil held the Tablets of Destiny. These
tablets gave him control over the fate of man and made him very powerful. He
wore a crown with horns. He was associated with the city of Nippur.

Laws

The first great king of Babylon was King Hammurabi. He conquered all of Mesopotamia
and established the first Babylonian Empire. Hammurabi also established a set of laws
that is today called the Code of Hammurabi.

How do we know about the Code of Hammurabi?

The Code of Hammurabi was written down on clay tablets and etched into stone. It is
one of the oldest recorded codes of laws in the world. One of the best surviving
examples of the code is written on the "diorite stele".
 The top of the diorite stele by Unknown

Diorite Stele

The diorite stele is a large stone shaped like a giant finger. It is about seven feet
tall and two feet wide. It contains around 4000 lines of text describing 282
different laws. At the top, or "fingertip", of the stele is a carved picture of King
Hammurabi being given the laws from the Babylonian sun god Shamash.

The Code of Law

The actual code of law was divided up into groupings. Many of the laws that had
to do with one subject (i.e. slavery) were grouped together. This would have
helped people to find and read just the laws that pertained to them.
 Writing

The Sumerians developed the first form of writing. As Sumerian towns grew into cities,
the people needed a way to keep track of business transactions, ownership rights, and
government records. Around 3300 BC the Sumerians began to use picture symbols
marked into clay tablets to keep their records.

Sumerian Writing by Unknown

Symbols were made with wedge shaped marks on clay tablets

Clay Tablets

Writing was inscribed on clay tablets. Scribes would take a stylus (a stick made from a
reed) and press the lines and symbols into soft, moist clay. Once they were done, they
would let the clay harden and they had a permanent record.

Cuneiform

The initial writing of the Sumerians utilized simple pictures or pictograms. For example,
a drawing of a person's head, meant the word "head". Over time, however, the writing of
the Sumerians further developed to include sounds and meanings. Scribes would use
the stylus to make wedge shaped marks in the clay. This type of writing is called
cuneiform writing, which means "wedge-shaped".

Translating

Translating Mesopotamian writing is difficult for archeologists today. This is because

there were over 700 different symbols and the symbols' meaning and shapes could
change between different cities and regions. The symbols often changed over time as
well. However, many Sumerian tablets have been deciphered. This is how we know so
much about Mesopotamian culture, government, and history.
 Science, Technology and Innovations

The civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia brought many important advances in the areas
of science and technology.

Writing

Perhaps the most important advance made by the Mesopotamians was the invention of
writing by the Sumerians. Go here to learn more about Sumerian writing. With the
invention of writing came the first recorded laws called Hammurabi's Code as well as
the first major piece of literature called the Epic Tale of Gilgamesh.

The Wheel

Although archeologists don't know for sure who invented the wheel, the oldest wheel
discovered was found in Mesopotamia. It is likely the Sumer first used the wheel in
making pottery in 3500BC and then used it for their chariots in around 3200 BC.

Mathematics

The Mesopotamians used a number system with the base 60 (like we use base 10).
They divided time up by 60s including a 60 second minute and a 60 minute hour, which
we still use today. They also divided up the circle into 360 degrees.

They had a wide knowledge of mathematics including addition, subtraction,

multiplication, division, quadratic and cubic equations, and fractions. This was important
in keeping track of records as well as in some of their large building projects.