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Introduction
Mesopotamia is a region (also called the 'The Land Between Rivers') situated in the middle of the Tigris river; that flows south from the mountain of the Armenian Highlands through the Arabian and Syrian Deserts & empties into the Persian Gulf and Euphrates river; known to be the longest river in SouthEast Asia, which rises in Turkey, and flows southeast across Iraq and Syria.
The word Mesopotamia means 'Between Rivers' in Greek. Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia, known to be one of the places where early urban civilizations developed.
During ancient times (8000 - 2000 B.C.), Mesopotamia was the land between rivers, which now constitutes Iraq. The civilization of Mesopotamia is majorly known for its prosperity, lavish city life, rich and voluminous literature, astronomy, science, mathematics, cartography, and introduction of a code of conduct (considered to be one of the most important discoveries of the Mesopotamian age).
Important Facts About The Ancient Mesopotamia Kingdom
Mesopotamia is referred to as the cradle of civilization, as it was the place where human societies first emerged. Some of the early developed cities of Mesopotamia include Ninevah, Babylon, and Uruk.
Besides this, there are many facts about Mesopotamia that you must know, including:
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It was the first urban civilization that began in the foothills of the Zagros and Taurus mountains.
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Uruk was the largest city in Mesopotamia. Other major cities of the place include Babylon, Baghdad, Nippur, Eridu, Lagash, Ur, and Kish. All the cities enjoyed equal power and accessibility, as there was no centralized government.
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The largest city of Mesopotamia, Uruk, played an imperative role in urbanization and facilitated overall management in Mesopotamia.
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One of the most important inventions in the world's history was the wheels. However, it was not originally designed for transportation. Instead, they were first used as potter's wheels, but later, Mesopotamians discovered wheel usage for chariots and pulleys.
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Mesopotamians developed glass, the first law codes, invented literature, and ancient sanitation techniques.
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Copper was the first metal to be extracted from its ore in around 3500 BC by Mesopotamians. The copper fabrication helped the Sumerians manufacture small objects such as razors, utensils, and arrowheads.
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The Akkadian Empire existed from 2334 BC to 2154 BC. The city was governed for the next 100 years by The Neo-Sumerians.
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The oldest recipe for beer originates from Mesopotamia, which is brewed from barley.
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Mesopotamia invented the seeder plough that helped farmers cultivate and sow the seeds simultaneously. This process facilitated farmers in saving their time and energy.
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Cursive writing was invented by Sumerians, who used to draw pictures to represent objects & ideas and write on the tablets.
The Mesopotamian region often used to experience flooding in ancient times. Although the whole region is now a desert because the two rivers are drying up immensely- Tigris and Euphrates, and are estimated to be completely dried up by 2040 because of the unprecedented climate change and lower water levels.
Mesopotamia continued to be the most innovative region until the 7th century CE. Later it was conquered by Arab Muslims who imposed numerous cultural and religious traditions, which many people initially opposed. However, the ingenious belief systems and traditions became part of the Mesopotamian region and assimilated into the culture of Arabic Muslims.
FAQs
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What were the four major kingdoms in Mesopotamia?
The four empires of Mesopotamia include:
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The Akkadian Empire
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The Babylonian Empire
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The Neo-Babylonian Empire
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The Assyrian Empire
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What were the main stages of Mesopotamia's history?
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Chronology and periodization
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Pre-pottery Neolithic period
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Chalcolithic period
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Third Millennium BC includes the Jemdet Nasr period, Akkadian Empire, Early Dynasty period, and Ur III period.
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The Second Millennium BC includes the Old Assyrian period, Middle Assyrian period & empire, Hurrians, Kassite dynasty of Babylon, Hittites, Bronze Age Collapse, and Isin-Larsa, Old Babylonian & Shamshi-Adad I.
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The First Millennium BC includes Neo Assyrian Empire, Neo Babylonian Empire, and Classical Antiquity to Late Antiquity.
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What is the Culture of Mesopotamia?
Sumerian Civilization took form in the early 4000 BCE in southern Mesopotamia, making it the first urban civilization. The place was best known for developing the first written scripts around 3000 BCE.
The sole reason why Mesopotamia was considered an urban and rich civilization is because of its people, who had settled communities in the form of villages, different orders of workers, domesticated animals, and planted their food.
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What were the Cultural Contributions of Mesopotamia?
Many concepts were invented in Mesopotamia, starting from writing, libraries, astronomy, the legal system, medicine, mathematics, road networks, spoked wheels, domesticated animals, the zodiac signs, and beer making. Hence, it is called the cradle of civilization.
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What was Mesopotamia religion called?
Mesopotamia consisted of different cultures and people. Even so, it is called the ‘cradle of civilization,’ Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic. The native people of Mesopotamia used to worship several gods. However, the three main gods that a majority of the people in Mesopotamia worship include the god of earth, the god of wisdom & magic, and the sky god.
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