10 INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MESOPOTAMIA TO THE WORLD - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Some of the most important contributions of Mesopotamia are the cuneiform writing, the wheel, a primitive sprout of equal rights and, perhaps the best known, the development of agriculture and livestock.

Mesopotamia (term of Greek origin that means "between two rivers") was a region located in the Mediterranean, specifically in the area of ​​Western Asia, between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

This region was bordered to the northeast by the Zagros Mountains and to the southeast by the Arabian plain, and currently corresponds to the territories of the countries Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey.

Unlike the more unified civilizations (Egyptian and Greek), Mesopotamia constituted a collection of various cultures united by writing and by their attitude towards women and their gods.

This is why, when speaking of Mesopotamia, instead of saying that it is "the Mesopotamian civilization", one should speak of a multicultural region or a region with several civilizations.

In fact, Mesopotamia is known as the cradle of civilization, due to two great contributions that arose in the Sumerian region (Lower Mesopotamia) in 4000 BC: the birth of the city and the invention of writing.

Top 10 contributions of Mesopotamia to humanity

1- The city

The development of cities began in the Copper Age (5900 BC - 3200 BC). This growth was notable in the Sumerian region, where the cities of Eridu, Uruk, Ur, Kish, Nuzi, Nippur, and Ngirsu were born.

The high level of development and systematization of agriculture (which included irrigation) allowed the growth of large centers and, once the cities were established, they were able to maintain their prosperity thanks to trade.

2- The cuneiform writing

Cuneiform was the first written language and it developed in Mesopotamia. This communication system was created by the Sumerians between 5000 BC. C. and 4000 a. C.

This writing was done in clay; the characters used were a mixture of holes and small wedges, hence the name cuneiform, which means "wedge-shaped."

It is believed that writing was invented due to commerce, which generated the need to communicate at a distance and to keep a record of the commercial transactions that a city carried out.

Cuneiform writing was so influential that it spread through the civilizations of the time and even after the fall of Sumer, it continued to be used.

3- The wheel

The invention of the wheel is attributed to the Mesopotamians. In 1922, archaeologist Sir Leonard Wooley discovered the remains of two four-wheeled carriages in what was formerly the city of Ur; These are the oldest vehicles ever found.

4- Agriculture and livestock

The conditions of the lands between the two rivers allowed the peoples, who were once nomads, to establish themselves and live on agriculture (favored by the fertility of the land) and livestock. This is why Mesopotamia was primarily an agrarian society.

As for livestock, in Mesopotamia the domestication of animals was practiced, which favored their sedentary lifestyle.

5- Equal rights

Between women and men, there was equal rights. Women could own land, get divorced, own their own businesses, and be merchants.

6- Irrigation

The irrigation system was invented in Mesopotamia to be able to transfer water from the north to the south, since the latter was an extremely arid region and there were not enough rains to allow the development of agriculture.

In this sense, the first irrigation systems consisted of trenches or channels that allowed the flow of a water source (a river, for example) to the crops.

7- The hanging gardens

Mesopotamia is known for its hanging gardens. These were built by King Nebuchadnezzar II (unknown - 562 BC) for his wife to enjoy. These gardens were about 1,300 meters long and about 260 meters high, divided into platforms or "floors."

Some historians have explained that these were full of paths, fountains and beautiful flowers, all built in order to make the queen not suffer from nostalgia.

These gardens were built around 600 BC on the banks of the Euphrates River (south of the modern city Baghdad, in Iraq).

8- Hours of 60 minutes and minutes of 60 seconds

The legacy of Mesopotamia can be seen in the most basic aspects of modern life. For example, the fact that the hours last 60 minutes and that the minutes last 60 seconds is Mesopotamian heritage. Helen Chapin Metz points out the Sumerians believed that each god was represented by a number.

The number 60 was used to represent the god An and for this reason it was used as the basic unit to calculate time.

9- The ziggurats

Ziggurats were huge temples built in Mesopotamia, specifically Sumer, in honor of their gods.

These had different levels that could be accessed through a staircase. At the top of the building, the Sumerian priests left offerings (food and precious objects) for their gods.

10- Other contributions of the Mesopotamians

Other contributions of the Mesopotamians were astronomy, mathematics, the windmill and the Hammburabi code (which was created by the King of Babylon and constitutes the first written law).

Similarly, certain Mesopotamian narratives, such as the myth of Adapa and the poetic songs about Gilgamesh, were the basis of the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian Old Testament.

In summary, Mesopotamian inventions not only made it possible to improve certain aspects of ancient civilizations (such as communication and agriculture) but also laid the foundation for the creation of future inventions.

References

1. The legacy of Mesopotamia. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from qasocialstudies.wikispaces.com.
2. Ancient Mesopotamia. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from oi.uchicago.edu.
3. Ancient Mesopotamia. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from home.d47.org.
4. The Legacy of the Ancient World, 3000 BC - 1600 BC. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from mshworldhistory10.wikispaces.com.
5. Mesopotamia. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from ancient.eu.
6. Nebuchadnezzar II. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from ancient.eu.
7. Mesopotamia. Retrieved on May 2, 2017, from 6hmesopotamia.weebly.com.