THE 13 MOST IMPORTANT MESOPOTAMIAN INVENTIONS - HISTORY - 2025

The inventions of ancient Mesopotamia were very advanced for the time and allowed the development not only of this culture but of others. For this reason, Mesopotamia is known as the cradle of civilization.

One of the Mesopotamian inventions that has been most momentous is writing. Mesopotamian civilization developed a form of writing called cuneiform. This writing system expanded in ancient societies and evolved, giving rise to many of the systems that are used today.

Other Mesopotamian inventions that have been of great importance are: irrigation (used in agriculture), carriages (which demonstrate the use of domesticated animals for the benefit of human beings), the wheel, the concept of time (based on the sexagesimal system of the Sumerians), the boat, the city, certain mathematical concepts, the study of the stars and maps.

The most relevant Mesopotamian inventions

Here is a list of ten inventions attributed to the Mesopotamian civilization.

1- The writing

In Mesopotamia, the first writing system was developed. This system is called "cuneiform" because the characters used are wedge-shaped.

Like many other Mesopotamian inventions, its creation was thanks to trade. This is because people had the need to record the business transactions they carried out.

Similarly, it was necessary to establish a communication system that did not require sending emissaries constantly.

In the beginning, the writing system consisted of a symbol for each existing word. It was so complex that it took more than 10 years to learn all the signs.

Later, it was simplified and reduced to 600 characters that could be mixed to give rise to other words.

2- Irrigation

The Mesopotamian civilization invented irrigation. Through this system, they were able to control the flow of river water and use this resource to irrigate crops.

The first irrigation system consisted of a series of ditches that ran from the river to the fields. The water was transported by gravity.

With irrigation, agriculture became feasible even in areas where land was not very fertile and where rainfall was low.

3- The wheel

The first wheels were not created for transportation but to power systems (such as irrigation). The existence of this object gave rise to other inventions, such as the carriage.

4- The carriage

The first carriages date back to 3200 BC. C. This instrument was developed as a method of personal transportation used in wars and sports.

To power the vehicle, animal power was used. This is why the domestication of beasts, mainly horses and bulls, was intensified.

Over the years, the Mesopotamians perfected the design, so much so that the carriage became an essential element for agriculture and a symbol of wealth (since the royal families moved using these vehicles).

5- The boat

Despite the existence of carriages, land transportation was slow and inefficient on many occasions.

If the journey was very long, there was a risk that the beasts would die from fatigue, generating material losses. Thus, water transport emerged as a much more feasible and convenient alternative.

The first boats were created to be used in rivers. They were shaped like a square and consisted of a candle. The direction could not be changed, so you were at the mercy of the wind when using these barges.

These early boats sailed the Tigris and the Euphrates in order to explore certain areas and fish where possible. Later, the design was perfected.

6- The concept of time

The concept of time and its division was the work of the Mesopotamian civilization, who were based on the sexagesimal system of the Sumerians to create the hours of 60 minutes and the minutes of 60 seconds.

The number 60 was chosen because it was the result obtained by dividing the 360 ​​° of a circle by 6.

7- The city

Mesopotamia is known as the cradle of civilization because it laid the foundations for the development of sustainable sedentary societies.

The availability of water and the presence of fertile lands made the emergence of agriculture possible. Thus, people organized around an agricultural center, a trading system developed and the first housing estates were built with clay bricks baked in the sun.

These "centers" were the first cities on record. The model of these urbanizations was copied and modified by other civilizations.

8- Mathematical concepts

The Mesopotamians were the first to develop a number system. This system was born from the need to count the goods that were sold and that were bought. Its existence facilitated business transactions.

They also perfected the sexagesimal system (based on 60) developed by the Sumerians. This favored the appearance of other mathematical concepts, such as the division of the circumference in 360 ° and the year in 12 months.

The conception of zero (0) is also believed to have developed in Mesopotamia. However, some scholars propose that it was in India that the idea of ​​zero emerged.

9- The study of the stars

The Mesopotamian civilization was one of the first to relate the movement of the heavenly bodies with the events that happened to human beings. This means that astrology was invented there.

Scholars observed the location of the planets and advised politicians or royals based on this.

They also drew celestial maps that represented the movement of the Sun, the stars and the Moon, in order to predict eclipses.

10- The maps

The oldest maps were found in Mesopotamia and date back to 2300 BC. These were simple sketches that were made on clay boards with a stylus and showed the area of ​​Acadia (modern day northern Iraq).

Mesopotamian maps laid the foundations for the development of cartography, a discipline that was practiced and perfected by the Greeks and Romans.

11- Copper metallurgy

Imdugud or anzú, Sumerian deity, represented on a copper panel. Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP (Glasg) / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Copper was the first metal to be melted, dating this milestone around 5000 BC. This happened in Mesopotamia, finding remains of this mineral in cities such as Uruk, Ur or Sumeria.

The first products for which copper was used were arrowheads, pocket knives, fishing harpoons and other more ornamental crafts. Then it was applied for other types of more elaborate crafts such as jugs, chisels or representative figures of lords or deities.

12- Beer

Barley cultivation. Source: pixabay.com

Beer is one of the first known human food preparations. Although there are several points that place the origin of the beer, it is most likely that it was brewed for the first time in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates river basins.

This is reflected in a cuneiform tablet from more than 6000 years ago in which reference is made to beer, which they called "kas".

Kas was very popular in religious and funeral rites, being consumed by both women and men.

13- Soap

Although the origin of soap is uncertain, with many peoples claiming to be its invention, most researchers agree that it could have been developed in Mesopotamia.

This fact would go back to 2800 a. C. and it would really be an invention of the Babylonians, but at that time they were not established as a political entity. That is, they were still considered a Sumerian civilization. The recipe for that soap would be made up of water, alkali and cassia oil.

References

1. Ancient Mesopotamia Inventions. Retrieved on September 19, 2017, from mesopotamia.mrdonn.org
2. 10 Mesopotamian Inventions and Discoveries. Retrieved on September 19, 2017, from ancientcivilizationslists.com
3. Top 11 inventions and discoveries of Mesopotamia. Retrieved on September 19, 2017, from ancienthistorylists.com
4. Inventions-Mesopotamia. Retrieved on September 19, 2017, from sites.google.com
5. Major Ancient Mesopotamia Inventions. Retrieved on September 19, 2017, from ancientmesopotamians.com
6. The legacy of Mesopotamia. Retrieved on September 19, 2017, from qasocialstudies.wikispaces.com
7. The Legacy of the Ancient World, 3000 BC - 1600 BC. Retrieved on September 19, 2017, from mshworldhistory10.wikispaces.com