Writing and City Life in Early Mesopotamia

Flashcards covering the vocabulary, historical figures, and technological developments of Mesopotamian civilization based on the lecture notes.

Mesopotamia

The land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, now part of the Republic of Iraq; the name is derived from the Greek words mesos (middle) and potamos (river).

Sumer and Akkad

The names used for the urbanised southern region of Mesopotamia in the beginning of recorded history.

Babylonia

The term used for the southern region of Mesopotamia after 2000 BCE when Babylon became an important city.

Assyria

The northern region of Mesopotamia named after the Assyrians established their kingdom there around 1100 BCE.

Sumerian

The earliest known language of Mesopotamia, which was gradually replaced by Akkadian around 2400 BCE.

Akkadian

The language that replaced Sumerian around 2400 BCE and remained in use until the first century CE.

Aramaic

A language similar to Hebrew that became widely spoken in Mesopotamia after 1000 BCE and is still spoken in parts of Iraq today.

Cuneiform

A system of writing derived from the Latin words cuneus (wedge) and forma (shape), characterized by wedge-shaped signs pressed into moist clay.

Bronze

An alloy of copper and tin used for tools, weapons, and ornaments beginning around 3000 BCE.

Division of labour

A hallmark of urban life where individuals specialize in specific crafts or services and depend on others for necessary goods.

The Warka Head

A woman's head sculpted in white marble at Uruk before 3000 BCE, famous for its delicate modelling of the mouth, chin, and cheeks.

Enmerkar

One of the earliest rulers of Uruk, credited in Sumerian epic poetry with organizing the first trade of Sumer.

Aratta

A very distant land from which Enmerkar sought lapis lazuli and precious metals for the beautification of a city temple.

Stele

Stone slabs with inscriptions or carvings, such as the basalt stele from 3200 BCE showing a bearded man attacking a lion.

Inanna

The Mesopotamian Goddess of Love and War.

Uruk

One of the earliest temple towns, covering 250 hectares by 3000 BCE and expanding to 400 hectares by 2800 BCE.

Cylinder seal

A cylindrical stone tool, pierced through the center and rolled over wet clay to create a continuous picture or mark of authenticity.

Nuclear family

The norm in Mesopotamian society, comprising a man, his wife, and children.

Sump

A covered basin in the ground into which water and sewage flow, found in the inner courtyards of houses in Ur.

Zimrilim

The king of Mari (1810-1760 BCE) whose sprawling palace contained 260 rooms and covered 2.4 hectares.

Dagan

The god of the steppe for whom the Amorite kings of Mari raised a temple.

Alashiya

The ancient name for the island of Cyprus, mentioned in tablets as a source of copper trade.

Gilgamesh Epic

A narrative written on twelve tablets about a hero ruler of Uruk who sought the secret of immortality.

Mesopotamian Square Root of 2

A mathematical achievement expressed in tablets as $1 + \frac{24}{60} + \frac{51}{60^{2}} + \frac{10}{60^{3}}$, resulting in approximately $1.41421296$.

Time Reckoning

The division of the year into 12 months, the month into 4 weeks, the day into 24 hours, and the hour into 60 minutes, originated by Mesopotamians.

Assurbanipal

The last great Assyrian king (668-627 BCE) who established a massive library of tablets at Nineveh.

Nabopolassar

The ruler who released Babylonia from Assyrian domination in 625 BCE.

Nabonidus

The last ruler of independent Babylon who is noted for his interest in history and for repairing an ancient statue of Sargon.

Ziggurat

A stepped tower within a Mesopotamian city, characteristic of ritual centers like Babylon.