Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilisation

Vocabulary flashcards defining key concepts, historical terms, inventions, and figures from the lecture on Ancient Mesopotamia.

Civilisation

A societal state characterised by an economy producing food surpluses, large populations in cities, division into social classes, specialised occupations, developed systems of government, religion, and learning, technological and artistic achievements, and record keeping.

Sumerians

Known as the first Bronze Age society in the world, credited with the invention of writing, law, the wheel, and the plough, as well as metal working with copper, bronze, gold, and iron.

Sumer

The earliest phase (5200-4500BCE) of Mesopotamian civilisation, considered the first settled society in the world containing all features of a civilisation.

Tigris and Euphrates

The two rivers that deposited silt in the southern part of Mesopotamia, making the land fertile for Sumerian settlement.

Ziggurats

Temples built in the city-states of ancient Sumer.

Cuneiform

The script used for the Mesopotamian language, employed for accounting, governmental and religious announcements, records, and correspondence.

Cylinder seal

An item containing images and inscriptions measured in millimetres that served as a signature on cuneiform documents and gave detail about the holder's social status.

Epic of Gilgamesh

A 4000-year-old foundational text of world literature written over twelve clay tablets about a Sumerian king facing adventures and seeking immortality.

Gilgamesh

A Sumerian king who faces many adventures and tries to find the key to immortality in a famous 12-tablet epic.