Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is a name given to the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in southwestern Asia, or the “Middle East”. The name is Greek for “land between the rivers”. Today, the countries of Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, and Syria have territories within this region. Similar to Egypt, much of the Middle East is desert. However, the presence of these two major rivers has allowed thousands of years of successful human civilizations. The first known major human civilization in history began here.

The earliest settlers in this region were drawn to the soil that allowed them to grow lots of grain. These settlers arrived around 4500 BCE. What they discovered is that the rich soil is a product of flooding. However, unlike the Nile River, the Tigris and Euphratges were unpredictable. Some seasons, they would see frequent and intense flooding, ruining homes and farmland. In other seasons,s they would experience no flooding and little to no rain, essentially turning the land back into a desert. These natural challenges encouraged people to come together to find solutions.

By 3300 BCE, the Sumerian civilization had emerged. They began to construct complex irrigation systems, build walled cities for protection, and trade with other groups who had access to natural resources that they did not. Sumer was a region of about 12 city-states. Each city-state was devoted to a specific god or goddess. The Sumerians were polythesistic and believed their gods were responsible for the well-being of their communities. Therefore, temple priests were venerated and were the earliest rulers of these city-states. Conflict between Sumerian city-states was common. There were frequent disputes over control of waterways and portions of land. In times of war, power was given to a warrior who was selected by the people. Eventually, as war became more and more constant, military leaders took permanent control.

The Sumerians gave birth to one of the earliest written languages: a series of wedge-shaped symbols in clay called cuneiform. The Sumerians were prolific writers, and many, many cuneiform tablets have survived. One such tablet recounts the earliest known fictional tale in human history, a poem known as The Epic of Gilgamesh. Other lasting Sumerian contributions include a base-6 number system (which led to the 60-minute hour and 360-degree circle), astronomy, and basic mathematics. These innovations were preserved and spread by the subsequent groups that conquered Sumer.

A lack of natural defense left southern Mesopotamia open to invasion, as would frequently happen over the next few thousand years. Around 2,300 BCE, a group from farther north in Mesopotamia invaded and conquered Sumer. This group was the Akkadiens, led by Sargon the Great. Sargon would build one of the first empires by conquering people all across Southwest Asia. Sargon was a strong ruler, but his descendants struggled to maintain his empire. Within about 200 years, the empire crumbled and reverted to independent city-states.

One town that was part of the Akkadian Empire was Babylon. Until 1894 BCE, Babylon had been a small religious center for its region, barely a city-state. However, King Sin-Muballit began to bring other small towns and cities under Babylonian rule. His son, Hammurabi, would continue to grow the small kingdom until all of Mesopotamia was under his control. Hammurabi consolidated all of his empire’s laws into one code, which was then inscribed on large pillars that could be placed all around the empire. With all laws displayed, citizens were better aware of expected behavior and consequences.

Similar to the fate of the Akkadians, the Babylonian empire began to crumble after the death of Hammurabi. A region to the north, called Assyria, revolted against Babylonian reign, and the farthest southern city-states broke away. The city remained a major religious and cultural center for a time, but the empire was lost. However, in 159,5, the city was taken over by the Hittites, a group from the north. Many empires rose, clashed, and fell in this region until the Persians gained ultimate control in the 500s BCE.