Mesopotamian Civilization - 1351 Words

Mesopotamian Civilization Wedged between the Tigris and Euphrates River, the first civilization and founder of the many methods and ideas we hold today, now lay in ruins under the desert sands of present day Iraq. Mesopotamia is home to the invention of writing, our twelve month lunar based calendar, the wheel, the division of minutes to seconds, and the opening of the first routes to import and export trade. The Sumerians of Mesopotamia were enveloped by environmental conditions that constantly tested their skills and intellect for survival. This need for survival served as the basis that called forth the invention of methods and ideas that overtime increased and spiraled into the creation of a higher human society. Nature threatened†¦show more content†¦Beneath the dominate rule, the large city-states thrived of diverse cultures, languages, and religions. There were constant battles and wars between these cities-state over boundaries, the show of power, and resources. The weak fell and the dominant survived. The Sumerians not only fought amongst themselves but were on attack by outside peoples like the Akkadians. Even though the Sumerians were sometimes overcome, those who were victorious still adopted their lifestyle and systems. It is here that the monarchy system was developed which was commanded by a priest-king, who ruled through bureaucrats. It was through this system that larger areas were able to be governed and duties such as judging disputes, organizing military, administrating crops, protecting the people, and administrating trade was possible. This was mostly put in the responsibility of the priest who overlooked the state and status of the people. The main cities of the Sumerian civilization were Nippur, Uruk, Girsu, and Ur. The ancient homes mainly consisted of either mud and brick huts or reeds that were interwoven for strength and stability. The daily life was centered around each city’s main temple where offerings and prayers were brought to the gods. The Sumerian religion was polytheistic, with human-like gods who carried emotional traits such as love, hate, and anger. Each divinity ruled over a city and instilled fear and respect into theShow MoreRelatedMesopotamian Literature : The Civilization1005 Words   |  5 PagesCivilization came a long way since what it first was. Human creativity was the root of the evolution of civilization. The basics of human survival in the Stone Age were creating fire, heat, clothing, and food from the surrounding resources of the lands. There were also many different cultural aspects among people in this age. In early Mesopotamia, the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians had a communal outlook on religion. Although their religious outlook was the same, they viewed the world in many differentRead MoreThe Egyptian And Mesopotamian Civilizations1468 Words   |  6 Pages The Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations were both one of the oldest civilizations in the world. They are considered by most scholarly historians and writers as the cradles of human civilizations. In these two geographical areas, the earliest cities in the world history appeared. As civilizations contemporary to each other, Egypt and Mesopotamia present several similarities and contrasts. Egypt was an ancient civilization in Northeastern Africa concentrated along the Nile river. It wasRead MoreEssay on Analyzing Early Mesopotamian Civilization1092 Words   |  5 Pagesanalyzing ancient civilization and how it began, there are many elements and aspects that should be considered. Questions such as how did civilization be gin? What lead to its creation? Where did it begin, and why in that particular location? Many of these questions can be examined and answered by researching what many believe is the world’s earliest civilization, Mesopotamia. It is widely believed that this region was chosen and supported one of the world’s first civilizations. This area wasRead MoreThe Mesopotamian Civilization1548 Words   |  7 PagesFor 7000 years the sweltering sand of the Iraqi desert has held remnants of one the earliest known civilization, the Mesopotamians. Since then, literary historians and scholars have uncovered myths revealing an unforeseen buried past. These hallowed accounts have become the center focus of explaining the early history of the Mesopotamian civilization, and the natural phenomenon’s that have existed. In particular, the Babylonian epic of creation, Enuma Elish, which served the purpose of explainingRead MoreThe Mythology Of The Mesopotamian Civilization1233 Wo rds   |  5 PagesMesopotamian civilization holds the title for oldest religion, but really what they had was what we call today, mythology. It is the first record we have of any religion. Everything they did was to please and pacify the gods so that they could go through their lives without any unexpected events. They believed that there was a god for different things such as the sun, love, death, storm and wind. They relied on the gods to control natural disasters. When catastrophes happened it was because somethingRead MoreGilgamesh s Influence On The Mesopotamian Civilization939 Words   |  4 Pagesthat Gilgamesh is an important historical hero that influenced the society to have a relationship with gods, view there gods, and on how divinity impacts culture in the Mesopotamian civilization. Throughout this essay I will address the main purposes and analyze the influence of Gilgamesh for his society. To begin with the Mesopotamians believed in the gods and goddesses. They would praise them for a significant reason either if its water, nature, wind, sun, etc. and each god has their own specific powersRead MoreMesopotamian Civilization : Mesopotamia The Land Of Rivers3727 Words   |  15 PagesEric Zhang NE STUD 105A Veldhuis 12/4/14 Mesopotamian Pastimes Mesopotamia—the land of rivers. Encompassed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Ancient Mesopotamian civilization spanned thousands of years and has a deep and rich history. As a result, the culture is widely considered to be the cradle or birthplace of Western Society. Although most of the perception of their history is derived from famous texts and literary stories, there is also an equally important aspect of life in examiningRead MoreThe Main Features Of Egyptian And Mesopotamian Civilizations1364 Words   |  6 Pagesmetalworking. Overall, agriculturally based societies made it easier to form larger and more advanced societies. Compare the main features of Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. What did the two civilizations have in common as early civilizations? What were their main differences in values and organization? To compare Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, one can look at their organization, academic achievements, and economic styles. In terms of organization, there were many similarities. Both wereRead MoreAncient Civilizations : Ancient Mesopotamian Descent Essay2143 Words   |  9 Pagesholds the technical definition of a civilization. In order for a society to also wear the title of civilization, it is necessary to develop a form of writing and a system to accompany it (McCants, 28) The first recorded of western civilizations to be established were those of Mesopotamian descent, located in the city-state of Sumer or what is now known as present day Iraq (Crawford, 73). In Sumer, this writing system, defining them as the first known civilization was known as cuneiform and has provedRead MoreCivilization is Connected from the Mesopotamians to the Powerful Roman Empire836 Words   |  4 Pagesleft an enduring influence. Society has developed many components which became foundationa l to Western culture from the Mesopotamian civilizations to the emergence of the Romans. The contributions of a variety of cultures shaped the course of Western history. The Mesopotamians and Egyptians are among the first civilizations to make a valuable contribution to Western Civilization. Both Babylonians and Egyptians managed to produce written systems of communicating ideas. The Babylonians created wedge-shaped