1. c. 3700 BC Beginning of development of urban centres in Mesopotamia c. 3600-3500 BC Pictographic writing in use c. 3000 BC Start of development of city-states

2. c. 3300-3000 BC Scribes using ideograms for sounds, credited to Sumerians. Subsequent stylisation leads to development of cuneiform writing c. 2330 BC Semitic-speakers of Mesopotamia use system to develop Akkadian c. 2000 BC Akkadian develops into Assyrian and Babylonian dialects stele (pl. stelae)

3. c. 2500 Kings becoming distinct from priests as leaders of city-states Social classes: Kings Nobility incl. priests and others Semi-free peasants Free peasants (50% of population) Merchants Slaves

4. Sacred Marriage ceremony: Initially of citizen to city deity From c. 2500 BC re-enactment of union of Dumuzi and Inanna ziggurat extispicy (divination using a ram’s liver)

5. Heavens Earth Abzu (Akk. Apsu, subterranean freshwater ocean) Underworld The Mesopotamian View of the Cosmos

6. Meet some gods… An (Akk: Anu) Sky god of Uruk, temple at Eanna in city Head of the elder gods (Annunaki) Father of several gods Symbol: horned crown, sometimes on a shrine

7. Meet some gods… Enki (Akk: Ea, a.k.a. Nudimmud) God of subterranean freshwater ocean (Abzu), wisdom, magic, arts and crafts Cult based at Eridu

8. Meet some gods… Enlil (Akk: Ellil, a.k.a. Illil) Uncertain nature and attributes, but father of some gods and goddesses and in charge of the earth Head of the younger gods (Igigi), keeper of Tablet of Destinies, cult based at Nippur Symbol: horned cap

9. Meet some gods… Inanna (Akk: Ishtar) Goddess of love, fertility, sex (incl. extra- marital), also fond of war. Not esp. mother goddess or patron of marriage Patron of Uruk (at Eanna), Nineveh and Erbil

10. Meet some gods… Dumuzi (Akk: Tammuz) God of vegetation and protector of flocks Lover of Inanna, for whose sake spends half year in Underworld

11. Meet some gods… Ishkur (Akk: Adad) Storm god and canal-controller, often seen with bulls or forked lightning. Lord of omens and extispicy Cult based at Aleppo

12. Meet some gods… Nin-hursag (a.k.a. Ninmah, Nintu, Mami, Belet-ili, Aruru) Great mother goddess, important in early mythology Shrine at Kesh in central Mesopotamia