Mesopotamia Earliest Civilization

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia and Egypt are believed to be the world’s first civilizations. Mesopotamia (between rivers) is the territory located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern day Iraq.

A Civilization A large urban center with a population of tens of thousands of people. These people had different jobs resulting in specialized labor. Initially scholars believed a civilization had to have a system of writing, but over time this belief has changed.

Early Mesopotamia Land was harsh and hard to farm. Euphrates and Tigris rivers flooded often during the early summer. Farmers developed an irrigation system Farmers settled into the lower Mesopotamian plain between 6000 – 5000 BCE.

Early Mesopotamia Cont’d. Early villages were small. By 4000 BCE, villages grew to over 10,000 people. City states began to develop as well. A city-state had a ruler governed both urban center and surrounding countryside.

King of City-State King of city-state was intermediary between gods and people. King consulted with the gods, temple priests, and people of prominent families. Sumerians were polytheistic – believing in many gods. The gods managed the environment.

Ziggurat Located within a city-state. Ziggurat is a platform or terrace upon which temples for the gods were placed.

Sumerians Sumer, the area of Southern Mesopotamia, is believed to be where world’s first writing system originated. Initially, Sumerians wrote on clay tablets with a stylus. Around 3300, clay tablets had pictures on them representing different animals. Next to animals would be tally markings Eventually, a writing system with over 700 signs emerged. By 700 BCE, a phonetic system had developed. Later Sumerian writing was known as cuneiform. Cuneiform is the Latin term for “wedge shaped.”