The study of ancient Mesopotamia is an integral part of learning about the origins of human civilization. The development of early forms of agriculture, and the resulting change for some groups of people from hunter-gatherers to a more settled life, precipitated the growth of cities in what became known as “the cradle of civilization.”
This occurred between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers several thousand years ago in what is present-day Iraq. Their numerous, life-changing inventions over a few millenia gradually propelled peoples scattered across thousands of miles in all directions into a more modern world.
The list below includes information on some of the revolutionary inventions of the Mesopotamians:
WRITING
Writing developed independently in various locations throughout the ancient world. At present, though, the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia are credited with inventing the first form of writing, called cuneiform, approximately 5200-5500 years ago.
The writing was done on tablets made of clay-a material found in abundance throughout the Tigris-Euphrates region. The symbols and pictures inscribed depicted ideas and objects. These eventually evolved into the wedge-shaped cuneiform.
The writing was used in an increasingly urbanized, centralized world to keep necessary records for government administration, business transactions, as well as to record literary texts like the Epic of Gilgamesh, which are treasured to this day.
WHEEL
Among other major Mesopotamian inventions recognized by authorities on antiquity was the wheel. It was in use from some 5500 years ago. The wheel made it possible to transport greater weights for construction and commerce, and improved the mobility of people for civilian and military purposes. It is impossible to imagine a modern world without the wheel in use in innumerable ways.
AGRICULTURE
With the progression towards larger concentrations of people in cities for their livelihoods and safety, a corresponding need for greater food production resulted. This necessity was the impetus for agricultural innovations like irrigation and the seeder plow.
Irrigation allowed the ancient Mesopotamians to control amount of water flow and direction, which was critical in areas of uncertain average rainfall. The extensive irrigation of the time enabled them to increase crop yields to feed an expanding population.
Also, the seeder plow was designed with a funnel that concentrated the seeds into the furrow while the farmer was ploughing a field. This improved agricultural efficiency by saving time and effort.
MATHEMATICS
An essential aspect of record keeping by scribes was to use symbols representing numbers. Over the course of many centuries, they obtained a more sophisticated grasp of mathematical concepts.
They made significant advancements in the understanding of what we call the concept of zero. They used a space to denote a lack of a positional value between numerals for a long time, and there are later examples of using multiple symbols involving slashes or hooks to stand for zero
One specific invention attributed to the people of ancient Mesopotamia was a breakthrough in assigning numerals a place number value on a sequential basis, called sexigesimal, with the number 60 being its base number. It is at the core today of our understanding of time(hour/minute), the circle as 360 degrees, and geographical coordinates like latitude and longitude.
ARCHITECTURE
With their advancements in mathematical concepts, it is not surprising that the ancient Mesopotamians led the way in developing critical architectural forms like the arch and the column.
Their architectural prowess took shape in some of the great buildings of antiquity, most famously the ziggurats used as temples. Unfortunately, due to the fact that their most frequently used building material was mud brick, little of their constructions remain today.
