Mesopotamia

Welcome to our Mesopotamia website! Mesopotamia is located in the eastern Mediterranean. It is known as the “cradle of civilization” due to its early development of agriculture in writing and complex societies. The region was home to several ancient civilizations, like the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. The first people settled in Mesopotamia. By 14,000 B.C. people lived in small settlements. Within the five thousand years that followed, these settlements turned into huge farming communities, following the development of agriculture and the domestication of animals. Specifically, they developed more modern techniques that were capitalized on the nearby rivers.

The Sumerians of the lower part of Mesopotamia founded the first cities, created writing, developed poetry, and created very large architectural buildings. As we look into Mesopotamian art, mainly architecture and sculpture, we can better understand the way they made of the people who lived in the land at this time and how it encouraged other cultures to follow with what they were doing.The artwork that came out of this civilization is very fascinating because of its rich history, which was influenced by its very large structure, organized religion, and natural environment.

The word Mesopotamia comes from the ancient words “mesos,” meaning between, and “potamos,” meaning river.  What is kind of funny is that the word, “potamos” kind of looks like it would spell potatoes, but rivers and potatoes have nothing to do with each other.  (HA)

Timeline