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Lower Mesopotamia

            Factors that contributed to the emergence of city-states in Lower Mesopotamia and the influence the landscape played in the formation of the civilization which emerged.
             For this essay I considered the question of what factors contributed to the emergence of city-states in Lower Mesopotamia and the influence the landscape played in the formation of the civilization which emerged. Through my research on this topic I found that there is much evidence to support the claim that landscape was a very large influence on the emergence of civilization and that most of the contributing factors were, in some way, linked to geography.
             In order to fully understand the topic, I first explored what the definition of civilization is. The first criterion for civilization, that I could think of, is domestication and an agricultural economy capable of producing a stored surplus. From this, I felt the need to examine the origins of Mesopotamian agriculture. .
             With the glacial retreat after the last ice-age (roughly 10000 BC) the Mesopotamian climate improved and many modern plants and animals began to become concentrated in specific areas. Around 9000 BC the vast majority of Mesopotamian peoples were hunter-gatherers. With the concentrations of plants and animals being in specific areas these hunter-gatherers soon began to domesticate those plants and animals and a sedentary village farming pattern arose. This became the predominant way of life around 6000 BC. This change from food collecting to food producing was one of the major transformations in human history. Early peoples no longer had to live the nomadic life of hunter-gatherers but could settle down in permanent housing and produce their own food. It also began an economic change that altered social and political institutions, religion, etc.
             Domestication is the process of altering plants and animals so that they are no longer bound to the natural habitats of their wild ancestors.


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1. Lower Mesopotamia

Factors that contributed to the emergence of city-states in Lower Mesopotamia and the influence the landscape played in the formation of the civilization which emerged. For this essay I considered the question of what factors contributed to the emergence of city-states in Lower Mesopotamia and the influence the landscape played in the formation of the civilization which emerged. ... In Mesopotamia the major domesticated species of plants were wheat, barley, chickpeas, peas, grapes, olives, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, apricots, dates, and figs. ... In the southern lowlands of Mesopotamia f...

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2. Mesopotamia: A civilization in Question

But, the question has risen, is their proof that Mesopotamia was a civilization? ... Mesopotamia was considered a civilization because it had writing and division of labor. ... The social class of Mesopotamia was diversified but not as strict as the "castes" of India. ... Priests, the "power behind the throne," they usually planned the kings days and interpreted his dreams, they were very respected and feared by the lower classes because they were thought to have power from the gods. ... Mesopotamia WAS a civilization. ...

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3. Egypt and Mesopotamia: 4000 to 3000BCE

The Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians developed city-states in Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE. ... In Mesopotamia, they had job specialization such as farmers, merchants, scribes, metallurgist, craftsmen, and political leaders. ... Women were less equal than lower class men because their work was not as valued as that of men. ... Egyptian women had a higher role than women in Mesopotamia and they were equal to men. ... Just as Mesopotamia used the Nile River for fertile soil and trade, the Egyptians took full advantage of the water. ...

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4. Mandala

This is similar to the four legs of Buddha that form steps of the lower terrace which represent four separate T-shape gate entrances. ... Mesopotamia, created the first form of writing, cuneiform. ... They were also the first civilization in Mesopotamia. ... The civilizations of Mesopotamia contributed morally, scientifically, and philosophically. ... In the early history, Mesopotamia consisted of city-states, which later led to centrally controlled empires. ...

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5. Q & A: The Bronze Age and Ancient Mesopotamia

The earliest use of cuneiform writing dates back to early Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C.E. ... Cuneiform writing was used outside Mesopotamia as well, most notably in Elam and by the Hittites. ... Menes was able to unite both Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom. ... Around the same time Egypt was being developed, civilization in Mesopotamia was growing. ... Some of the earliest known writings in the world come from Mesopotamia, giving Mesopotamia a reputation of being the Cradle of Civilization and therefore being regarded by some as the oldest known civilization. ...

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6. A Sense of Justice in the Ancient World

Being a slave of war or a lower class meant being subjected to crueler penalties. ... Though it may seem the Law codes were fair to the upper class, the lower classes were questioning the current laws. ... In Mesopotamia, laws were handed to the king directly by the god. ... In Mesopotamia three classes were the foundation of society. ... Perhaps, the reason for the downfall of Mesopotamia was the justice system itself. ...

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7. The First Civilizations

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8. Civilizations of the Ancient Western World: Comparison/Cont

The first major civilization was in an area called Mesopotamia, which means "the land between rivers". Mesopotamia is located in modern-day Iraq, sandwiched between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. ... Many civilizations in Mesopotamia, including Sumeria, rose and fell. ... The majority of people were commoners of the lower class, and at the bottom of the social system were slaves. ... Even after thousands of years, we still use a social class system where those on the top receive significantly more wealth and prestige than those in the middle or lower classes. ...

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9. An Overview of Ancient Sumer

Ancient Sumer, which included the land known as Mesopotamia, is considered the first human civilization. Mesopotamia, meaning "the land between two rivers," occupied land in what is today parts of Syria and Iraq. ... Mesopotamia, also known as the Fertile Crescent, was an ideal location for civilization to take root. ... One value held by the people of Mesopotamia was that of harsh punishment for offenders. ... Patricians were the upper class, and plebians the lower. ...

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