For centuries, even millennia the Mesopotamian culture has been considered one of the first civilizations. But, the question has risen, is their proof that Mesopotamia was a civilization? Do we have concrete evidence to support the fact? Well, we have to analyze the culture point by point. Did it have organized government and religion? Did it have an actual writing system? Was its social class organized? Did it have diversified labor? Ok, lets take it from the top.
Writing and division of labor, two of the basic necessities of any civilized place in the world. Mesopotamia was considered a civilization because it had writing and division of labor. Proof? First off, many tablets have been found with thousands of wedge shaped marks, which after much study have been deemed as cuneiform, the basic writing system of the Mesopotamians. Of course that doesn't support division of labor, but if we actually think about it, Mesopotamia had to have divison of labor if it had writing. Not everyone could stay at home and write, someone had to work the fields and the cattle. Therefore we know that by educating some people to write, and others to farm, the Mesopotamians were establishing a division of labor. But is there more proof? Why of course, look at the temples, the ziggurats. Someone had to build them, and we all know that it takes a masonry specialist to costruct something of that size and grandeur. Speaking of temples, they not only supported the divison of labor theory but were also the very heartbeat of another aspect of civilization: Organized religion.
Organized religion is essential to every culture, or should I say civilization. The Mesopotamians had many ziggurats or temples, which they used to offer sacrifices to their gods. Although they were polytheistic they had common beliefs about the underworld. The priests were considered messengers from the gods and the common people would take their offering to the priests, regardless of which god it was to be offered to.
