History Notes - Mesopotamia

Meaning & Location  

- In Greek, Mesopotamia means “land between two rivers”.  

- Refers to the fertile valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in West Asia.  

Civilization  

- The Sumerian civilisation flourished in the lower valley of the Euphrates from 3500 BCE to 600 BCE.  

- Known as the earliest and most advanced urban culture.  

- Later absorbed by the Babylonians and finally the Assyrians.  

- Called the “Cradle and Grave of Many Civilizations”.  

Innovations  

- Script: Invented a system of writing known as cuneiform (wedge‑shaped).  

  - Found on clay tablets and stone artefacts.  

- Mathematics: Babylon used a base‑60 system.  

  - Legacy remains today:  

    - 360° in a circle  

    - 60 seconds in a minute  

    - 60 minutes in an hour  

- Calendar: Based on moon cycles.  

  - A month = days between two new moons.  

  - 12 cycles = 1 year.  

Regions  

- Babylonia and Akkad lay northeast of Sumer.  

- Assyria occupied the northern highlands.  

Interesting Facts  

- Mesopotamia’s mathematical system influenced modern times and geometry.  

- Their lunar calendar was one of the earliest attempts to organise time.