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Ancient Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Civilization
An orientation to ancient Mesopotamia: the Tigris and Euphrates, irrigation farming, the main periods from Sumer to the Persian conquest, and why it matters.
Cradle of Civilization
Mesopotamia Overview
The land between the rivers and how its civilization began.
Ancient Mesopotamian Politics: The Rise and Fall of Empires
A timeline of Mesopotamian political power, from Sumerian city-states through Akkad, Ur III, Babylon, Assyria and Neo-Babylonia, and why each state collapsed.
The Ancient Mesopotamians: The Birthplace of Civilization
How ordinary Mesopotamians lived: mudbrick homes, barley and dates, beer and bread, crafts, marriage and family, and the social classes from free citizens to slaves.
The Ancient Mesopotamians: The First Civilization of the World
Was Mesopotamia the first civilization? What is well supported, such as early cities and cuneiform, and what is debated when compared with Egypt and the Indus.
Unveiling the Mysteries of Ancient Mesopotamia
Major Mesopotamian discoveries and open questions: the royal tombs of Ur, rediscovered Assyrian cities, undeciphered or unlocated places, and the looting problem.
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More in cradle of civilization
Sumerian Cities Uruk, Eridu, Ur and Nippur, the first great cities. Writing and Law Cuneiform and the earliest law codes. Myth and Art Gods, creation stories, the Gilgamesh epic and Mesopotamian art. Sumerian History The story of Sumer from early villages to the Ur III state and its rediscovery. Sumerian Innovations Farming, mathematics, technology and legal practice in Sumer. Ancient Crafts and Technology Metals, glass, cloth, concrete and the tools that built early civilizations. Women and Children in the Ancient World Family life, education and the women who shaped ancient history. Archaeology Methods and Dating The scientific tools used to date and reconstruct the ancient past.