Intellectual Revolution

(Mesopotamia)

 Mesopotamia is a region of southwest Asia in the Tigris and Euphrates river

system that benefited from the area’s climate and geography to host the
beginnings of human civilization. Its history is marked by many important
inventions that changed the world, including the concept of time, math, the
wheel, sailboats, maps and writing.
 Mesopotamia is also defined by a changing succession of ruling bodies from
different areas and cities that seized control over a period of thousands of years.
 The word “mesopotamia” is formed from the ancient words “meso,” meaning
between or in the middle of, and “potamos,” meaning river. Situated in the fertile
valleys between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the region is now home to
modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey and Syria.
 Mesopotamia was home to some of the oldest major ancient civilizations,
including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Persians, Babylonians and Assyrians.

Writing

- Perhaps one of the most important advance made by the Mesopotamians was the
invention of writing by the Sumerians. With the invention of writing came the first
recorded laws called Hammurabi's Code as well as the first major piece of literature
called the Epic Tale of Gilgamesh.

Cuneiform

- The Sumerians developed the first form of writing called “cuneiform” to maintain
business records. It was mostly used in trade, where merchants recorded
information such as the amount of grain traded. The Mesopotamians also used
writing to record daily events like astronomy.
- Cuneiform evolved as a simple pictograph. For instance, the pictograph for a
horse might be a small image of a horse. The writer had to drag the tip of a stylus
across wet clay to create a shape. It was hard to remember every character and
it would take 12 years for a person to learn to write in cuneiform.
- The symbols were reduced to 600 words by 2900 BC and scribes (people who
were hired to write) eventually changed the writing from a drawn image to a
stamp or imprint using a reed stylus with a wedge-shaped tip. Cuneiform script
was used by the Assyrians, Elamites, Hittites, Babylonians, and Akkadians for
about 3,000 years.

The Wheel
- Although archeologists don't know for sure who invented the wheel, the oldest
wheel discovered was found in Mesopotamia. It is likely the Sumer first used the
wheel in making pottery and milling in 3500BC and then used it for their chariots
in around 3200 BC.

The Chariot

- Over time, humans learned to domesticate horses, bulls, and other useful
animals and the invention of the chariot or carriage followed on from their
domestication. The chariot was the first means of personal transportation, and
has been used for years in warfare, sport, and for general use. The structure of
the earliest chariots was from light wood with a bentwood rim.
- The first chariot appeared around 3200 BC in Mesopotamia and was adopted by
almost every civilization until motorized transportation came into existence.
Chariots were mainly used for personal transportation by royalty and the wealthy.

The Sailboat

- Transportation by land was difficult and took an enormous amount of time. The
Sumerians realized that transportation via sea would be a lot easier and more
convenient. The first boat was invented and used on rivers and needed to be
navigated by humans.
- The first sailboat was a simple, primitive design and aided in trade and
commerce. It was initially used to cross the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for fishing
and to explore other areas. The primitive sailboat was square in shape and the
sail was made of cloth. The direction of the sailboat couldn’t be changed. If the
wind didn’t blow in the direction they wanted to go, they had to wait for the wind
to change in their favor.

The Plow

- Humans learned to domesticate animals and use them to make daily life easier.
In Mesopotamia, man first harnessed the ox and developed the first plow called
the “ard.” The earliest plow was made of wood and was very heavy. The major
problem with the plow was that the dirt would stick to it and needed to be
removed manually. It also did not work in thick grass. The invention of the plow in
Mesopotamia helped the hunter-gatherer groups to stay in the same place and
use agriculture for food rather than hunting.

Mathematics

- The Sumerians were the first people on earth to develop the concept of counting.
The Mesopotamians used a number system with the base 60 (like we use base
 10). They divided time up by 60s including a 60 second minute and a 60 minute
hour, which we still use today. They also divided up the circle into 360 degrees.
- They also developed the sexagesimal system, or base 60. The sexagesimal
system helped to develop concepts like the 360-degree circle and the 12-month
year. They used 12 knuckles to count on one hand and another five fingers on
the other hand. The Babylonians used base 6 (our modern system uses base
10), where digits in the left column represent large values.
- The concept of zero was developed by the Babylonians. People understood the
value of having nothing, but the concept of numerical zero wasn’t invented before
then. Many scholars believed that the concept of zero was developed by the
Babylonians and followed and adapted by various civilizations throughout the
world. Some also argue it was originally invented in India.

Astronomy

- Using their advanced math, the Mesopotamian astronomers were able to follow
the movements of the stars, planets, and the Moon. One major achievement was
the ability to predict the movements of several planets. This took logic,
mathematics, and a scientific process.
- By studying the phases of the Moon, the Mesopotamians created the first
calendar. It had 12 lunar months and was the predecessor for both the Jewish
and Greek calendars.

The Map

- The oldest map was discovered in Babylonia around 2300 BC. Ancient
cartography used in Babylonia were simple sketches on clay tablets. One clay
map discovered in Mesopotamia illustrates the Akkadian region of Mesopotamia
(present-day northern Iraq). It covers a small area and was mostly used as a city
map for military campaigns, hunting, and trading.
- Even though the map was first invented in Mesopotamia, Greek and Roman
cartography became more advanced and the concept of a spherical earth
developed by the Greek philosophers in 350 BC allowed geographers to develop
the map further.

Urban Civilization

- Often known as the cradle of civilization, Mesopotamian developed the concept

of urbanization. For the first time in a history, humans started to settle in a
specific place. The invention of agriculture made it possible to feed more people
and animals living in a single location. People learned to trade, and the concept
of taxes was developed.
 - Mesopotamia emerged as one of the first cities of the world to be built with sun-
dried bricks. The urbanization in Mesopotamia started in the Uruk period (4300–
3100 BC) and the largest settlement in the history of mankind ever to be built
was done so using monumental mud-brick buildings around 3200 BC. The city
was surrounded by huge walls built by King Gilgamesh.

Medicine

- The Babylonians made several advances in medicine. They used logic and
recorded medical history to be able to diagnose and treat illnesses with various
creams and pills.

Conclusion

- Most of the inventions and discoveries of the ancient Mesopotamians became

more advanced in later civilizations. However, Mesopotamian inventions led to
very basic things that were needed for humans to settle in a group such as
writing, agriculture, and urban civilization.

References:

● https://www.ancient.eu/Mesopotamia/

● https://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/science_and_technology.php?
fbclid=IwAR2rE6hvVxrpSr36fAZAs7aoPZTPoMcjlto4gv-GvkztNP3ZsLrzm19n4Kk

● https://www.britannica.com/place/Mesopotamia-historical-region-Asia/The-
character-and-influence-of-ancient-Mesopotamia
● https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-
beginnings/ancient-mesopotamia/a/mesopotamia-article?
fbclid=IwAR0pMZY4nXBbO4wMt5434gltbINobk8vuw_chAREQaf_rLfQ2V4ffnEv1
dQ

● https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-east/mesopotamia?
fbclid=IwAR3AJL09bau_VMxweqVNYx3S0Nbn1XYsXL_bCCINPHEsMYCJw32Q
5IBy46g

● https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/mesopotamia-history/top-11-inventions-and-
discoveries-of-mesopotamia/?
fbclid=IwAR2EqKRsZaj7RlNcmDTMoqwLSA9NaOy4W3ZqUH9ZQlEr9nVQbMFd
-spw9mw

● https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-
beginnings/ancient-mesopotamia/a/mesopotamia-article

● https://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/science_and_technology.php

● https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/mesopotamia.htm l