ANCIENT CIVILIZATON OF MESOPOTAMIA                                         

HISTORY

 Mesopotamia  is a name for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, corresponding to modern-day Iraq, the northeastern section of Syria and to a lesser extent southeastern Turkey and smaller parts of southwestern Iran.

 In the Iron Age, it was controlled by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires. Mesopotamia became a battleground between the Romans and Parthians, with parts of Mesopotamia coming under ephemeral Roman control.

 The history of  Ancient Near East begins in the Lower Paleolithic period .With the Arab Islamic conquest of Mesopotamia and the establishment of the Caliphate in the late 7th century AD, from which point the region came to be known as Iraq. The region was one of the four riverine civilizations where writing was invented , along with the Nile valley in Egypt, the Indus Valley in the Indian subcontinent, and Yellow River valley in China

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GAMES

Hunting was popular among Assyrian kings. Boxing and wrestling feature frequently in art, and some form of polo was probably popular, with men sitting on the shoulders of other men rather than on horses. They also played majore, a game similar to the sport rugby, but played with a ball made of wood. They also played a board game similar to senet and backgammon, now known as the "Royal Game of Ur."

KINGS

The Mesopotamians believed their kings and queens were descended from the City of Gods, but, unlike the ancient Egyptians, they never believed their kings were real gods. Most kings named themselves “king of the universe” or“greatking”. Another common name was “shepherd”, as kings had to look after their people.

Medicine

The oldest Babylonian texts on medicine date back to the Old Babylonian period in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. The most extensive Babylonian medical text, however, is the Diagnostic Handbook written by the  chief scholar, Esagil-kin-apli of Borsippa, during the reign of the Babylonian king Adad-apla-iddina .

Along with contemporary Egyptian medicine, the Babylonians introduced the concepts of diagnosis, prognosis, physical examination, and prescriptions. In addition, the Diagnostic Handbook introduced the methods of therapy and aetiology and the use of empiricism, logic, and rationality in diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.

Language and writing

One of the Nimrud ivories, Neo-Assyrian period, 9th to 7th centuries BCThe earliest language written in Mesopotamia was Sumerian, an agglutinative language isolate. Aramaic, which had already become common in Mesopotamia, then became the official provincial administration language of first the Neo Assyrian Empire, and then the Achaemenid Persian Empire.

Technology

Mesopotamian people invented many technologies including metal and copper-working, glass and lamp making, textile weaving, flood control, water storage, and irrigation. They were also one of the first Bronze age people in the world.  Also, copper, bronze, and iron were used for armor as well as for different weapons such as swords, daggers, spears, and maces.

 Art&Architecture

The art of Mesopotamia rivalled that of Ancient Egypt as the most grand, sophisticated and elaborate in western Eurasia from the 4th millennium BC until the Persian Achaemenid Empire conquered the region in the 6th century BC. The main emphasis was on various, fortunately very durable, little painting has survived, but what has suggests that painting was mainly used for geometrical and plant-based decorative schemes, though most sculpture wasalsopainted. 

The Protoliterate period, dominated by Uruk, saw the production of sophisticated works like the Warka Vase . Sculptures from the Sumerian and Akkadian period generally had large, staring eyes, and long beards on the men. Many masterpieces have also been found at the Royal Cemetery at Ur , including the two figures of a Ram in a Thicket, the Copper Bull and a bull's head on one of the Lyres of Ur.

                                                              

From: MESOPOTAMIANS