Can you imagine a world without the wheel? No wheels would mean no cars, trains, or airplanes, and no machines or industry. In the absence of the wheel, the world would come to a standstill. We can thank the Babylonians for pioneering discoveries like the wheel, the chariot, and the sailboat, as well as the development of the first-known map, … Read more >>
Hammurabi, also known as Khammurabi, was the greatest emperor of Babylon and one of the greatest rulers in the world. He was the sixth emperor of the Amorites, and he inherited the throne from his father, Sin-Muballit. He was born in the city of Babylon in 1810 BC, now present-day Iraq. His contributions to the development of Babylon were outstanding. … Read more >>
The Sumerians lived in southern Babylonia from 4000 to 3000 BC and had strong spiritual beliefs. Their history is shrouded in mystery. We know that they were pantheistic and their gods were the personification of the elements and natural forces. The Sumerians believed that first there was the primeval sea that gave rise to a united heaven and earth. Between … Read more >>
When students or museumgoers are asked to name examples of art from ancient times, they frequently list examples from Egypt, Greece, or Rome. Depending on their country of origin, they might also include works from China and India. Historians generally consider the ancient period of Egypt to be from about 3150 BC to 332 BC, that of Greece from 1200 … Read more >>
Mesopotamia was situated between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and it was the first-known civilization. It covered parts of modern-day Kuwait, Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and regions along the Iran–Iraq and Turkish–Syrian borders. Mesopotamia has been ruled by many different people from the Sumerians and the Akkadians to the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC, Alexander the Great in 334 … Read more >>
The people of Mesopotamia were highly religious, and Mesopotamian scribes recorded more than a hundred gods and goddesses. The pantheon of gods in Mesopotamia was an extension of their culture and spiritual beliefs. Though the names of the gods differed among different Mesopotamian civilizations, their roles were the same. As time went on, the gods changed and developed. For example, … Read more >>
The Persian civilization can be considered one of the most scientific civilizations of the ancient world because of its many inventions. Now present-day Iran, Persia can be credited with such inventions as the refrigerator, the battery, and sulfuric acid, all of which were very advanced for the period. These inventions were simple and made use of the available resources in … Read more >>
We all think about doing something that we will be remembered for, and it is just the same for the ancient civilizations who brought us many inventions and innovations. The Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia were no exception and they invented many things that are a part of our daily life today, from mathematics to weaponry. So let’s have a look … Read more >>
The Mesopotamians were very religious, and their many civilizations shared the same deities with different identities and names. For example, Ishtar, the goddess of procreation, was known as Inanna among the Sumerian people. In order to throw some light on Mesopotamian mythology, here is a list of 10 goddesses from the Mesopotamian pantheon: 1. Ereshkigal or Irkalla, the Goddess of … Read more >>
The Epic of Gilgamesh stands out as one of the earliest-known pieces of writings in human history. It is an epic poem which narrates the story of the life of a man named Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was the King of Uruk, a majestic Sumerian city that is located in present-day Iraq. This historic piece of poetic literature actually predates Homer’s earliest … Read more >>