Mesopotamia occupies a rich and arable area known as the fertile crescent. The name Mesopotamia comes from two Greek words meaning "the land between the rivers".
The Mesopotamian civilization is one of the first river valley civilizations on earth. Characteristics of this civilization include trading across long distances, advanced cities, specialized work force, a writing system, and the existence of new technology. To be titled as an "advanced city", there must be irrigation and set paths. The Mesopotamian writing system, Cuneiform, was created in order to keep record of commercial transactions. Technology used by Mesopotamian society consisted of the wheel, sail, plow, and bronze.
An additional factor in marking Mesopotamia as a civilization was a large population in comparison to the preceding hunter-gatherer societies.
A major contribution from Mesopotamia is The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest piece of literature in the world. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells readers a lot about Mesopotamian culture based on its core moral values. The story plays on archetypes, or universal themes, like death and courage.
Having a form of writing allowed Mesopotamians to study mathematics and astrology in depth, giving us knowledge and conventions that we still use today. For example, they are responsible for the twelve month calendar and the sixty minute hour (and sixty second minute).
The influence of Mesopotamia can also be seen in terms of borrowed themes and symbols, for flood stories as the one in The Epic of Gilgamesh are seen in the Bible as well as other cultural/religious texts. Furthermore, Mesopotamian gods were borrowed by early Hebrews.
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