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Questions and Answers
What was the name of the land in the beginning of recorded history, mainly in the urbanised south?
What was the name of the land in the beginning of recorded history, mainly in the urbanised south?
In which region did the kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean, northern Syria, and Turkey adopt the Mesopotamian writing system and literature after 2000 BCE?
In which region did the kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean, northern Syria, and Turkey adopt the Mesopotamian writing system and literature after 2000 BCE?
When did the Assyrians establish their kingdom in the north?
When did the Assyrians establish their kingdom in the north?
What was the first known language of the land?
What was the first known language of the land?
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When did Aramaic become widely spoken in the region?
When did Aramaic become widely spoken in the region?
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What was the significance of Mesopotamia to Europeans?
What was the significance of Mesopotamia to Europeans?
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What was the name of the city mentioned in the Book of Genesis as a land of brick-built cities?
What was the name of the city mentioned in the Book of Genesis as a land of brick-built cities?
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When did archaeological excavations begin in Mesopotamia?
When did archaeological excavations begin in Mesopotamia?
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Study Notes
City Life in Mesopotamia
- City life began in Mesopotamia, the land between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, now part of the Republic of Iraq.
- Mesopotamian civilization is known for its prosperity, city life, literature, mathematics, and astronomy.
Spread of Mesopotamian Writing and Literature
- Mesopotamia's writing system and literature spread to the eastern Mediterranean, northern Syria, and Turkey after 2000 BCE.
- Kingdoms in this region wrote to each other and to the Pharaoh of Egypt in the language and script of Mesopotamia.
Regions of Mesopotamia
- The land was initially called Sumer and Akkad.
- After 2000 BCE, the term Babylonia was used for the southern region.
- From about 1100 BCE, the region became known as Assyria when the Assyrians established their kingdom in the north.
Languages of Mesopotamia
- The first known language of the land was Sumerian.
- Sumerian was gradually replaced by Akkadian around 2400 BCE.
- Akkadian flourished till about Alexander's time (336-323 BCE), with some regional changes.
- From 1400 BCE, Aramaic also emerged, becoming widely spoken after 1000 BCE.
- Aramaic is still spoken in parts of Iraq.
Archaeology in Mesopotamia
- Archaeology in Mesopotamia began in the 1840s.
- Excavations continued for decades at sites like Uruk and Mari.
- Thousands of written documents and hundreds of artifacts (buildings, statues, ornaments, graves, tools, and seals) are available as sources.
Mesopotamia's Significance to Europeans
- Mesopotamia was important to Europeans due to references in the Old Testament.
- The Book of Genesis refers to 'Shimar', meaning Sumer, as a land of brick-built cities.
- Europeans saw Mesopotamia as a kind of ancestral land, leading to an attempt to prove the literal truth of the Old Testament through archaeological work.
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Description
Learn about the development of city life in Mesopotamia, its prosperity, and the spread of its writing system and literature to the eastern Mediterranean.
