Mesopotamia

Ever wonder when the first written records appeared, when the wheel was invented, or where our modern counting system came from? Believe it or not, these and many other innovations – like glass, farming, complex legal systems, and basic astronomy – came from one civilization, the very first: Mesopotamia. For kids who want to discover the roots of modern–day life, this issue is key. What most people don’t know is that Mesopotamia includes the Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian empires, which followed one after another, from 3500 B.C. to 612 B.C., and all failed for different reasons.

But in the meantime, Mesopotamia was a hotbed of invention and innovation: Artisans, politicians, and priests produced an incredible number of scientific advances and new ways of thinking that continue to shape our lives today. In Mesopotamia, kids can investigate how the religious beliefs, myths, and temples of the time – like the famed Tower of Babel, are mirrored in other histories of the period, like the Bible. The development of writing in Mesopotamia, for kids, is also covered in detail, from the clay invoices and cuneiform alphabet used during the Sumer regime to the sophisticated library system created by the Assyrians. Lastly, kids will see how Mesopotamia was unearthed by intrepid explorers and archaeologists, who brought all the wonders of this region, now part of modern Iraq, to light.

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