An Inventive Society
The ancient Mesopotamians were a highly inventive people who created many innovations. They not only invented the seeder plow, but also developed writing, irrigation and sanitation techniques, the concept of zero, glass, and the arch, column, and dome. They transformed transportation around 3500 BC by inventing the wheel and were among the first to harness the wind as an energy source by using the sail.
Their invention of writing was, in short, a miracle. It allowed messages to be carried to distant places without having to rely on a messenger's memory. Writing emerged because there was a need for it. In Mesopotamia, there are texts that served as "copy books" for future scribes. Eventually, people say, cuneiform script was used to produce some of the greatest literary works in recorded history.
Hammurabi was one of the first rulers to create laws that applied to all people. Specific offenses were described with a record of what the penalties were. In the Hammurabian code is a very long prologue, stressing the gods' appointment of Hammurabi as the ruler of his people. Hammurabi's role was to act as guardian and protector of the weak and powerless, and to pay care and attention to the specific needs of the patron deities of the many cities in his area of power.
The seeder plow, invented by the Mesopotamians, was a major technological achievement. It changed agriculture by carrying out the tasks of seeding and plowing simultaneously. Seed was dropped down the middle funnel into the hole that the plow created. The ancient Mesopotamians believed that the god Enlil created the seeder plow and that the image of the plow could also be seen in the stars. They discovered that by observing the movements of celestial bodies they could measure time, which was key for planting crops and for holding religious festivals. Their astronomical observations still aid today's scientists.
Their invention of writing was, in short, a miracle. It allowed messages to be carried to distant places without having to rely on a messenger's memory. Writing emerged because there was a need for it. In Mesopotamia, there are texts that served as "copy books" for future scribes. Eventually, people say, cuneiform script was used to produce some of the greatest literary works in recorded history.
Hammurabi was one of the first rulers to create laws that applied to all people. Specific offenses were described with a record of what the penalties were. In the Hammurabian code is a very long prologue, stressing the gods' appointment of Hammurabi as the ruler of his people. Hammurabi's role was to act as guardian and protector of the weak and powerless, and to pay care and attention to the specific needs of the patron deities of the many cities in his area of power.
The seeder plow, invented by the Mesopotamians, was a major technological achievement. It changed agriculture by carrying out the tasks of seeding and plowing simultaneously. Seed was dropped down the middle funnel into the hole that the plow created. The ancient Mesopotamians believed that the god Enlil created the seeder plow and that the image of the plow could also be seen in the stars. They discovered that by observing the movements of celestial bodies they could measure time, which was key for planting crops and for holding religious festivals. Their astronomical observations still aid today's scientists.