Mesopotamians
Fertile Crescent inhabitants
Mesopotamians are the ancient peoples who lived in Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq and parts of Syria.
The term encompasses various civilizations—Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians—who developed early writing, cities, and legal codes.
The Mesopotamians invented cuneiform script.
In modern use, it sometimes appears as shorthand for ancient Near Eastern cultures generally.
Ancient southern Mesopotamian people
- AkkadiansAncient Semitic Mesopotamian civilization
- BabyloniansAncient Mesopotamian civilization
- AssyriansAncient Mesopotamian empire builders
- UrEarly Mesopotamian metropolis
Nineveh · Babylon · city-states · empires · dynasties · priest-kings · scribes · temples
Stylus-impressed ancient script
- wheelRotating circular frame
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- plowTool for turning soil
- bronzeCopper-tin alloy
canals · levees · aqueducts · astronomy · mathematics · calendar · metallurgy · sailboat
Ancient Babylonian king-legislator
- SargonAkkadian empire founder
- NebuchadnezzarChaldean dynasty monarch
- GilgameshMesopotamian epic protagonist
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
kingship · stele · conquest · empire · palace · Code of Hammurabi · royal inscriptions · tribute
Mesopotamian epic protagonist
- IshtarBabylonian goddess of love
- MardukBabylonian supreme deity
- AnuMesopotamian heaven deity
- TiamatSumerian primordial sea goddess
Enuma Elish · Epic of Gilgamesh · Utnapishtim · pantheon · underworld · demons · omens · divination
Artificial water supply for agriculture
- barleyGrain for malt
- wheatCereal crop for flour
- date palmsTrees yielding sticky-sweet drupes
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
silt · floodplain · Euphrates · Tigris · canals · levees · plow · harvest
Mesopotamian terraced temple structures
- BabylonAncient Mesopotamian capital
- NinevehAssyrian empire's seat
- templesHoly places or head sides
- city wallsFortified urban perimeter
canals · gates · Tell · ruins · excavations · archaeological sites
Sumerians
Ancient southern Mesopotamian people
- AkkadiansAncient Semitic Mesopotamian civilization
- BabyloniansAncient Mesopotamian civilization
- AssyriansAncient Mesopotamian empire builders
Ur · Nineveh · Babylon · city-states · empires · dynasties · priest-kings · scribes · temples · palaces
cuneiform
Stylus-impressed ancient script
- wheelRotating circular frame
- irrigationArtificial water supply for agriculture
- plowTool for turning soil
bronze · canals · levees · aqueducts · astronomy · mathematics · calendar · metallurgy · sailboat · potter's wheel
Hammurabi
Ancient Babylonian king-legislator
- SargonAkkadian empire founder
- NebuchadnezzarChaldean dynasty monarch
- GilgameshMesopotamian epic protagonist
dynasty · kingship · stele · conquest · empire · palace · Code of Hammurabi · royal inscriptions · tribute
Gilgamesh
Mesopotamian epic protagonist
Tiamat · Enuma Elish · Epic of Gilgamesh · Utnapishtim · pantheon · underworld · demons · omens · divination · epics
irrigation
Artificial water supply for agriculture
- barleyGrain for malt
- wheatCereal crop for flour
- date palmsTrees yielding sticky-sweet drupes
alluvium · silt · floodplain · Euphrates · Tigris · canals · levees · plow · harvest · farmers
ziggurats
Mesopotamian terraced temple structures
city walls · canals · gates · Tell · ruins · excavations · archaeological sites
- Bronze Age tradebarter, caravans, ingots, tin, copper
- Iron AgeCelts, Gauls, Hallstatt culture, hill forts, iron smelting
MesopotamiansEgyptians
North African Arab nation's people
Greeks · Romans · Chinese · Persians · Phoenicians
MesopotamiansEast Asians
People from China's region
Mesoamericans · South Americans · Pacific Islanders · Australasians · Northern Europeans
- ancient MesopotamiaEarly civilization between rivers