What are some facts about Mesopotamia?
Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers, derives its name and existence from the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. About ten thousand years ago, the people of this area began the agricultural revolution. Instead of hunting and gathering their food, they domesticated plants and animals, beginning with the sheep. Between 3500 and 3000, for reasons still not well understood, the civilization of Southern Mesopotamia underwent a sudden growth and change, centered in the cities of Ur and Uruk. In this same period came the beginnings of writing, metrological systems and arithmetic. rom the Early Dynastic period comes the earliest Sumerian literature, including the epic poetry about Gilgamesh. The Early Dynastic period was brought to an end when Sargon (2334-2279) created the world’s first empire, stretching the length and breadth of the fertile crescent. The Ur III empire lasted for over a century (2112-2004) before falling to the violent incursions of nomadic Amorites. At the beginning of the ei
