The first civilizations emerged between the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the first great civilizations of the Mediterranean area emerged in what we now refer to as the Near East. This region, which might seem peripheral to contemporary Europeans, was the birthplace of some of the earliest known civilizations between 4000 and 1200 BCE. These societies flourished in Mesopotamia, a land irrigated by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and extended into surrounding areas, covering what is now modern-day Iraq, Syria, and parts of Turkey. It was in these lands that the first cities were built, writing was invented, and humanity's earliest literary works were composed.
The kings, peoples, and cities of these ancient civilizations are mentioned in both the Bible and the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived much later, in the 5th century BCE. However, our true understanding of these cultures comes primarily from archaeological discoveries. Excavations in the region, which continue to this day, have unearthed a wealth of ancient cities, complete with their fortifications, palaces, pyramid-like temples called ziggurats, as well as storerooms, wells, cisterns, and ovens. Archaeologists have also found numerous clay tablets inscribed with written documents.
These documents mostly detail the genealogies and achievements of kings. Each major city had its own royal dynasty, but often, individual rulers would expand their power through conquests, establishing empires that either collapsed quickly or endured for centuries. The exploits of these conquerors and the peoples who lent their names to various kingdoms form the core of what we know today about the history of ancient Mesopotamia.

---

Last update: October 11, 2024

DONATE

Go to definitions: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z