Preface
The series Crossroads in World History focuses attention on significant turning
points in world history: the emergence of civilization in ancient Mesopota-
mia was the first and probably the most significant of these.
Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, lies mainly
in what is now Iraq, extending into and interacting with other parts of West
Asia. The region today is ravaged by war, as so often in the past. Here civiliza-
tion has its origins, the source of many of the inventions, institutions, and
ideas fundamental to the world’s development. Mesopotamia’s contribution
to mathematics, literature, medicine, astronomy, technology, architecture,
and art is enormous, and it was here that writing itself was invented. Under-
standing how civilization emerged is of key importance to understanding our
own world.
A timeline and a more detailed overview outline Mesopotamia’s history,
providing the context against which the main part of the book can be consid-
ered. Sixty entries together paint a picture of Mesopotamian civilization.
Some look at aspects of its technology, knowledge, and culture, such as its
remarkable works of art and architecture. Five detail the events of critical
periods in Mesopotamia’s development. Others examine its institutions and
practices, which provoke interesting questions about the workings of society
and its political and economic systems, now as then: these include currency
and finance, slavery, and the responsibilities of rulers. One discusses what the
Mesopotamians themselves understood by civilization: a nuanced picture.
A quoted text enumerates the elements of civilization in the Mesopotami-
ans’ own words: it is one of twenty primary texts that open a contemporary
window onto their world. These reflect their speculations on the nature and
purpose of the world around them; their justifications for armed conflict;
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