In the period from IV to II millennium BC on the vast territory, starting from the Mediterranean Sea and ending with the Pacific Ocean, the emergence of ancient civilizations began. Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Chinese civilization originated independently of each other.

Ancient Mesopotamia is also called Mesopotamia. This is a historical and geographical region located in the valley of two rivers - the Tigris and Euphrates. Its climate was characterized by heterogeneity.

Mesopotamia climate features

In the northern part, with the onset of winter, it was snowing. And for spring and autumn, rains were typical. The duration of the summer was six months. The temperature sometimes reached 60 degrees. It is noteworthy that the rainfall was negligible. Moreover, their significant share was in the winter.

From the Persian Gulf, the wind drove large waves to the shore. As a result, the water level in the rivers rose - and floods occurred. It is worth noting that the legend of the global flood originated precisely on the territory of Mesopotamia.

The climate features of this region served as a favorable condition for the emergence of civilization. Moreover, it was distinguished by fertile soil.

From an economic point of view, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers became a kind of unifying element for the peoples living in this territory. But they did not have any impact on the ethno-political diversity in the region.In Mesopotamia, a change of state regularly took place. From time to time, representatives of different nationalities came into enmity with each other. Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Chaldeans were replaced by Persians and Greeks.

In civilization, there were no boundaries created by nature that could protect local residents from robbers from nearby tribes. If we compare the region with Egypt, it was constantly subjected to the invasion of nomads.

Moreover, the formation of the Mesopotamian civilization was carried out during the heyday of polycentrism. Leadership is constantly changing. Although the ethnos, culture and religion acted as a kind of bonding link for the region.

Minerals Mesopotamia

In the northern part of the Mesopotamia, deposits of elements such as lead, tin and iron could be found. The mountain areas were famous for their abundance of stone. The Sumerians managed to get copper without any impurities. They made dishes, axes and lamps.

Date palm - the main tree of the region. Its fruits are very tasty and nutritious. However, the quality of the wood left much to be desired. In ancient times, hundreds of useful qualities of this plant were known. Moreover, many of them are reflected in literary works, religion and art. In ancient Mesopotamia, the date palm was considered sacred. It was she who served as the prototype of the tree of life.

The mentality of the inhabitants

Ancient Mesopotamia was distinguished by a special mentality. The main priority was the physical well-being of every member of society.It is worth noting that the fundamental concepts were joy and suffering. Each person was aimed at increasing the first and, accordingly, reducing the second. Surprisingly, such views did not lead to self-centeredness among the population.

Medicine in Mesopotamia

Medicine in Mesopotamia failed to demonstrate outstanding successes and achievements. This is partly due to the peculiarity of ideas about the ethics and responsibility of doctors. For example, if during the operation the patient was injured or had more serious consequences, then the doctor lost his arm. It is for this reason that treatment based on conspiracies and spells has gained particular popularity.

Religion of Mesopotamia

The Sumerians created the key points of the religion of Mesopotamia. For the formation of civilization, a very important role was played by temples. Moreover, they represented not only the place where they serve, worship God and offer sacrifices. It was in the temples that the products were stored. In such barns, residents brought part of the grain to protect themselves in case of any disaster.

The vault was considered sacred. There was bread in it, serving as the basis of life. Consequently, divine powers were present in such places. This is the position that the population of the region adhered to. Farmers believed that religion and economy cannot be separated.

Sumerian Discoveries

Of course, it is worth noting that one of the most serious discoveries of the Sumerians was the verbal-syllabic cuneiform writing. It used the so-called "rebus" principle.It consists in the fact that the sign, which originally denoted a monosyllabic word, was the corresponding syllable in any word. Literacy was widely spread in Mesopotamia; it was highly valued.