CIVILIZATION Civilization consists of a large society with a common culture, settled communities, and sophisticated institutions, all of which presupposes a mastery of elementary (a) Literacy and (b) Numeration Mastery of the civilized arts was a minority pursuit (the priestly caste) in the early civilization. However, the very existence of these skills is significant because they made available a facility for recording and transmitting information that greatly enlarged the scope for innovation and speculative thought.

CIVILIZATION Civilization is a state of enlightenment or refinement of thought, mannerism or material progress. A civilized culture acknowledges co-existence of civilizations for the constructive purpose of humanity. “To recognize, indeed to celebrate, the equality of all civilizations is essential to the civilized life itself”. The great river civilizations of the Nile, Mesopotamia, Indus and the Chinese did not vie for supremacy over the other but co- existed often being interdependent for the development of mankind/humanity.

MESOPOTAMIA The Land between the two rivers– The Tigris and the Euphrates

MESOPOTAMIA Mesopotamia is present day Iraq in the Middle East. Mesopotamia was the centre of the origin of the cultural stream which went directly to Western Europe. City states and empires which developed in this area were similar to those developed later in Europe. The political and philosophical concepts of Mesopotamia constitute the basic principles of present western society.

PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA The main centre of Mesopotamia included several people of great historical importance. 1.Sumerians 2.Babylonians 3.Assyrians 4.Chaldeans

MESOPOTAMIA’S CONTRIBUTIONS In Mesopotamia man developed a society which included: 1.Writing – Cuneiform 2.Law – Code of Hammurabi 3.The worship of distinctive gods -- Ziggurat 4.A government of kings subordinate to the gods and laws. King shared his authority with an assembly of gods. The concept of democracy saw its birth in Mesopotamia.

CODE OF HAMMURABI

ZIGGURAT The three-stepped pyramid Ziggurats were three-stepped pyramid temples. Each city in Mesopotamia had a single ziggurat, dedicated to the patron deity of that city.

THE ZIGGURATS

THE ISHTAR GATE The Ishtar Gate was rebuilt by King Nebuchadnezzar three times. The walls have a decoration of magical animals moulded in relief in the brickwork. Bricks were glazed, yellow and brown animals against a blue background.

THE HANGING GARDENS The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were among the seven wonders of the ancient world. Nebuchadnezzar who became the King of Babylon in 605BC, built a mountain like garden called the Hanging Gardens.

ASTRONOMY The Babylonian Astronomers studied the stars and sky, and most could predict eclipses and solstices. They worked out a twelve-month calendar based on the cycles of the moon. They divided the year into two seasons: summer and winter. The origins of astronomy and astrology date from this time. The Mesopotamians used a sexagesimal numerical system, the base of which was 60. This is the source of the current 60 minute hour and 24 hour day, as well as the 360 degree circle.