The Beginnings of Mesopotamian Civilization

Mesopotamian civilization is still believed to be the oldest civilization that ever existed on earth. However, the exact year marking its emergence remains unclear and controversial. Some strongly believe that it began around 5000 BC. However, this is not entirely accurate. When did Mesopotamian civilization first emerge? This article will attempt to explore the historical facts regarding the year of the Mesopotamian civilization's emergence. In this article, the author will not discuss aspects of scientific discoveries such as the calendar system, cuneiform writing, and other general aspects related to the Mesopotamian civilization. Why is that? Such information has already become mainstream knowledge widely known to the public.

Chronologically, Mesopotamian civilization began between 8000 and 3000 BCE. The civilization, which represents progress (intelligence, culture), can be divided into several phases and stages when associated with Mesopotamia. Etymologically, the term “Mesopotamia” derives from two Greek words: “meso,” meaning “between,” and “potamos,” meaning “river.” This is because, geographically, Mesopotamia is situated between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. In modern terms, Mesopotamia encompasses areas in modern-day Iraq, southeastern Turkey, and eastern Syria. More specifically, the Mesopotamian civilization, also known as the Sumerian civilization, stretched from northern Baghdad to the Persian Gulf and was located in Southwest Asia, referred to as part of the Fertile Crescent.

Source: Britannica

The first phase of Mesopotamian civilization began around 8000 BC. During this period, the Mesopotamian people began to build their civilization by planting cereals or wheat, raising animals, and living in permanent villages. Their society was small, independent, and egalitarian, with few differences in occupation or status. Thus, this phase was the early period of Mesopotamian civilization, characterized by agricultural activities and village development. According to data, this phase lasted until 5000 BCE. Interestingly, during this period, villages were small and scattered, typically estimated to be less than one hectare in size and capable of accommodating 100 to 300 people. These villages were located on the best agricultural land where farming activities could take place without irrigation. The Mesopotamian people of this period also raised sheep and goats. The first phase of Mesopotamian civilization began around 8000 BCE. During this period, the Mesopotamian people began to build their civilization by planting cereals or wheat, raising animals, and living in permanent villages; their society was small, independent, egalitarian, with few differences in occupation or status. Thus, this phase marked the early stages of Mesopotamian civilization, characterized by agricultural activities and village development. According to data, this phase lasted until around 5000 BCE. Interestingly, during this period, villages were small and scattered, typically estimated to be less than one hectare in size and capable of housing around 100 people.

In its development, by 5000 BC, Mesopotamian society began to become more modern, developing irrigation practices. They also developed modern agricultural complexes such as hybrid cereals with sheep, goats, cows, and domestic pigs. Additionally, by 5300 BCE, Mesopotamian society had already begun constructing temples. The discovery of a ziggurat, estimated to have been built around 5000 BCE and used as a place of worship, indicates that Mesopotamian society had indeed achieved a level of civilization. Furthermore, during the period from 4000 to 3000 BCE, Mesopotamian civilization continued to demonstrate its progress. During this period, the Mesopotamian people began to build cities. In fact, according to one source, during this period, cities grew rapidly and villages flourished. At that time, the development and progress of Mesopotamia were divided into two regions: northern and southern Mesopotamia.

Northern Mesopotamia developed more slowly than the cities in southern Mesopotamia. Archaeological data shows that the progress of southern Mesopotamia is indicated by the discovery of sites such as Eridu, Ur, Uqair, Tello, Uruk, Susa, Ubaid, Ras al-Amiya, and Hajji Mohammad. From these sites, evidence of the existence of Mesopotamian agriculture was found at Ras al-Amiya. Other archaeological discoveries from several remaining sites include temple architecture and pottery. Furthermore, excavations at sites such as Uruk, Khafajah, Kish, Ur, and Nippur reveal the unique fact that the scale of urbanism and the abundance of spectacular architectural and artistic features emerged after the 3000 BCE period. According to the data, the largest early dynastic site was Uruk, where 445 hectares of land were surrounded by city walls, while Khafajah covered 40 hectares and Ur 60 hectares.

There is an interesting fact about the relationship between religion and the existence of cities in Mesopotamia. The existence of temples and texts in 3000 BC indicates the important role of religion in Mesopotamian society. Meanwhile, the existence of cities is believed to be merely plantations of the gods, cultivated on their behalf by the Mesopotamian people. The temple centers themselves are estimated to have been established in 5000 BC. There is a theory that cities and temples are interconnected, supported by the idea that cities developed alongside the gathering of people for religious activities.

In addition, in some Mesopotamian settlements there are temples such as those in Khafajah, where temples are estimated to have existed since 4000 BC. Sumerian temples are large oval-shaped temples and are believed to have been able to accommodate the people within the city. The construction of the oval temple in Khafajah is estimated to have taken place around 2700 BCE. Within this oval temple, there are elongated walls enclosing several structures that are believed to have been used as storage areas, workplaces, and residences for officials. More uniquely, there is a ziggurat built on an artificial mound in Uruk, standing 13 meters tall and visible from several kilometers away.

Economically, the city centers of Mesopotamia functioned as centers of redistribution. According to one study, there was a close relationship between surplus production and the level of social stratification in Mesopotamia. In a redistribution economy, the greater the surplus, the greater the level of social stratification in society. At this time, Mesopotamian society was already familiar with the tribal chief system, which was considered to have advantages over the ordinary social classes. This was because tribal chiefs at that time were able to support themselves and their families, pay the wages of artisans, and purchase raw materials that could be transformed into artifacts such as jewelry and clothing that served to distinguish their rank from others. Other members of the official ruling family also benefited from the presence of tribal chiefs in terms of resources and were eventually recognized as having a social class entitled to special privileges. This social stratification was also linked to the developing system of occupational classification. In Mesopotamia, most of the surplus labor or food was used directly or indirectly to build and maintain temples. To survive and conduct transactions, Mesopotamian society collaborated through trade, barter, or other means with one another. This is a brief overview of Mesopotamian civilization.