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Question: Mesopotamia Ignored! Why!?
When we look at history, we seem to always start with Egypt, Grrece or even Rome!.
Considering Mesopotamia was first, why is it ignored!?
The Sumerians, and the Akkadians( aka Assyrians & Babylonians) who absorbed them invented; Writing, The Wheel, Mathematics, Beer, Chronology/Calendar (breaking time into years, months, days hours etc), Astronomy, Astrology, The Worlds first Schools, Libraries,Advanced Irrigation and Zoological and Botanical Gardens, First Organised Medicine and Civil Service, First written Legal Codes,Cook Books, Coinage, Seige Engine, Battering Ram, Heavy Cavalry, Flotation Bags, Military Sappers, First City States, First Empires, Professional Armies, Postal System, The Battery and amazing Architecture, Sculpture and Jewellery, not to mention ancient mths and legends such as the Flood Story!.
And in the Christian period, Assyrian(aka Nestorian) priests spread christianity, in Aramaic, as far afield as India, China, Mongolia and Central Asia long before the EuropeansWww@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Actually, in my Western Civilizations class my very first semester of university (way back when) the first civilizations we studied were those which sprang up in Mesopotamia!. We even had to read a translation of the flood story!.!.!.I forget what it's called!.!.!.Gilgamesh or something like that, if I remember!. I think it all depends on your teacher and the textbook on whether Mesopotamia gets covered or not!. As far as there being a lack of books on Mesopotamia in general, I'd concur!. After reading your question, I thought back on my times browsing through the history section of bookstores - now I don't recall having ever seen any books on Ancient Mesopotamian history!Www@QuestionHome@Com
As a lad in the 5th grade(in the US) we did go over Mesopotamia in our 'social studies' class!. However, you are correct, civilization begins in Sumeria and that doesn't get alot of exposure in the West outside of Anthropology!. So in answer to your question, why is it so!?
Well, Western civilization hails from its Greco-Roman heritage!. It was the rediscovery of this heritage that became the Renaissance, and the Renaissance laid the framework for the Enlightenment!. The 'Age of Enlightenment' is still ongoing and, in the West, represents the Western 'way of life'!. So its the geneology leading up to the 'Enlightenment' in the West that is focused upon!. And by extension, the Greeks and the Romans!.
Egypt is not related to this in any way whatsoever!. On its own, Ancient Egypt is simply more popular in the West than Babylon because 'Tut Fever' simply captured the Western imagination to a greater extent!.
So to sum it up, the placement of Ancient Greece and Rome is Eurocentric and relevant to Western heritage!. Its not an objective 'ranking' of all the ancient civilizations of the world!. For Mesopotamia/Babylon to get more exposure, it needs to capture public imagination in the West in the same way Ancient Egypt and Feudal Japan have!. Hope this helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
The reason that it sometimes gets a low billing is that it is not rich in monuments, unlike the other places you mentioned!. Mespot has little building stone and the Sumerians etc used mud-brick, which washes away and disintegrates over time!. Even the large monuments that have survived, eg the Ziggurat of Ur, look a bit crumbled away!. Saddam went in for heavy restoration, but that stuff never convinced anyone!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Well, in my grade 7 year that was actually the first thing studied and I had to make a huge project for it!. There were like loads of books in the public library about it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Sorry, don't know what your on about!. I've known about them for a long time!. also you do seem to be contradicting yourself, read it back carefully!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I never knew most of that even though I read a lot of history, as you say why isn't this written about more widely !?
Any books you could recommend on this subject !?Www@QuestionHome@Com
My history course at school started with the fertile crescent and all the things you list!.
This may vary between countires (I'm in the UK)!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
We studied the fertile crescent in elementary school, O lawgiver!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I don't think it is ignored; I have read many books on the subject, both seriously academic and a little lighter in nature, it is also from time to time mentioned in fiction (admittedly in fantasy history but still)!.
It is just that to the vast majority of people who do not have more than a passing interest in history, the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, etc are usually the more 'populist' subjects to look at, and often the most easily accessible for laymen!. But for those who take more interest in the subject of world history, particularly fields like biblical archeology, cultures of the middle east, etc etc eventually start to read about other cultures, including this one!.
I think you are slightly off in your facts too, although yes they were a very advanced civilisation without a doubt, who was to say they were the first!? There is no exact evidence and there are many theories to state otherwise!. also where so you get your evidence for flotation bags, batteries!. etc!? What!? And lastly, the lood myth, again who is to say they were the first!? The flood myth is present in almost every ancient culture in some form or another, not just ancient mesopotamia, obviously an event occured that effected many global populations and left behind a legend of a great flood swallowing life and civilisation!. This event to have such a grand scale must have had at least a shred of fact to it, therefore why was it already a myth and legend by the time of the 'first' culture!?Www@QuestionHome@Com