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Researchers and archaeologists describe Mesopotamia as the cradle of civilization.

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It was the birthplace of agriculture, mathematics, the written word, the world's first cities,

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government, and even the simple invention that changed the world, the wheel.

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Not only were Mesopotamians extremely innovative and intelligent, they were also great artisans

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and architects.

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Mesopotamia was one of the oldest civilizations and also one of the longest lasting.

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It first began with the Sumerians in 3500 BC.

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The Akkadians followed the Sumerians, and they themselves were seceded by the Amorites.

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This civilization was alive and flourishing until 1500 BC.

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After this time, this great civilization went into decline,

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finally coming to an end somewhere around 700 BC.

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Mesopotamian art was created primarily for worship, the government, and personal use.

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It included everyday items like pottery and weapons, and status symbols like jewelry.

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Common characteristics of Mesopotamian art are the repetition of simple patterns and characters,

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and natural and religious symbolism.

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Popular materials used to create art were clay, precious metals, precious stones, and shells.

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When you look at Sumerian sculptures, you will find one really interesting aspect.

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They appear to be made primarily out of cones and cylinders.

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The arms and legs are smooth and rounded,

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and the skirts and garments are often found flaring into a conical shape.

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One fundamental intention of Mesopotamian art was to honor the gods and goddesses

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who ruled over different aspects of nature and important life events like love, war, and fertility.

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The central place of worship in Mesopotamia was the ziggurat,

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a stepped pyramid with stairs leading to an altar where worshippers would elevate themselves closer to the heavens.

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The earliest known ziggurat is the monumental Ziggurat of Ur, created around 2100 BC,

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and located in the same city as the epic hero Gilgamesh.

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This ziggurat was built to honor the moon god Anana, the patron god of the city-state.

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In 575 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar II commissioned the Ishtar Gate.

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The gate was constructed with brilliant blue glazed bricks

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meant to resemble the precious stone Lapis Lazuli

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and was decorated with colorful glazed paintings of powerful beasts.

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Ishtar was the goddess of love, fertility, and war,

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and by honoring and invoking her in the Ishtar Gates,

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Babylonians hoped for blessings and protection in these areas.

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Much like the Egyptians, the Mesopotamians believe that their rulers had a direct link to their gods.

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This is why many of their art pieces that depicted their kings and rulers showed them in a glorified manner.

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The importance that Mesopotamians gave to art is very clear when you see the Code of Hammurabi.

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This set of rules or guidelines which the ruler Hammurabi intended for his subjects to follow was presented in artistic form.

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These codes tell us that the Mesopotamians had an eye-for-an-eye system of justice.

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The codes were engraved into stone tablets and crowned with a sculpture showing Hammurabi in deep discussion with the divine.

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Hammurabi wanted his subjects to know that he came up with the code after consultation with the gods,

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so they would be more likely to follow the rules.

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Jewelry from this period also gives us the indication of how skilled the Mesopotamians were with metal.

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They made ankle bracelets, hair decorations, pendants, and amulets.

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These were sported by Mesopotamians belonging to every social class.

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The artistic skill of the Mesopotamians is evident in the delicate filigree work,

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engraving, etching, and several other techniques that were used to create their jewelry.

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Another accessory worn by wealthy Mesopotamians were cylinder seals invented around 3500 BC.

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sea. These stone cylinders were pierced lengthwise like beads and carved with a signature unique to

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their owner. Cylinder seals were worn on a string or pin as a status symbol and rolled across wet

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clay as a signature. It may not be wrong to say that the Mesopotamians attempted to glorify

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everything by means of artistic representation, whether it is the Hammurabi Code where the king

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is seen on friendly terms with the divine, the murals depicting the subject's greatness, or the

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complex gemstone and precious metal jewelry that people wore.

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Mesopotamian cuneiform was the world's first script impressed on clay tablets.

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The Egyptians would go on to develop this in their own system of hieroglyphs on papyrus.

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They would also adapt many elements of Mesopotamia's artistic legacy.

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Mesopotamia left an artistic legacy of stepped pyramid ziggurats, historical murals, and

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monumental sculptures.

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These paved the way for the Egyptians.