The Development of Messopotamian Civilization

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A: Certainly the development of Mesopotamian civilization could be considered progress. Or rather, the natural progression and implementation of human ingenuity to geographical stimuli. It is no surprise the rise of human civilization arose around fertile lands. It was in these areas that humans, a naturally social animal, were allowed to sustain population growth through the development of agriculture. The foundation of civilization rested on the ability to produce and sustain agricultural products that fueled the growth of populations in the area. In Mesopotamia, the salinated soil and irregular schedule of the flooding rivers made the development of civilization difficult, however through implementation of irrigation techniques, the populous of the Fertile Crescent was able to claw out some semblance of a life. From the development of irrigation, small communities of humans grew. With the growth of these communities, what we now identify with as traits of civilization arose. Things such as pictographs and social and communal norms grew into written language and written laws that were proliferated throughout the region. In addition, social stratification began to arise, distinguishing the more wealthy, ingenuitive, and charismatic members of the society from those who were not as lucky or able. A standardized form of compensation that developed from the barter of goods and services allowed infrastructure to and social strata to develop. And finally, inventions such as the potter’s wheel allowed the production of staples such as ceramics to be made and distributed with greater ease and efficiency. It would almost seem that civilization in Mesopotamia developed in spite of the conditions that characterized the area. The salinated soil supported famine; the geographical location of the region invited invades from every border, the river system that

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