Mesopotamia
East of Egypt, society was also thriving in the fertile crescent between
the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Unlike the society of Egypt, Mesopotamia
was neither unified, nor structured. Numerous people fought for space
and supremacy, and innovation was necessary for survival. It was
in
Mesopotamia that the wheel was invented, Cuneiform
was created, and
the Law Code of Hammurabi was written.
Despite the lack of
permanancy, Mesopotamian cultures thrived, producing mighty Ziggurats
and spawning the world's first great work of literature: The
Epic of
Gilgamesh .
The Phonecians were the first successful shipbuilders, and they rapidly
adapted their culture to center around trade. Their need for accurate
record-keeping gave rise to Cuneiform, and
their wide-flung trade was
influential in mixing cultural elements around the Mediterranean.
