Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia
So far as we now know, "civilization," in the sense of "living in cities," first emerged in the Middle East at least 6,500 years ago. The oldest-known and longest-lived urban areas there include Eridu and Uruk (home of Gilgamesh), located in what is now southern Iraq. This collection includes resources for exploring the foundation, growth, and persistence of the long history of "Mesopotamia" (literally, "between the rivers") - the lands watered by the Tigris and Euphrates.
Site Name Keywords
Lagash •
Telloh •
Uruk •
Ubaid •
Ur •
Girsu •
Tell Abu Shahrain •
Warka •
Tell Al Hiba •
Basra
Site Type Keywords
Domestic Structure or Architectural Complex •
Settlements •
Town / City •
Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features •
Agricultural or Herding •
Agricultural Field or Field Feature •
Canal or Canal Feature •
Water Control Feature •
Road, Trail, and Related Structures or Features •
Non-Domestic Structures
Other Keywords
complex societies •
Cultural Ecology •
Riparian Communities •
Riparian •
Irrigation Canal System •
Landscape Evolution •
Riparian Vegetation •
Malacology •
Image Analysis •
Marsh Environment
Culture Keywords
Mesopotamian •
Ubaid •
Uruk •
Islamic •
Babylonian •
Proto-Sumerian •
Abbasid
Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview •
Reconnaissance / Survey •
Environment Research •
Consultation •
Data Recovery / Excavation •
Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis •
Research Design / Data Recovery Plan •
Site Evaluation / Testing •
Systematic Survey •
Ethnographic Research
Material Types
Ceramic •
Dating Sample •
Shell •
Fauna •
Building Materials •
Macrobotanical •
Pollen •
Wood
Temporal Keywords
Early Dynastic •
Ubaid Period •
Uruk Period •
Sumerian
Geographic Keywords
IQ (ISO Country Code) •
Republic of Iraq (Country) •
Asia (Continent) •
Maysan (State / Territory) •
Dhi Qar (State / Territory) •
Iraq •
Al Qadisiyah (State / Territory) •
An Najaf (State / Territory) •
Wasit (State / Territory) •
Mesopotamia