Example of a cylinder seal and the impression it made. Indication of Cypro-Minoan script. 14th century B.C.E.. At the Louvre.

This history site offers a wonderful lecture on Mesopotamian civilizations and culture. Includes links within the lecture to in-depth explanations of important ideas and people such as Cuneiform and Hannibal.

On this site, investigate the writing of Ancient Mesopotamia. Learn how the Sumerians invented the first writing system called cuneiform.

Image of CuCuneiform tablet.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Lesson in which students corroborate an excerpt from a cuneiform tablet and a passage from the Book of Kings about Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE to determine what happened.

Cuneiform cylinder from Sumeria.

Learning module considers the writing systems and literature of ancient Mesopotamia before the arrival of Christianity or Islam.

History and definition of writing, plus extensive information on the types, families, and regions of written languages. For each language, you'll find information on when and where it was used, the people who used it, and what it looked...

This site from the Classics Technology Center provides materials concerning ancient Mesopotamia collected through teacher collaboration. Focuses on geography, religion, economics, clothing, and achievements. Also includes classroom...

Brief biography of ancient writer Enheduanna.

This beautifully crafted site on Mesopotamia has selected information on Assyrian palaces and warfare, Babylonian astronomers, trade and transport and Sumer, Royal Tombs of Ur and Ziggurats.

This detailed article on the Sumerians provides information on Sumerian writing, myth, education, city-states, and artifacts. Part of a larger world history website, "The Land Between the Rivers," is an excellent introduction to the...

Information and examples of how the base 60 number system of the Babylonians worked in calculating problems similar to those we face today. Has a section comparing Pythagoras's theorem to Babylonian math.

A discussion of the number system used by the ancient Babylonians. Examples are provided for various mathematical operations based on the number 60 (our number system is based on the number ten).

A detailed account of the history and culture of Sumeria at this site from History World International. Includes section on language, writing, world view and religion.

Explore the images of this gallery and consider how increased productivity from the land, food surpluses, and swelling populations changed the types of communities that humans lived in.

Although many species note the passing of time, only our own species, Homo sapiens, is capable of sharing accounts, or memories, of past events and turning these into stories or "histories." This article traces the development of written...

Wonderful examples of student work and lessons on ancient Mesopotamia. Great way to generate ideas among students and teachers for projects.

Both fun and informative, this rich site from the Encyclopedia Phoeniciana explains the importance of the Phoenician alphabet for the development of world languages. Download a Phoenician font for yourself!

This site presents a pictorial timeline of technology developments.

A detail map of the portion of the Nile River near Memphis and Heracleopolis with its numerous pyramids and the Lake of Inundations during the twelfth dynasty, about 2100 BC. The map shows important historical cities and sites of the...

Bisotun is located along the ancient trade route linking the Iranian high plateau with Mesopotamia and features remains from the prehistoric times to the Median, Achaemenid, Sassanian, and Ilkhanid periods. The principal monument of this...

A tablet of dark brown clay, much injured, dating from the 8th or 7th century B.C. The two large concentric circles indicate the ocean, or, as it is called in the cuneiform writing between the circles, the 'Briny Flood.' Beyond the ocean...

Cuneiform writing from Assyria.