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Mesopotamian Life

Welcome to our exploration of Mesopotamian life, where we delve into the intricacies and daily experiences of the people who inhabited the ancient land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

In this section of our website, we invite you to step into the world of Mesopotamian life, where each article unveils a different facet of the ancient society. From social structures and family life to economy, art, and education, we uncover the tapestry of daily existence that shaped the lives of Mesopotamians.

Ninurta
27 October, 2018 - 18:52 Caleb Strom

Ninurta: God of War and Agriculture

Ninurta was a Mesopotamian deity associated with war, agriculture, and the scribal arts. He could be thought of as a defender of civilization against chaos. Ninurta was originally revered in southern...
The Exceptional Inscription on the Pokotia Monument – Evidence of Sumerian Script in Bolivia?
15 May, 2017 - 14:05 Clyde Winters

The Exceptional Inscription on the Pokotia Monument – Evidence of Sumerian Script in Bolivia?

There is a very intriguing inscription on the back of the Pokotia Monolith. What makes it stand out is that it was written in linear Sumerian. Even more exciting is that it provides further evidence...
exorcism
15 March, 2019 - 15:37 Dr. Heather Lynn

Demonic Exorcisms in the Temple Schools of Mesopotamia

In the temple-schools of Mesopotamia , students learned exorcism rituals, how to mix healing atonements, perform astrology, and how to cure demonic possession. While these skills may seem archaic now...
Sorcerer in hood standing in front of an ancient destructed Babylon tower with flood, fire & hurricane illustration
16 February, 2019 - 18:52 Sarah P Young

Mesopotamian Magic: Ancient Tablets Reveal a World of Witches, Sorcerers and Exorcists

Ancient Mesopotamia was a vast region in Western Asia which has become known as the ‘cradle of civilization’ due to the huge number of feats the culture achieved. Agriculture, animal herding, and...
Fall of the Titans". Oil on canvas by Jacob Jordaens, (1638) (Public Domain)
16 February, 2022 - 16:00 Willem McLoud

Were All The Nephilim Giants Or Men Of Renown?

It is often assumed that the biblical ‘Nephilim’ were all Giants. The Nephilim, however, entail much more and can be traced back to a much richer tradition found in ancient Mesopotamia about the...
Lady with an elegant headdress
11 August, 2019 - 20:48 Weam

Ningal: The Mesopotamian Goddess Awakening Female Mysticism

In the city of Ur, where the first settlements in the marshes of southern Mesopotamia were built with reeds without any type of nails or woods, Ningal was born to Ninhursag and Enki. Her name means...
Plate 1: Australian eastern seaboard (Google Earth), Statue of Garuda (Hyougushi / Hideyuki KAMON from National Museum in Delhi, India/CC BY-SA 2.0) and Tamil inscriptions, Tamil Nadu. (Shivz Photography/CC BY 2.0) Deriv.
6 December, 2017 - 22:49 William James Veall

History’s Lost Transoceanic Voyages: Tamils and Sumerians Among the FIRST to Reach Australia and Antarctica?— PART II

Regarding interesting inscriptions and shapes found by satellite archaeology, revealing what might be ancient human occupation on the continent of Antarctica, author William James Veall writes that...
Illustration of city in Mesopotamia.
25 August, 2018 - 21:14 dhwty

The Great City of Uruk Became Sumerian Powerhouse of Technology, Architecture and Culture

Home to Gilgamesh, Uruk was the major force of urbanization and state formation during the 4th millennium BC. In Epic of Gilgamesh , the king is said to have built the city’s monumental walls. There...
Cuneiform tablet containing details about infertility. Credit: Istanbul Archaeology Museum
10 November, 2017 - 19:00 aprilholloway

4,000-Year-Old Assyrian Tablet Makes First Known Infertility Diagnosis and Recommends Slave Surrogate

A 4,000-year-old Assyrian tablet discovered in central Kayseri province, Turkey, is an ancient marriage contract with the first known diagnosis of infertility. The clay record says that the wife...
Mesopotamian god
26 March, 2019 - 12:53 dhwty

Utu - Shamash: Mesopotamian God of the Sun, Justice and the Underworld

Utu was a solar deity and god of justice in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon, and also served as a judge in the Underworld. Whilst Utu was the god’s name in Sumerian, he was known in Akkadian as...
Standard of Ur, 26th century BC, "War" panel.
17 June, 2016 - 15:53 Cam Rea

The Sumerian Military: Professionals of Weaponry and Warfare

Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, lies a land once known as Mesopotamia. It was here that humanity found suitable land to rip open and seed. Once the seeds took root, civilization was born...
Mesopotamian relief of Assyrian warriors. Credit: kmiragaya / Adobe Stock
14 January, 2021 - 23:08 Sarah P Young

Ancient Mesopotamia and the Rise of Civilization

In ancient times, Mesopotamia, meaning ‘land between two rivers’, was a vast region that lay between the Tigris and Euphrates river systems, and it is where civilization emerged over 7,000 years ago...
Darius the Great receiving greetings and gifts from governors and ambassadors. Relief from Persepolis, Iran
22 March, 2015 - 23:51 Mahbod Khanbolouki

Nowruz - The Persian New Year and The Spring Equinox

Nowruz, known as the Persian new year, is one of the most ancient celebrations in history and has been celebrated for around 4000 years in what is now Iran and in the extended cultural area known as...
Ereshkigal.
5 May, 2018 - 18:58 dhwty

Ereshkigal: The Mighty Mesopotamian Goddess of the Underworld

“Namtar made his voice heard and spake, addressed his words to Ereshkigal, "Send me to Anu your father, and let me arrest the god! Let me take him to you, that he may kiss you again!" - Excerpt from...
Babylonian clay tablet shows Pythagorean Triples were used 3,700 years ago. Source: University of New South Wales
5 August, 2021 - 22:50 Nathan Falde

Mathematician Finds Pythagorean Triples On Ancient Babylonian Tablet

A University of New South Wales, Sydney mathematician has discovered the oldest example of applied geometry ever recorded, the university’s newsroom reports . The tablet illustrates the use of...
Disease in ancient Mesopotamia
23 February, 2014 - 22:25 johnblack

Unravelling the mystery of disease in ancient Mesopotamia

Despite intensive research over many decades on one of the most famous kingdoms of the ancient world , scientists still know little about the diseases which plagued the people of Mesopotamia. An...
Oneiromancy, dream divination, was very important in ancient Mesopotamia
17 March, 2020 - 18:40 dhwty

Oneiromancy: Dream Predictions in Ancient Mesopotamia

Oneiromancy is a form of divination in which dreams are interpreted in order to predict the future. This form of divination was practiced in many parts of the world, including the ancient...
Ancient demon. Credit: pixelleo / Adobe Stock
22 December, 2019 - 23:00 Ed Whelan

Mesopotamian ‘Demon of Epilepsy’ Discovered on 2700-Year-Old Tablet

A researcher studying an ancient Assyrian cuneiform tablet has found an image of a demon. The demon was believed to have been the cause of epilepsy. The tablet was used to treat health conditions,...
Ancient cheesemaking (Jacques Ribieff / Adobe Stock)
29 August, 2022 - 17:16 MartiniF

Gods, Goats And Cheesemakers In Ancient Times

During a trip to France, cheesy pasta dishes were served to America’s President Thomas Jefferson. Enthralled by the dish, the president went on to have both the pasta and Parmesan cheese imported to...
Drugs in Ancient Cultures: A History of Drug Use and Effects
9 June, 2016 - 00:44 Liza Knox

Drugs in Ancient Cultures: A History of Drug Use and Effects

The battle against drugs and drug usage rages on today and for good reason. However, with the near constant limelight that the ‘drug war’ receives today, it can seem like the most common drugs have...
The tomb with 8 human sacrifices at the entrance and 2 skeletal remains within.
2 July, 2018 - 19:01 ashley cowie

A Matter of Honor? Evidence of Brutal Child Sacrifice Surfaces in Ancient Mesopotamia

The 5,000-year-old bodies of a 12-year-old a boy and girl surrounded by “hundreds of bronze spearheads and eight human sacrifices” were unearthed at Basur Höyük in southeastern Turkey (Mesopotamia,)...
Ritual site - cultic platform found under the war god’s temple. Source: British Museum.
30 March, 2020 - 22:56 Ed Whelan

Ritual Site Dedicated to Mesopotamian War God Discovered in Iraq

Archaeologists working in Iraq have made an intriguing discovery. They have found a sacred area that was dedicated to a Mesopotamian war god. The site is up to 5,000 years-old and is in one of the...
The Clay Tablet that reveals the Babylonians were using calculus to track the path of Jupiter.
28 January, 2016 - 21:53 aprilholloway

Clay Tablet Reveals Ancient Babylonians Used Calculus to Track Jupiter 1,500 Years before Europeans

A new analysis of a set of ancient clay tablets has revealed that ancient astronomers of Babylonia used advanced geometrical methods to calculate the position of Jupiter – a conceptual leap that was...
Ancient Greek prostitute. ‘Phryne’ by Jose Frappa (Public Domain)
3 December, 2022 - 17:59 Robbie Mitchell

Prostitution, One of History’s Oldest Professions!

Prostitution is often described as the world’s oldest profession. Although this isn’t true – hunters, farmers, and shepherds predate prostitution – the sale of sex traces back to time immemorial. The...

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