1 The Mesopotamia of Biblical times, Iraq occupies the territory between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It was a location of several ancient empires -- Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian.
2 The history of the world starts with Sumer. Sumer was first settled between 4500 and 4000 B.C. Its development was based on agriculture. Sumerians raised cattle and cultivated the soil to grow wheat, barley, dates, and vegetables.
3 By 4000 B.C., the people of Sumer were building walled towns with mud-brick houses and temples at the center of the towns. They were also beginning to trade with neighboring towns and countries.
4 Sumerians were inventors of many important things. One of the most significant of them was the wheel, first made of solid wood. They also developed basic metallurgy.
5 Over the next 500 years, trade grew and more of the population became involved in specialized crafts. This led to the growth of larger and more complex towns, and finally to the settlement in the first city, Ur, in 3500 BC. This city was also known as the 'City of Abraham' in the Old Testament.
