How Did Technology Affect Mesopotamian Society

Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers, is home to some of the greatest achievements in the entire world. The technological, social, and political advancements from the Mesopotamian empire molded the way we behave in the modern world. Almost anywhere in the world contains evidence of Mesopotamian influence in their culture through technology, politics, and social patterns. The legacy of the Mesopotamian region remains a preeminent because of their distinctive technologies, social hierarchy, and effective politics.
The technological advancements of the Mesopotamian society alleviated the lives of the citizens. The invention of the wheel, plow, and sailboat allowed for the Mesopotamian citizens to accelerate some processes, saving time and energy. Along with these farming inventions, the Mesopotamians mastered irrigation with the construction of channels, dams, and waterways to direct the unpredictable flooding to
desirable locations, such as crops. The first form of writing, Cuneiform, impacted the world greatly, allowing for the sending of messages across the empire. Along with writing, the advancement of geometry and the number system considerably influenced the education of the Mesopotamians. These new technologies significantly advanced the Mesopotamian region, easing the lives of the people.
The Mesopotamian Social hierarchy depended on the obedience from one social class to another.
Most Mesopotamian cities consisted of social classes that determined your nobility and occupation in the society. Specifically, Sumer has three distinct levels of superiority that depended on each other for their community to operate correctly. In Sumer, the kings, priests, warriors, and government officials possessed full power over the lower classes, ordering them around to cater their needs. The middle class of Sumer consisted of artisans, farmers, merchants, and fishermen, making this the biggest class of the three. Although they must obey the upper class, the common people’s freedom deflected enslavement, allowing them to live theirs lives with full control. However, the lowest class consisted of serfs who continuously worked on farms or in temples. These people were truly enslaved, leaving them with zero choice or freedom. The submissiveness of the lower classes to their superior allowed for the city-states of Mesopotamia to thrive for several
centuries. The ancient politics of the Mesopotamian community incorporated many ideas that the modern world continues to use today. The city-states of Mesopotamia divide the empire into smaller, self-governing regions. Most city-states contained a center area for living with a surrounding area for harvesting crops. Each city-state governed itself and had no other relations to other city-states in Mesopotamia. Usually, kings ruled these city-states, holding all power over the citizens. In the center of most city-states, the people built gigantic Ziggurats. These famous buildings allowed citizens to worship their gods or simply socialize with neighbors. These political concepts influenced the world, as they remain in application in numerous modern countries. Mesopotamia’s legacy of a strong empire remains due to their countless advancements in three major categories. Their mastery of technology, politics, and social qualities forever changed the world we live in today.