People chose areas which were favorable for agriculture, and as trading developed, the idea of taxes was introduced. With the dawn of the agricultural revolution, more and more people began to live in one region, resulting in urbanization. This, in turn, helped them to earn more and improve their lifestyle. Urbanization began around 8,000 years ago in Babylonia as people moved to cities to seek educational and employment opportunities. UrbanizationĪs a result of agriculture and other employment factors, the Babylonians gradually moved from rural areas to more developed regions.

The Babylonians regulated the flow of water to irrigate their crops and dug canals and irrigation ditches which, along with the plow, led the way for a new era of agricultural revolution.

The earth dried up quickly in the plains of Babylonia, leading to the invention of the stone plow to set the ground.īabylonians cultivated crops like emmer, wheat, and barley, and flax clothing was standard during this time. The most primitive form of the plow was a stone hoe that was developed by Babylonians to turn the soil. AgricultureĪgriculture is a core practice in most countries, and a country’s agrarian produce determines its growth.Īgriculture not only feeds the population but also provides employment opportunities.Īn essential agricultural tool is the plow, which is used to loosen the soil ready for planting seeds. The ancient Iraqi languages, Sumerian and Akkadian, were also carved on the clay tablets. The oldest cuneiform slabs were illustrated and used visual symbols to communicate, the cuneiform alphabet only developing later on. More educated people used it for technical purposes like writing medical catalogs and mathematical derivations.Ī pointed stylus was used to carve characters on a clay slab to maintain and manage records. Individuals with varying levels of education and knowledge could use it, and ordinary people used it to write letters, organize their business affairs, and document everyday occurrences such as astrological events. It cannot be regarded as a language as it comprised less than 1,000 characters, and these characters were used for accounting, administrative and business purposes. Originating in 3400 BC, cuneiform is the first-known form of written communication. It can now be found in the British Museum. The seven small circles on the map represent the seven Babylonian cities. The Babylonian Map of the World is circular and depicts mountains, rivers, canals, and swamps. It shows trade routes and was used as a reference during military campaigns, hunting, and exploration. The map covers a small region of Babylonia during the Akkadian Empire. Maps have immense importance even in the contemporary world, where we rely on Google Maps for many of our journeys.Īn ancient Babylonian cartographer created the world’s first map on a clay tablet in 2300 BC.

When were babylonian numerals invented