Mesopotamia: Civlization Begins

Statue of Prince Gudea with a Vase of Flowing Water (detail), Neo-Sumerian period, about 2120 BC, dolerite. Musée du Louvre, Department of Near Eastern Antiquities, Paris. Gift of Boisgelin, 1967 (de Clercq collection). Image © Scala/Art Resource, NY

Mesopotamia—the land "between the rivers" in modern-day Iraq—was home to the ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Among their many achievements are the creation of the earliest known script (cuneiform), the formation of the first cities, the development of advanced astronomical and mathematical knowledge, and spectacular artistic and literary accomplishments. Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins covers three millennia, from the first cities in about 3200 BC to Alexander the Great’s conquest of Babylon in 331 BC. Visit the online gallery to discover more about ancient Mesopotamia's first writing, cities, and kings.

An online talk about Clues in Cuneiform takes place on 4 May

The exhibition, co-organized by the Musée du Louvre, Paris, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles includes objects from both collections.