an. The world acknowledges the contribution of the Egyptians who were the first to give one a calendar and a shadow-clock to measure time; a census and postal system; glass; paper and ink. Distinctive Egyptian architecture emerged during the period 4000-30 BC. The best representatives of this architecture are Egypt’s tombs, pyramids and temples. The fertile land of Mesopotamia was only a part of a narrow but fertile strip of land which was called the ’Fertile Crescent.’ It was open to invasion by so many tribes that it became a melting pot of cultures namely the Sumerian, the Babylonian, the Assyrian, the Chaldean and a host of others. The Sumerians who occupied the lower portion of the Tigris Euphrates Valley, excelled in metal-works, gem-carving and sculpture. Their weapons, vessels and jewelry had humans and animals carved on them. They were also excellent in the art of making seals that they used in trade and commerce, to indicate the identity of a merchant. The Babylonians or Amorites had a famous king Hammurabi who gave to his people and the world, the earliest code of laws. The Babylonians achieved great success in science. Their special field was astronomy. The Assyrians set up for the Persians an example in the management of a vast expire. Secondly, Assyria established a military organization and built an empire on its strength. This served as a lesson for the Romans in later days. Thus the Assyrians influenced later-day cultures. The Chaldeans made wonderful contributions in the field of astronomy. They were the first to make this subject a methodical and systematized science. The Phoenicians, who occupied the narrow strip of land between Syria and the Mediterranean Sea, were carriers of cultures. They blended the cultures of Egypt and Babylonia, thus becoming a link between the East and the West. The Hebrews made great contributions in the spiritual and ethical spheres. The two great religions of Judaism and...
