Historians and archaeologists agree that the cradle of Western civilization is the Fertile Crescent, or the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers known as Mesopotamia—modern-day Iraq.Virtually all of the requisites for Western civilization were developed in the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia, beginning in 8000 to 6000 B.C. They spread north to Greece, west to Rome and on to what became the British Isles, as well as east to the Orient.
	Among the firsts to come from this area: Cultivation of grains (8000 B.C.) Writing (cuneiform) (3200 B.C.) Wheeled vehicles (3200-3100 B.C.) Mathematics Astronomy Calendars Dividing the day into 24 hours Religion Irrigation techniques, canals, dams Domestication of livestock Plows Metal working Beer Architecture City building Urban plumbing Legal system (The Code of Hammarubi) Preservation of literature ("The Epic of Gilgamesh") Medical writings (2100 B.C.) Cobblestone streets Laws regarding liability of surgeons (1700 B.C.) Measuring and surveying instruments Bleaching and dying of fabrics Lottery	Sumer Song
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