They built large cities with well-organized streets and canals. The ancient Mesopotamians were also skilled urban planners. The Code of Hammurabi established laws governing everything from property rights to criminal offenses. The Code of Hammurabi, which was written in the 18th century BCE, is one of the oldest and most complete surviving legal codes. The ancient Mesopotamians also developed complex legal systems. Cuneiform was written on clay tablets using a stylus, and it was used to record everything from business transactions to religious texts.
The first writing system in the world, cuneiform, was developed in Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE.
The ancient people of Mesopotamia made significant contributions to human development, including the invention of writing, the development of laws and urban planning, and the advancement of mathematics, astronomy, and agriculture. Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is considered the cradle of civilization.