1:The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient
poem about a king of Uruk who was one-third god. Parts of the original
Sumerian story may have been written as early as 2100 BC, although
Gilgamesh is said to have reigned around 2700 BC. The epic was
subsequently translated into Babylonian dialects. The translations vary
somewhat, and there are no copies of the complete poem.
2:Mesopotamia, centered in modern-day Iraq, is regarded as the birthplace
of civilization. While the region was widely occupied by humans as early
as 12,000 B.C.E., historians believe that large civilizations began in
Mesopotamia between 4,000 and 3,000 B.C.E. Mesopotamia's development in
this period was supported by a series of geographical factors, including
rivers and fertile lands.
