Mesopotamia and the Making of History
Wed 04 Feb
|Online
Ancient Mesopotamia—the “cradle of civilization”—introduced many of history’s firsts and key figures who shaped its development. In this three-session course, historian and author Selena Wisnom examines the people, innovations, and lasting legacy of this early civilization.
Time & Location
04 Feb 2026, 19:00 – 20:00
Online
About the event
Class overview
This three-session course with historian and author Selena Wisnom, a specialist in the interpretation of Mesopotamian cultural sources, will introduce you to ancient Mesopotamia and its place in world history. Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, centered in Iraq, a place that saw many firsts in world history. Our first session will look at some of these innovations and developments – urbanization, the invention of writing, accounting, maths, and literature. Our second session will take us on a journey through three thousand years of Mesopotamian history through some of the key people who shaped it, from the earliest rulers of Sumer up to Alexander the Great who conquered Babylon. In the third, we will look at the lasting influence of Mesopotamian culture on subsequent civilizations, covering the Greeks and Romans in the West, India and central Asia in the East, the Middle East itself, and the Hebrew Bible.