3500 BCE - 500 BCE. Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is often called the cradle of civilization. This region saw the rise of several powerful empires, including Sumer, Babylon, and Assyria. Mesopotamians developed early writing, law codes, and complex religious beliefs.
Their mythology featured gods like Enlil and Ishtar, as well as powerful beasts like the Anzu bird and Tiamat, a dragon of chaos. These beings symbolized the forces of nature and the cosmos.