Chaldean Cultural Roots
Innovations That Shaped Civilization
We are pleased to present the first installment of a new year-long “Chaldean Story” series, made possible by a generous grant from Michigan Humanities’ Great Michigan Stories program. The grant allows us to fully explore the stories of Chaldean immigrants to Michigan, who have brought with them an ancient culture that has been carefully and lovingly preserved in story and art.
By Sarah Kittle
As of 2023, more than 160,000 Chaldeans call Michigan home. Through feature stories, podcasts, and events planned for the next 12 months, the Chaldean News aims to tell the story of Michigan’s Chaldean community, and the contributions they’ve made to our state.
Chronicles of entrepreneurship, culture, and spirituality, will reveal stories of brave deeds, endless resiliency, and epic generosity, as remembered by those who witnessed these acts. We will explore the Chaldean immigrants’ path from party stores to boardrooms and will share their deep and abiding faith in God and their strong commitment to family.
Everything that we have celebrated for nearly two decades will be highlighted in this series, which gives us a chance to follow the narrative from the beginning—the emigration from Iraq, through the journey to get here, to the present. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it.
Beginnings
Where did Chaldean culture start? Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Syriacs – whatever they call themselves – are the descendants of ancient Mesopotamians, with a rich cultural history to be proud of.
Mesopotamia, referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization,” was home to some of the earliest complex societies in human history. Located in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, it was the birthplace of many remarkable advancements that laid the foundation for future civilizations. Ancient Chaldean history is a part of Mesopotamia; its people kicked off a dynasty that would later be known as the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
Most of us are aware that the wheel was invented in Sumer sometime in the fourth millennium BC. Originally used by potters to help shape clay, the invention led to use on carts and battle chariots as well as agricultural tools and mechanisms. But there are many other “firsts” to celebrate.
Among the many inventions credited to Mesopotamian cultures, most notably the Sumerians, are the first written language, first code of law, first urbanization in the form of city-states, first astronomical calendar, and first numerical system based on 60 (seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour). They also invented the idea of a 24-hour day and the concept of zero!
Tablet with a Bilingual Dictionary from King Ashurbanipal’s Library, Neo-Assyrian period, 668–627 BC, terracotta. Musée du Louvre, Department of Near Eastern Antiquities, Paris.
Cuneiform Writing
Arguably the most significant Mesopotamian first was the invention of writing. Sometime around mid-millennial 3000 BCE, Sumerians—people of southern Mesopotamia whose civilization flourished during that era—devised cuneiform script, a complex system using wedge-shaped marks. Written on clay tablets and initially used for record-keeping, cuneiform gradually evolved into a sophisticated writing system encompassing literature, mathematics, astronomy, and law.
The hundreds of thousands of texts discovered over the years by archeologists include royal inscription and treaties as well as everyday bookkeeping. Extensive libraries were kept in temples and palaces, and King Shulgi of Ur (ruled 2094-2047 BC) and Ashurbanipal of Assyria (ruled 668-627 BC) each made the claim to be able to read and write ancient cuneiform. Aramaic became intertwined with Akkadian during the reign of the Assyrian empire, and by the time Ashurbanipal was king, Aramaic spread throughout the Assyrian empire.
The invention of written language not only transformed communication but also paved the way for the transmission and preservation of knowledge across generations. It was a pivotal moment in human history; cuneiform became the precursor to all subsequent writing systems.
Code of Law
Mesopotamia introduced the world to the concept of law and established legal systems. They also witnessed the earliest known legal code, known as the Code of Hammurabi. Created by the Babylonian king Hammurabi around 1754 BCE, this comprehensive set of laws covered various aspects of life, including commerce, family, and property rights.
Hammurabi expanded the city-state of Babylon along the Euphrates River to unite all of southern Mesopotamia. The Hammurabi code of laws, a collection of 282 rules, established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice.
Hammurabi’s Code, which established the principle of “an eye for an eye,” was carved onto a massive, black stone stele (pillar). It laid the groundwork for subsequent legal systems, marking a significant milestone in the development of legal justice.
Mathematics & Astronomy
Mesopotamians were pioneers in mathematics and astronomy, making numerous groundbreaking contributions in these fields. They were the first to develop a numerical system based on sixty, one we still use today to count units of time. They also developed advanced arithmetic techniques including multiplication, division, and the concept of zero.
These mathematical advancements enabled accurate astronomical calculations and played a vital role in various aspects of daily life. Mesopotamian astronomers mapped the stars, observed celestial bodies, and created the first known astronomical calendars.
Trade & Commerce
Mesopotamians were pioneers in long distance trade and commerce. They established extensive trade routes and connected not only with Egypt but regions as far away as the Indus Valley. Regular trade made it possible to plan purchases ahead and develop relationships with vendors.
Their use of the clay tablet for record-keeping along with standardizing weights and measures made commercial transactions possible and laid the groundwork for a global trading system.
City-States
Another of Mesopotamia’s most noteworthy achievements was the development of the city-state system. Around 3000 BCE, city-states such as Uruk, Ur, and Lagash emerged, each with their own centralized government and complex administrative structures.
By 3000 BC, Uruk was a walled city of over two square miles with about 1,000 inhabitants. These early city-states represented the first instances of urbanization, where dense populations settled in a central location, establishing the groundwork for future urban planning.
Centralized Planning
Mesopotamia’s cities were marvels of urban planning and engineering. They constructed monumental structures, such as ziggurats and temples, which served as religious and administrative centers. Ur, Babylon, and Nineveh were imperial capitals known throughout the ancient world.
Centers of innovation and learning, these cities were where priests trained, poems and tales were studied and copied, laws were created, international treaties agreed upon, and financial contracts signed. When Alexander the Great conquered Mesopotamia in 331 BC, Babylon was considered the most spectacular of all cities.
Art & Architecture
Architecture on a grand scale is generally credited to have begun under the Sumerians, with religious structures dating back to 3400 B.C. The buildings are noted for their arched doorways and flat roofs.
The society’s technical sophistication is evidenced in elaborate construction, such as terra cotta ornamentation with bronze accents, complicated mosaics, imposing brick columns and sophisticated mural paintings. Sculpture was used mainly to adorn temples. Facing a scarcity of stone, Sumerians made leaps in metal-casting for their sculpture work, though relief carving in stone was a popular art form.
Ziggurats began to appear around 2200 B.C. These impressive pyramid-like, stepped temples, which were either square or rectangular, stood nearly two hundred feet high and featured no inner chambers. Ziggurats often featured sloping sides and terraces with gardens.
The ‘hanging gardens’ were built in Nineveh by the Assyrian king Sennacherib. Scholars today have largely abandoned the idea of the Babylon gardens, which are attributed to errors made by Greek historians.
Sennacherib also built an aqueduct from the mountains north of Assyria to transport water into the growing city of Nineveh. The engineering feat was so spectacular that it can still be seen through Google Earth.
First Royalty
Sumerians introduced us to the concept of royalty and declared that the king (literally “great man”) was descended from Heaven. The ruler’s primary obligation was to lead in battle, please the gods through temple building and offerings, maintain city walls and irrigation canals, and enforce justice.
Sumerians were organized as a patchwork of city-states until Sargon of Akkad established the first true and lasting empire, one that all future Mesopotamian kings would emulate. The strongest dynasties, those of Ur, the Babylonian kings Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar II, and the kings of Assyria saw invasions from the Iranian highlands and tribal nomads from the northwest, but these invaders for the most part adopted and sustained Mesopotamian culture.
Agriculture
Mesopotamians developed sophisticated irrigation systems, including canals and levees, to control and distribute water for agriculture. These achievements in urban planning and infrastructure laid the foundation for future city development and resource management.
Mesopotamians pioneered innovative agricultural techniques to sustain their growing population. They utilized irrigation systems to control the flow of water, improving crop yields and supporting surplus food production. They also introduced the use of the plow, enhancing agricultural efficiency. These advancements in agriculture allowed for the establishment of larger settlements and facilitated the growth of complex societies.
Legacy Left
In his 1988 book History Begins at Sumer, author Samuel Noah Kramer identifies 39 “firsts” that originated with the Sumerians, including the first schools, first Great Flood story, first heroic epic story, first historian, first library catalog, first aquarium, and first lullaby.
Visionaries and trailblazers who left an indelible mark on human civilization through their pioneering achievements, Mesopotamians influenced current culture to a remarkable degree. By pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and ingenuity, the Mesopotamians created a legacy that will continue to endure.
Today, the descendants of ancient Mesopotamians — Chaldeans, or Assyrians or Syriacs — take pride in their heritage both in their native homeland and throughout the world, where they have been forced to disperse due to persecution.
