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3500 BCE
Cuneiform
Cuneiform was invented by the Sumerians. It was originally made up of pictograms, but later evolved into a script of 550 letters/words. It was mostly learned by the boys chosen to be scribes. Cuneiform was the beginning of record keeping, both in business and daily life, and written communication. -
3300 BCE
Number System
The Number System began with the Sumerians. They divided the hour into 60 minutes, and the circle into 360 degrees. The Babylonians later developed it further with the concept of zero. This was the beginning of algebra and geometry, which is something necessary for many aspects of our world today. -
3000 BCE
Sailboat
The first sailboat was created by the Sumerians. There had been boats previously, but this was the first of its kind. It was initially made for fishing and exploring the other sides of the rivers, but was also used for buisness transactions, making them easier, and more efficient. -
2300 BCE
Map
The first map was found in Babylon, and was of Akkad. It was simple, and of a small area, but made it much easier to plan things like hunting, military campaigns, and trading routes. -
1500 BCE
Iron
Iron was invented by the Hittites. Iron was an important invention because they could make stronger tools for everyday use and weapons for war. The Assyrians were the first to have a group using iron weapons entirely. -
1500 BCE
Glass
Phoenicians were the first to discover Glass. They were able to make different things with it, like bowls, beads, and cases. It was costly and hard to pursue at first, but ended up being a very successful addition for the merchants who took it with them to trade.