How the Ancient Middle Eastern Civilizations Contributed to Western Culture

"How did the ancient Middle Eastern civilizations contribute to the foundations of Western Culture?"

Throughout history, there have been many ancient civilizations from all over the world that have made countless contributions to the societies that have come to follow them. The contributions a society makes can have positive or negative results on the future of the people. If the contributions encompass enough power, they have the possibility to affect the development, social structure, culture and foundation of the future. The civilizations of the ancient Middle East are prime examples of societies that made positive contributions and contributed greatly to the foundations of Western Culture. Ranging from the Sumerians, to the Egyptians, to the Assyrians, and Babylonians these civilizations played a great role in shaping the foundation of the Western Culture we know today.

Western Culture was founded on many different contributions; however one of the most influential contributions was introduced by the Sumerians. The Sumerians are credited for a countless number of contributions including epic advances in technology such as the development of the wheel. Nevertheless, the most important impact the Sumerians had on the foundation of Western Culture was the development of writing. The form of writing practiced by the Sumerians was called cuneiform and was more primitive than the styles of writing that would follow. Despite this, it was still a form of recording financial accounts, and allowed for the documentation of one of the earliest known set of laws (Hammurabi's). Consequently, it became apparent that writing was an essential part of life, and without cuneiform it is uncertain where Western Culture would be today in the terms of written language.