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Pharaoh of Egypt, in the language and script of Mesopotamia., Here we shall explore the connection between city life i, writing, and then look at some outcomes of a sustained, tradition of writing. —, , In the beginning of recorded history, the land, mainly the, urbanised south (see discussion below), was called Sumer, and Akkad.,After 2000 scr, when Babylon became an, important city, the term Babylonia was used for the southern, region. From about 1100 sce, when the Assyrians established, their kingdom in the north, the region became known as, , Assyria. The first known language of the land was Sumeri, Ttwas gradually replaced by Akkadian around 2400 BCE, when Akkadian speakers arrived. This language flourished, till about Alexander's time (336-323 sce), with some regional, changes occurring. From 1400 sce, Aramaic also trickled in., This language, similar to Hebrew, became widely spoken after, 1000 sce. It is still spoken in parts of Iraq., , , , , Archaeol e Ol, LWO sites (ins ow), excavations ver, seen such ud, hundreds of Mes es, ornaments, , isands of, , Zraves, tools an :, , yw written docum, Mesopotamia ° | peans because, references to it in 1 | tt,, Bible. For instance. the BR, ok of Genesis of the Old Testament, refers to ‘Shimar’ meaning Sumer, as a land of brick-built, cities. Travellers and scholars of Europe looked on, Mesopotamia as a kind of ancestral land, and when, _ archaeological work began in the area, there was an attempt., to prove the literal truth of the Old Testament. a, , ‘ first part of the, , i¢