The Place of Cereals in Government and Society Life in the Second Millenium Mesopotamia

The Mesopotamia region, which is fertile with the waters of Euphrates (Purattu) and Tigris (Idiglat), has a very important position in grain production as well as vegetables and other products. Although the mentioned rivers are of great importance for Mesopotamia, the north and south of the region could not benefit from these rivers at the same rate. Because the canal system was built in the north of Mesopotamia insufficient and grain produced by dry farming method. In the south of the region, irrigation canals provided a great advantage in the increase of production. In fact, water use in agricultural production is among the main factors that directly affect the yield of the product to be obtained from the unit area. In addition, the sown seed is another main factor affecting the increase in harvest. In this context, channel construction is among the most important applications to increase the quality and quantity of the product in Mesopotamia. The importance of cereal cultivation for Mesopotamia can be traced both through written sources and archaeological finds. As a matter of fact, grain produced in the fertile Mesopotamian lands between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and animal husbandry activities carried out in this wide area have been among the main livelihoods of the people of the region for thousands of years. In this context, in the second millennium BC, the laws of Lipid-Ishtar, Eshnunna, Hammurabi and Middle Assyria controlled and protected grain production and sales. There are also records of the trade and transportation of grain between the important cities of Mesopotamia and other regions. Palace chronicles are of great importance in grain purchase and sale. It is understood that the geographical conditions of Mesopotamia play a decisive role in the storage of grain and show differences according to other regions. Apart from this, the storage size is related to environmental factors, as well as the storage time and quantity of the product. Because a platform made on the soil ground which the cylindrical storage built on top have provided a great advantage in protecting grain, rodents, insects and moisture. In this study focused on grain production, storage and trade and its impact on socio-cultural structure in Mesopotamia region around the second millennium BC.