ICSE Class 6 Answered

The Mesopotamians had a special sign for the number ‘one’. This sign was written five times in order to write the number ‘five’. Counting was done in tens and sixties and the figure 60 was also used as a measure for time. Mesopotamians were the first ones to divide an hour into 60 minutes and a minute into 60 seconds. They divided the year into 12 months, and days and nights into two equal halves consisting of 12 hours each.

As far as the legal system is concerned, Hammurabi, the king of Babylon, is said to have compiled a code of law detailing every aspect of human life in Mesopotamia. It was written on a stone slab and is considered one of the oldest legal codes in the history of mankind. The laws enshrined in this code protected the weaker sections of society and safeguarded women’s rights. There were severe punishments for dishonest dealings and other nations also emulated the code subsequently.