The ancient Near East is a term used by art historians to refer to the area near the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, also called Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means “the land between two rivers.” The ancient Near East is also thought of as the “Cradle of Civilization,” as it is here that urban society developed for the first time; with it came the invention of writing and laws, the first examples of epic poetry, the construction of cities, and of course, monumental art and architecture.