Astronomy in the broad sense of the word - as a reflection of all cultural reflections associated with the sky and luminaries - shaped the picture of the world already at the earliest stages of human history. G. Kurtik's book is devoted to the study of astronomical knowledge of one of the most ancient civilizations - Mesopotamia - in the period from the second half of the 4th millennium BC. e. until the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e. The author examines in detail the history of the Mesopotamian calendar and the ideas of the ancients about the Sun, Moon and Venus, symbolic images of which are found already at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. e. His research also includes the earliest information about the origin and distribution of the Mesopotamian constellation system, mentions of stars in cuneiform texts of various categories, and data on the planets as a special category of luminaries. The book analyzes many cuneiform texts; additional important sources were images in glyptics and on ceramics, which have or may have astronomical significance.

Gennady Evseevich Kurtik - Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology. S.I. Vavilova RAS, author of numerous articles and monographs on the history of astronomy of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient astronomy.