Technology. Technological innovation, principally in the area of agriculture, played a critical role in the development of crafts and other produced or manufactured goods. The introduction of the seeder-plow and other farming implements, such as metal sickles, allowed for the planting and harvesting of large fields without the need to maintain a large permanent labor force. This development had two significant impacts on manufacturing and production. By not having to grow their own sustenance, some members of the population were able to specialize in forms of production not related directly to producing food. These individuals became the craftsmen and artisans of Mesopotamia. Technological innovations in agriculture also enabled the large landowning institutions, the temple and the palace, to accumulate agricultural surpluses that they could then use for capital investments in specialized crafts production and in creating markets for...