In ancient Mesopotamia, around 2000 BCE, temples acted as the worlds first banks. They stored grain, issued loans, and recorded transactions on clay tablets. These early financial systems supported agriculture and trade, helping communities manage risk and growth. Debts, interest, and contracts were all meticulously documented, creating the first written records of economic activity. Mesopotamian banking innovations paved the way for modern finance, showing that the need for credit, trust, and recordkeeping has guided economies for thousands of years.
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