Trade between the Indus civilization and contemporary Mesopotamia was clearly of major importance.
A great variety of Mesopotamian texts provide details of this trade: in these the Indus is called Meluhha. Interestingly, later invaders of northern India refer to the local people as 'Mlechchha', clearly a related name.
One text that sheds particular light on Meluhha as the Sumerians saw it is a poem called 'Enki and the World Order'. In this, Enki, god of the Earth and the Waters is organizing the newly created world. To each region he assigns its main features, products and characteristics.
