Some Neolithic villages gradually transformed into cities near the basins of major rivers, such as Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates, and Egypt, on the banks of the Nile.

In Mesopotamia, around 3,500 BC, the Sumerians constituted a highly advanced civilization, developing canals and dikes, agriculture, a writing system, and also ointments and perfumes. Although little documentation survives, it is known that Mesopotamia had perfumery made for ritual and personal use.

According to a cuneiform tablet found in Mesopotamia (circa 1200 BC), the first recorded perfumers in history were women. The tablet bears the name Tapputi-Belatekallim, and the last letters of another name are distinguishable: -ninu.

Tapputi and Ninu are said to have been in the service of King Tukulti-Ninurta I, creating perfumes with mixtures of flowers and plants such as Cyperus calamus, myrrh, and balsams. Apparently, the fragrances they created were aromatic substances that gave off a pleasant scent and also had medicinal purposes.