The ancient world, and the humans inhabiting earth had a society, an economy, and a culture. To look into the ancient world, because there are (to the records) nobody wo was alive then to tell historians, requires a lens. The epic of Gilgamesh is important today because it is that lens, it gives humans in this age a look into the minds of the people who wrote it 4000 years ago by showcasing their culture, customs, and gender roles.