Life in Mesopotamia

8 September 2010

City-State of Ur Located on the banks of the Euphrates

River

Thriving metropolis around 3,000 BCE

Agricultural city-state with a sophisticated irrigation system

City LifeLiving Quarters

Average Citizen

Small, windowless, one-story, boxlike houses, tightly packed together

City LifeLiving Quarters

Wealthy Citizens

Two-story houses with inner-courtyards

Thriving Trade Took place at the bazaar or market Money has not been invented

Use of bartering

Center of City LifeZiggurat (Mountain of God)

Tallest and most important building Like a city within a city

Surrounded by a wall

Center of Life (cont’d)Ziggurat

Exterior Flight of stairs leading to top

Peak Rituals conducted to city god

Served as a storage area for goods

City-StatesCity and Surrounding area

functioning as independent political unit

City-StatesCommon culture; but different

Each had its own government and rulers

Much like a country today EX. Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma, Ur

Power in the City-StateEarly gov’t controlled by

priests Because of farmers beliefs Managed irrigation systems

Shift in PowerDuring times of war, priests

turned power over to a “tough fighter” – leader of the army

Shift in PowerBecause of frequency,

commanders given permanent control

Led to the establishment of dynasties

Cultural DiffusionProcess of a new idea or

product spreading from one culture to another

How do ideas spread in today’s society?

ReligionPolytheistic (3000 gods)Did many of the things human

didAnimal sacrifices performed to

please gods

Religion (cont’d)Afterlife

“Land of no return” Dismal and gloomy Located between earth’s crust and ancient sea

Dust is their fare and clay their food

SocietySocial Classes

Priests and Kings Wealthy merchants Common folk Slaves

Society (cont’d)Women

Able to pursue most occupation Own property Join lower ranks of priesthood Unable to attend schools where

reading and writing were taught

TechnologyWheel, sail, plowFirst system of writingFirst mapDeveloped a number system

First EmpiresSargon of Akkad

2350 BCE conquers SumeriaUnited northern and southern

Mesopotamia creating the first empire

Empires (cont’d)Hammurabi

Babylonian Hammurabi’s Code

Single, uniform code Engraved into stone and placed throughout the empire

Empires (cont’d)Hammurabi

Hammurabi’s Code (cont’d) Reinforced the principle that the government had a responsibility for what occurred in society