mesopotamia: the cradle of civilization stations project filesouthern mesopotamia is made up of...

Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Civilization Stations Project

Mesopotamia was the first early civilization to develop and is known for its “firsts” including first wheels, first city-states, first writing system, and first written laws. Mesopotamians have left us a great deal of evidence about their daily lives and the contributions that they have made to civilization.

Over the next few weeks you will be studying many aspects of Mesopotamia. You will be responsible for completing 8 stations and all of the tasks that are included at each station. Your finished product will be a booklet on Mesopotamia.

Your booklet must include the following:

- Cover Page - Table of Contents - Page numbers - Title on each page - Pictures throughout the booklet

**Remember, all information must be written in your own words.

Mark: - See rubric

Station 1

1) Read text of pp. 66 & 67 and 70 & 71 2) Using effective note-‐taking (key words), collect all necessary information on the

geography of Mesopotamia from the textbook as well as the provided text on Geography. 3) Read the text below about the methods of irrigation in the Babylonian civilization. Make

sure to collect key information.

Geography

Mesopotamia is a Greek word meaning 'between the rivers'. The rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates which flow through modern Iraq. The Euphrates also flows through much of Syria. Mesopotamia is made up of different regions, each with its own geography. The geography of each area and the natural resources found there affected the ways that people lived.

Northern Mesopotamia is made up of hills and plains. The land is quite fertile due to seasonal rains, and the rivers and streams flowing from the mountains. Early settlers farmed the land and used timber, metals and stone from the mountains nearby.

Southern Mesopotamia is made up of marshy areas and wide, flat, barren plains. Cities developed along the rivers which flow through the region. Early settlers had to irrigate the land along the banks of the rivers in order for their crops to grow. Since they did not have many natural resources, contact with neighbouring lands was important.

The History of Plumbing - Babylonia To the ancient traveler on foot or camel back, the massive walled city of Babylon and its network of canals and verdant crop lands must have loomed like a mirage in the simmering heat of the Near East sun. Adding to a disbelieving eye was a 300-ft. high ziggurat or temple tower in the city's center, surrounded on all sides by lush gardens and date palm trees that swayed upon the terraced city.

4) 5) Located some 50 miles south of Baghdad in what is now Iraq, the flat land today is broken only by

a series of desolate mounds and occasional patches of green cultivation and small villages. But beneath these mounds or "tells" are shattered remnants of past civilizations, crumbled foundations of clay cities literally layered one on top of the other. What developed in this area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers from about 6000-‐3000 B.C. were the beginnings of

western civilization. Here the warrior peoples of Assyria reigned with a fearsome hand over Sumerian and Babylonian culture. In their wake were produced systems of writing and communication, literature, a codified set of laws, a calendar and system for ascertaining time. Wheeled vehicles became common -‐ and water management evolved into irrigation dams, drains and basins, and personal bathrooms of their era's rich and famous.

Irrigation The Key: The civilization of Mesopotamia existed for 26 centuries. It was in a position to command by trade or plunder all the resources of the ancient world provided it could keep the vast floodings of the Tigris and Euphrates under strict control. From their earliest writings, the Sumerians recounted the story of their most terrible flood, estimated by historians about 8000 B.C. (The tale perpetuates in the Biblical story of Noah and the Great Flood.) As irrigation was so vital to the empire, a whole network of canals was formed, and special officials appointed to supervise them. They made sure the canals were clear of rushes and water weeds, the course ways dredged of silt, and the banks consolidated against floods. King Hammurabi who belonged to the first dynasty of Babylonia lived around 1760 B.C. He personally directed provincial governors to dig and dredge the canals on a continuous basis. He also set in motion the world's first compilation of common laws, including special provision to prevent neglect of those canals. {Another clause deals with construction and should strike terror in the heart of unethical contractors. In Hammurabi's code of fair and equitable justice, woe to the builder whose house falls and kills someone. The builder would be sentenced to death too.) The remains of the earliest aqueduct on record have been pinpointed to the works of the Assyrian king and master builder, Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.), who ruled with "a heart of wrath." He unleashed the power of water as a weapon to flood and destroy the burnt and vanquished city of Babylon. In peacetime, he harnessed it to build his own capital, Ninevah, and his palace at Khorsbad. He developed a 10 mile long canal in three stages, including 18 fresh water courses from the mountains, two dams and water diversion and a chain of canals. Water ran along a strengthened conduit of hardened earth,

waterproofed with bitumen, and lined with flagstones. The aqueduct spanned the valleys on arches, and was fed by a number of small streams to ensure a proper supply to the town. There is practically no rainfall in Mesopotamia. But if the ground is sufficiently moistened, acres of virtual desert can be covered with vegetation and are amazingly fertile. From the earliest times, the rulers of Mesopotamia regarded it as both a duty and act of piety to improve the canal system. In fact, the digging of a canal was regarded equally in importance to a ruler as a victory in war. Both kinds of enterprises were inscribed on clay tablets as boasts of their accomplishments .

Task A

- Write a paragraph that describes the geography of Mesopotamia. Why was this area chosen? Why and How did the Mesopotamians have to adapt the land? Make sure to use Babylon as an example. What were the negative consequences of the Mesopotamians adapting the land?

Criteria:

- Paragraph is 6-10 sentences long - Paragraph is written in your own words - You have answered all of the above questions

- Display pictures within your book

*Remember the more detailed your information, the higher your mark.

Task B

- Create a map that shows the location of Mesopotamia - Create a timeline that shows the four civilizations that existed on the Mesopotamian

plain.

Criteria:

- Map is clearly labelled with key areas being identified. - Map is coloured with the use of a Map Legend. - Map has a title. - Overall neatness.

Resources:

Ancient Worlds textbook

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/geography/home_set.html

http://www.theplumber.com/history.html

Station 2 – Contact and Conflict

1) Read pp. 72 & 73 and p. 76 & 77 in Ancient Worlds textbook 2) Read the text below collecting key information. 3) Write two paragraphs that explain trade and commerce within Mesopotamia. Make sure

to provide details on both the positive and negative consequences of trade and commerce.

Criteria: - Paragraph is 6-10 sentences long - Paragraph is written in your own words - You have answered all of the above questions

- Display pictures within your book


The ancient Mesopotamians did not have a lot of natural resources. They counted on trade to obtain the goods they needed and wanted.

During the Old Babylonian period (about 2000-1600 B.C.) merchants from southern Mesopotamia travelled to cities and distant lands to trade their goods. Many different types of transport were used for carrying goods from place to place.

By foot

Some Babylonian merchants worked locally, trading goods with the people who lived within a city or local villages. Their loads were usually small, and were carried in sacks on their backs. For big loads, a piece of cloth was wrapped around the goods, then the ends of the cloth were attached at the forehead. Heavier goods could be strapped on to a pallet.

Sling bags were mainly used by people who were trading local goods.

By donkey

Donkeys were one of the most common methods of

transporting goods in Mesopotamia. Babylonian merchants travelled with their goods on donkeys between Babylonian cities and as far away as Kanesh in Turkey.

By gulf boat

Boats were used to transport goods from southern Mesopotamia to the Gulf. These boats were probably larger and stronger than river boats. Some were made of bundles of reeds and others of wood covered with bitumen.

By raft

Rafts were used to transport goods downstream. The rafts were made of a log platform on top of inflated animal skins.

When the raft arrived at the port, the goods on board were unloaded and sold. The raft was taken apart and the logs used to make it was sold. The animal skins were deflated and loaded onto donkeys to be carried back to the merchant's home city.

Coracles made of animal skins and covered with bitumen to make them watertight transported goods upstream and downstream. They were paddled or floated with the current.

By river boat

Boats were used to transport goods downstream. These boats were usually made of bundles of reeds lashed together with rope and sometimes covered with a layer of bitumen.

Boats floated downstream with the current of the river, but needed to be towed upstream by oxen, donkeys and sometimes people.

By cart

Carts were used to transport goods. They were made of local timber, held together with copper or bronze nails, or wooden pegs. Donkeys or oxen were used to pull the carts.

Resources:

Ancient Worlds textbook pp. 72 -‐ 79

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/

Station 3 – Innovations

Task:

1) Read pp. 81 & the Mathematics section of p. 82. 2) Read the text provided below on the innovations of Mesopotamia. 3) Choose 3 Innovations that you have read about. Write a paragraph on each innovation

that includes the answers to the following questions: a) Describe the innovation. b) How did the innovation help the Mesopotamian civilization? c) What impact has this innovation had on us today?

Sailboats, Wheels, Cuneiform Writing Sailboats

Mesopotamia was a great civilization. A great civilization needs water and this was supplied by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Mesopotamians wanted more out of the two rivers which resulted in irrigation and sailboats. With sailboats the Mesopotamians could put nets in the middle of the rivers or canals much more easily which would get more fish to add to a surplus of food being brought in by irrigation.

First Wheel

The Sumerians first invented the wheel. They connected it to vehicles called chariots. It got them to places they wanted to go quickly. It was one of the biggest achievements in history. Without the wheel we wouldn't be here today. We wouldn't have all the cities and towns without the wheel. That is why the wheel is so important.

Schools were attached to temples. Only boys went to school.

Teachers were very strict. Students had to do a perfect job, or they were punished (usually whipped.) In spite of the punishment they quite often received, most students wanted to go to school anyway. Someone who could read and write could always find a good job.

Science and technology Mathematics Main articles: Babylonian mathematics and Babylonian calendar Mesopotamian mathematics and science was based on a sexagesimal (base 60) numeral system. This is the source of the 60-minute hour, the 24-hour day, and the 360-degree circle. The Sumerian calendar was based on the seven-day week. This form of mathematics was instrumental in early map-making. The Babylonians also had theorems on how to measure the area of several shapes and solids. They measured the circumference of a circle as three times the diameter and the area as one-twelfth the square of the circumference, which would be correct if πι were fixed at 3. The volume of a cylinder was taken as the product of the area of the base and the height; however, the volume of the frustum of a cone or a square pyramid was incorrectly taken as the product of the height and half the sum of the bases. Also, there was a recent discovery in which a tablet used πι as 25/8 (3.125 instead of 3.14159~). The Babylonians are also known for the Babylonian mile, which was a measure of distance equal to about seven modern miles (11 km). This measurement for distances eventually was converted to a time-mile used for measuring the travel of the Sun, therefore, representing time.[14]

Astronomy Main article: Babylonian astronomy The Babylonian astronomers were very adept at mathematics and could predict eclipses and solstices. Scholars thought that everything had some purpose in astronomy. Most of these related to religion and omens. Mesopotamian astronomers worked out a 12-month calendar based on the cycles of the moon. They divided the year into two seasons: summer and winter. The origins of astronomy as well as astrology date from this time. During the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Babylonian astronomers developed a new approach to astronomy. They began studying philosophy dealing with the ideal nature of the early universe and began employing an internal logic within their predictive planetary systems. This was an important contribution to astronomy and the philosophy of science and some scholars have thus referred to this new approach as the first scientific revolution.[15] This new approach to astronomy was adopted and further developed in Greek and Hellenistic astronomy. In Seleucid and Parthian times, the astronomical reports were thoroughly scientific; how much earlier their advanced knowledge and methods were developed is uncertain. The Babylonian development of methods for predicting the motions of the planets is considered to be a major episode in the history of astronomy. The only Greek Babylonian astronomer known to have supported a heliocentric model of planetary motion was Seleucus of Seleucia (b. 190 BC).[16][17][18]

Seleucus is known from the writings of Plutarch. He supported Aristarchus of Samos' heliocentric theory where the Earth rotated around its own axis which in turn revolved around the Sun. According to Plutarch, Seleucus even proved the heliocentric system, but it is not known what arguments he used (except that he correctly theorized on tides as a result of Moon's attraction). Babylonian astronomy served as the basis for much of Greek, classical Indian, Sassanian, Byzantine, Syrian, medieval Islamic, Central Asian, and Western European astronomy.[19]

Medicine The oldest Babylonian texts on medicine date back to the Old Babylonian period in the first half of the 2nd millennium BC. The most extensive Babylonian medical text, however, is the Diagnostic Handbook written by the ummânū, or chief scholar, Esagil-kin-apli of Borsippa,[20] during the reign of the Babylonian king Adad-apla-iddina (1069-1046 BC).[21] Along with contemporary Egyptian medicine, the Babylonians introduced the concepts of diagnosis, prognosis, physical examination, and prescriptions. In addition, the Diagnostic Handbook introduced the methods of therapy and aetiology and the use of empiricism, logic, and rationality in diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. The text contains a list of medical symptoms and often detailed empirical observations along with logical rules used in combining observed symptoms on the body of a patient with its diagnosis and prognosis.[22] The symptoms and diseases of a patient were treated through therapeutic means such as bandages, creams and pills. If a patient could not be cured physically, the Babylonian physicians often relied on exorcism to cleanse the patient from any curses. Esagil-kin-apli's Diagnostic Handbook was based on a logical set of axioms and assumptions, including the modern view that through the examination and inspection of the symptoms of a patient, it is possible to determine the patient's disease, its aetiology, its future development, and the chances of the patient's recovery.[20] Esagil-kin-apli discovered a variety of illnesses and diseases and described their symptoms in his Diagnostic Handbook. These include the symptoms for many varieties of epilepsy and related ailments along with their diagnosis and prognosis.[23]

Technology Mesopotamian people invented many technologies including metal and copper-working, glass and lamp making, textile weaving, flood control, water storage, and irrigation. They were also one of the first Bronze age people in the world. They developed from copper, bronze, and gold on to iron. Palaces were decorated with hundreds of kilograms of these very expensive metals. Also, copper, bronze, and

iron were used for armor as well as for different weapons such as swords, daggers, spears, and maces. According to a recent hypothesis, the Archimedes screw may have been used by Sennacherib, King of Assyria, for the water systems at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Nineveh in the 7th century BC, although mainstream scholarship holds it to be a Greek invention of later times.[24] Later during the Parthian or Sassanid periods, the Baghdad Battery, which may have been the world's first battery, was created in Mesopotamia.[25]

Religion and philosophy Main article: Mesopotamian religion Mesopotamian religion was the first to be recorded. Mesopotamians believed that the world was a flat disc[citation needed], surrounded by a huge, holed space, and above that, heaven. They also believed that water was everywhere, the top, bottom and sides, and that the universe was born from this enormous sea. In addition, Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic. Although the beliefs described above were held in common among Mesopotamians, there were also regional variations. The Sumerian word for universe is an-ki, which refers to the god An and the goddess Ki. Their son was Enlil, the air god. They believed that Enlil was the most powerful god. He was the chief god of the Pantheon, equivalent to the Greek god Zeus and the Roman god Jupiter. The Sumerians also posed philosophical questions, such as: Who are we?, Where are we?, How did we get here?.[citation needed] They attributed answers to these questions to explanations provided by their gods.

Philosophy The origins of philosophy can be traced back to early Mesopotamian wisdom, which embodied certain philosophies of life, particularly ethics, in the forms of dialectic, dialogs, epic poetry, folklore, hymns, lyrics, prose works, and proverbs. Babylonian reasoning and rationality developed beyond empirical observation.[26] The earliest form of logic was developed by the Babylonians, notably in the rigorous nonergodic nature of their social systems. Babylonian thought was axiomatic and is comparable to the "ordinary logic" described by John Maynard Keynes. Babylonian thought was also based on an open-systems ontology which is compatible with ergodic axioms.[27] Logic was employed to some extent in Babylonian astronomy and medicine. Babylonian thought had a considerable influence on early Greek and Hellenistic philosophy. In particular, the Babylonian text Dialogue of Pessimism contains similarities to the agonistic thought of the sophists, the Heraclitean doctrine of contrasts, and the dialectic and dialogs of Plato, as well as a precursor to the maieutic method of Socrates.[28] The Ionian philosopher Thales was influenced by

Babylonian cosmological ideas. Resources:

Ancient Worlds textbook pp. 81 & 82


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamia#Science_and_technology

Station 4: Writing- Cuneiform

Task A:

Write a paragraph about cuneiform that answers the following questions:

- When, why, and by who was cuneiform invented? - What were the materials needed to write? - What group of Mesopotamians used cuneiform? - What was cuneiform used for? - How did cuneiform evolve from when it was first invented?

Criteria: - Paragraph is 6-10 sentences long - Paragraph is written in your own words - You have answered all of the above questions


Task B

Create a message using cuneiform. Pretend that you are a person in Mesopotamia. You can pretend to be a farmer, scribe, trader, warrior, mother, merchant, inventor, astronomer etc. Write about your life. It can be a specific event or any ordinary day.

Criteria: - Must have at least 15 symbols. - Must be a minimum of 4 sentences long. - Includes a legend that tells what your symbol stands for. - Message must be decoded.

Resources:

Ancient Worlds Textbook p. 82 Other Places Other Times Textbook p. 43 Articles in the folder Cuneiform examples and pictures in the folder

1) Cuneiform

It was the end of the Stone Age, and the beginning of the Bronze Age or the Age of Metallurgy and Writing!

The ancient Sumerians believed in education. Record keeping was very important to them. They wanted their sons to learn how to read and write.

Their written language began as pictographs, pictures of things that acted as words in 3300 BCE. Pictographs worked, but they were rather cumbersome.

Soon, the clever ancient Sumerians started to use wedge-‐shaped symbols for objects and ideas instead of pictures.

Today, we call this written language of wedge-‐shaped symbols cuneiform.

We know a great deal about the ancient Sumerian civilization from the written records they left behind in stone and clay. The ancient Sumerians kept excellent records and lists of things. They listed their household goods. They listed their court activity. They listed their sales and purchases. They even kept a list of their kings that was updated from time to time, as new kings came to power.

One of the best things the ancient Sumerians wrote down was a great story called The Epic of Gilgamesh. The Epic of Gilgamesh is perhaps the oldest recorded story in the world. It tells about the adventures of a king of Uruk, one of the city-‐states in ancient Sumer. King Gilgamesh may actually have existed. His name is on the list of Sumerian kings, a list we know about because the ancient Sumerians wrote it down.

Cuneiform became the written language from as early as 5000 BCE. As the civilization of Sumer started to decline, other civilizations continued to use the Sumerian written symbols. Thanks to the Sumerians, we also know a great deal about the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations of Babylon and of Assyria, civilizations who used the ancient Sumerian system of writing -‐ cuneiform.

Although cuneiform was used for many thousands of years, and many things have been discovered written in cuneiform, cuneiform is still not easy to read. That is because the shape of cuneiform letters, and the meanings of various cuneiform symbols, changed over time and varied

by region. When archaeologists find ancient cuneiform script, they are always excited about it. But, they need time to translate it to discover if they have found a household list of repaired items, or a new poem or story.

There is much yet to be discovered about these ancient people as archaeologists continue to translate the ancient written language of Cuneiform.

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/cuneiform.html

2) CUNEIFORM

As the Sumerian city-‐states' wealth increased, government officials realized that an efficient method of keeping records had to be developed. Evolved from simple pictographic writing, Sumerian cuneiform emerged as the world's first writing system. The term cuneiform means "wedge-‐shaped." It was made up of hundreds of word signs that were "wedge-‐shaped" due to the shape of the reed pen, or stylus, that was used. The Sumerians wrote on clay tablets that would either be dried in the sun or fired in kilns to make the writing permanent.

Cuneiform was learned in Sumerian schools called edubbas, or tablet houses. Only a select group of boys were able to attend Sumerian schools. The boys were usually sons of the very wealthy.

Students worked very hard at Sumerian schools, and the school day lasted from early morning until evening. Students were taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. The teachers severely disciplined the students. For example, a mistake on a clay tablet could merit a beating.

All the sacrifice and schooling was worth it. Once a student successfully completed twelve years of schooling, he was an official scribe, or writer. This was a prestigious position in Sumerian society. Scribes were very valuable in order to maintain and improve the record keeping that the Sumerians deemed so very necessary.

The Sumerians also used cylinder seals. Cylinder seals were carved out of stone, and they were used as identification. For example, in order to identify himself, a Sumerian would roll his cylinder seal across a wet clay tablet. This would make an imprint on the tablet that would become permanent by sun-‐baking or kiln-‐firing. Cylinder seals were used as signatures are used today.

http://www.nlcs.k12.in.us/oljrhi/brown/mesopotamia/meso.htm

3) Writing

Over five thousand years ago, people living in Mesopotamia developed a form of writing to record and communicate different types of information.

The earliest writing was based on pictograms. Pictograms were used to communicate basic information about crops and taxes.

Over time, the need for writing changed and the signs developed into a script we call cuneiform.

Over thousands of years, Mesopotamian scribes recorded daily events, trade, astronomy, and literature on clay tablets. Cuneiform was used by people throughout the ancient Near East to write several different languages.

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/home_set.html

Cuneiform :: Image 2

Station 5: Code of Hammurabi

Task A:

Write a paragraph about Hammurabi that answers the following questions:

- Who was Hammurabi? - What is the Code of Hammurabi and when was it created? - Why did Hammurabi come up with the code? - How many laws did it include? - What idea are the laws based on? - What aspects of life did the laws cover? - How do Hammurabi’s laws compare to our Canadian laws? - Why do you think the laws are considered a sign of civilization?

Criteria: - Paragraph is 6-10 sentences long - Paragraph is written in your own words - You have answered all of the above questions - Display pictures within your book


Task B

Write a letter to the editor of the Babylonian Times in response to one of Hammurabi's laws. In the letter, clearly state which law you wish to discuss, your opinion of the code, and why you feel the way you do. If you disagree with the code, you should offer suggestions for Hammurabi to consider.

Criteria: - Correct letter format (see sample) - Letter is 6-10 sentences long

Resources: Ancient Worlds Textbook p. 83-84 Other Places Other Times Textbook p. 51, 56-57 Articles in the folder

1) Hammurabi

-‐ One of the problems facing early civilizations was setting up laws to govern themselves once people started living in communities instead of hunting, gathering, and roaming for food. Four thousand years later, we take a lot of this for granted.

-‐ Hammurabi’s code is the best preserved legal document giving us an idea of the life and social structure of the people during Hammurabi's reign.

-‐ Hammurabi was an ancient Babylonian king. He did something that no one had ever done before. The Sumerians had created the first written cuneiform. Using this written language, Hammurabi created the first written set of laws.

-‐ In Hammurabi's court, it did not matter if you were rich or poor. If you broke the law, and were found guilty, you would be punished. Rulers of ancient Babylon believed that the gods had entrusted them to deal fairly with their people. These laws were to protect the oppressed and safeguard human rights. Hammurabi called himself the "king of justice to whom Shamash has committed the truth".

-‐ Since the laws were clearly written down, everyone was expected to obey them.

http://www.phillipmartin.info/hammurabi/hammurabi_teacherpage.htm

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/hammurabi.html

2) Hammurabi's Code

Hammurabi was a Mesopotamian king who recorded a system of laws called the Code of

Hammurabi. His 282 laws were engraved in stone and placed in a public location for everyone to see. Some of Hammurabi's laws were based on the principle "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." This means that whoever commits an injury should be punished in the same manner as that injury. If someone puts out another person's eye, their eye would be put out in return.

Hammurabi's code included what we today call both criminal and civil law. Criminal law is composed of rules that define conduct. One law said, "if a son strikes his father, his hands shall be hewn off." Civil law settles disputes among individuals. Hammurabi's Code states, "if a man builds a house badly, and it falls and kills the owner, the builder is to be killed. If the owner's son was killed, then the builder's son is to be killed."

One exception existed to the principle of "an eye for an eye." It demonstrated that Hammurabi believed the gods had power over people and events. An accused person was allowed to jump into the Euphrates River. "If he sinks in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river proves that the accused is not guilty, and he escapes unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser." We can surmise from this law that not many people at that time were able to swim.

Hammurabi reigned from 1795 to 1750BC in the city-‐state of Babylon. Sumer was once the most populated part of Mesopotamia, but after about a millennium, Sumer's soil was no longer able to support crops. The population shifted upriver and new kingdoms formed. One of the richest and most powerful was Babylon. Babylon was known for its spectacular entertainment. People still refer to a rich city with many luxuries as "a Babylon."

Hammurabi's Code helps us understand what life was like in ancient Babylon. Equal punishment existed only when the two sides were of equal rank. The punishment would be less if the injured person was a woman or a slave. One law said, "if a man strikes a free-‐born woman so that she loses her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss." Another says, "if a man has caught either a male or female runaway slave in the open field and has brought him back to his owner, the owner of the slave shall give him two shekels of silver."

Hammurabi Code is the earliest form of law that we are able to read and study because, in 1901, a French expedition to Mesopotamia uncovered a copy of the Babylonian king's laws. The stone pillar where Hammurabi had his laws engraved is on display at the Louvre, a museum in Paris, France

http://www.mrdowling.com/603-‐hammurabi.html

Letter Sample

Station 6: Social Structure of Mesopotamia

Task A:

Make a graphic organizer showing the various social classes of ancient Mesopotamia. You may use the one provided or create one of your own. Make sure to explain who made up each class and what their roles were in society. Criteria: - At least 3 classes are described. - Use a ruler for your writing - Fine line Task B:

Create a venn diagram comparing the roles of men and women in Mesopotamia. Include as much information as you can find.

Criteria: - At least 4 points on each section of the diagram - Use a ruler for your writing - Fine line - Display pictures within your book

Resources:

Ancient Worlds Textbook p. 73 Articles in the folder

THE LEVELS OF SOCIETY

Cities usually had different social groups. Some people were richer and more powerful than others. Ur had three levels of society. At the top were the most powerful government officials, priests, and soldiers. The society's second level was made up of merchants, teachers, laborers, farmers, and craftsmen. At the bottom of the social scale were the slaves, who often had been captured during battle.

• Highest class included: King, government officials, priests, wealthy merchants and landowners.

• Middle class included: Farmers, fishermen, artisans, scibres, potters

• Lowest class included: slaves, prisoners, people who did not own land and children http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/elmer/infoCentral/frameset/civilizations/meso/soc/index.html

SUMERIAN CULTURE

SOCIETY

1. Three social classes

a. Priests and royalty (kings)

b. Wealthy merchants

c. Ordinary workers

[Slaves] –were not free citizens and thus not included in class system

Classes of People

There were four main classes of people in ancient Sumer -‐ the priests, the upper class, the lower class, and the slaves.

The Priests: The priests were powerful. They were in charge of making sure everyone behaved in a way that would make the gods happy. They were the doctors of the time. If you were sick, you called for a priest.

There is a written record of two priests, by the bed of a sick boy, dressed to look like fish to better speak with the water god. (This author does not know why the priests wanted to talk to the water god. Perhaps the boy became sick in the water or from drinking the water.)

The Upper Class: Men and women wore jewelry, especially rings. Men wore skirts and had long hair, curly moustaches, and long beards. Women wore dresses, off one shoulder. They had long hair, which they braided or wore up in fancy arrangements. It was easy to tell who were the priests. The priests shaved their heads. Everyone wore cloaks made from sheep wool to keep warm in winter.

The Lower Class: In ancient Sumer, people were paid for their work. If they ran a shop or worked in the fields, they were paid for their goods or labor. Stealing was a serious crime and punishment was severe. Everybody paid, even the king.

Although the lower class did not have the luxury lifestyle of the rich, they were comfortable. They worked very hard, but they had homes. They wore jewelry, although perhaps it was not made of gold. They followed the clothing fashions of the time as much as possible.

There was no law that said they could not move up the social scale, or more likely, have their children move up the social scale by becoming a scribe, or a priest or priestess.

The Slaves: When the Sumerians conquered another town, they brought prisoners back with them to act as slaves. Slaves worked for the king, the temple and the wealthy. Slaves were bought and sold. Records have been found recording the amount paid for a slave. Typically, a slave bought at auction cost less than a donkey but more than a cow.

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/classes.html

Hierarchy: The Pyramid Title: ______________________________________

http://www.studenthandouts.com/1batch/graphic-‐organizers/3-‐level-‐printable-‐blank-‐pyramid-‐chart.pdf

Venn Diagram

http://www.studenthandouts.com/3batch/venn2.pdf

Women

Women in ancient Mesopotamia were not equal to men, but they did have rights. Only boys went to school.

Women could freely go to the marketplace, buy and sell goods, handle legal issues, own property, and start their own business.

Upper class women, like members of the royal family and those who gave their life to the temple as priestesses, could learn how to read and write. Some women even had jobs running parts of the town or jobs in city government.

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/women.html

The Mesopotamian woman's role was strictly defined. She was the daughter of her father or the wife of her husband. Women rarely acted as individuals outside the context of their families. Those who did so were usually royalty or the wives of men who had power and status.

Most girls were trained from childhood for the traditional roles of wife, mother, and housekeeper. They learned how to grind grain, how to cook and make beverages, especially beer, and how to spin and weave cloth for clothing. If a woman worked outside of her home, her job usually grew out of her household tasks.

Mesopotamia was a patriarchial society; the men were way more powerful than the women. And schooling was for only royal children and sons of the rich and professionals such as scribes, physicians, temple administrators, and so on. They were the only ones that went to school. Most boys were taught their father's trade or were trained to learn a trade. Girls had to stay home with their mothers to learn Housekeeping and cooking, and to look after the younger children. Some children would help with crushing grain, or cleaning birds. Unusual for that time in history, women in Mesopotamia had rights. They could own property and, if they had good reason, they could get a divorce.

http://ancientmesopotamia.wetpaint.com/page/Culture+of+the+People

2.Women

a. Had more rights than in many later civilizations

(could own property, join lower ranks of priesthood)

b. But not allowed to attend schools

(could not read or write)

Ancient Tablets, Ancient Graves: Accessing Women's Lives in Mesopotamia

In general, women's rights in Mesopotamia were not equal to those of men. But in early periods women were free to go out to the marketplaces, buy and sell, attend to legal matters for their absent men, own their own property, borrow and lend, and engage in business for themselves. High status women, such as priestesses and members of royal families, might learn to read and write and be given considerable administrative authority. Numerous powerful goddesses were worshiped; in some city states they were the primary deities.

Women's position varied between city-‐states and changed over time. There was an enormous gap between the rights of high and low status women (almost half the population in the late Babylonian period were slaves), and female power and freedom sharply diminished during the Assyrian era. The first evidence of laws requiring the public veiling of elite women come from this period.

Read the following excerpts gleaned from Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets and artifacts. Then find the sentence, phrase or idea that shows:

• Areas where women could exercise some authority (power). • Areas where women had little power. • The treatment of slave women. • The types of work women engaged in. • Things women complained about. • Laws that seemed to protect certain rights of women. • Laws that parallel ours with regard to marriage. That contrast with ours.

If you were a scholar reading the ancient cuneiform tablets, what additional things about womens' lives would you want to discover?

1) Great Death Pit -‐ Sumar. Ur, Early dynastic period, around 2500 B.C.

The Sumerians believed their kings and queens were divine, and that ordinary humans were created for the service of the gods. At the site of the ancient city-‐state of Ur, archeologists uncovered sixteen royal graves. That of Queen Shub-‐ad shows her buried with a fancy head-‐dress of gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian. She carries an exquisite gold cup in her hand. Buried with her were six men and sixty-‐eight richly adorned women -‐ mostly ladies in waiting wearing huge gold errings, necklaces of precious stones. gold and silver hair ribbons. Their sleeves, cuffs and bottom hem of their coats were enriched with beads or rings in shell or metal. Slaves and musicians also gave their lives in order to attend to their divine queen after her death.

2) Temple of the Goddess Bau: Lagash, ca, 2350 B.C. Administration of this temple was in the hands of Queen Shagshag. She exercised legal and economic authority over the whole domain of temple, employing about 1000 and 1200 persons year round. She also was the chief priestess. Tablets show that her domestic staff consisted of:

• 150 slave women: spinners, woolworkers, brewers, millers, and kitchen workers. • One female singer, several musicians. • 6 women who ground grain for feeding pigs. • 15 cooks, and 27 other slaves doing menial work. • Brewery: 40 men and 6 females. • One wet nurse, one nursemaid. • Personal servants for her children and herself. • One hairdresser.

3) Enheduanna. Daughter of King Sargon of Akkad. High-‐priestess of Moon-‐God temple. Ur. ca.

2300 B.C.

Enheduanna is the first known female poet in history. Her poems of praise to gods and goddesses were highly popular in her time. After her father's death, the new ruler of Ur removed her from her position as high-‐priestess. She wrote of this injustice:

"Me who once sat triumphant, he has driven out of the sanctuary.

Like a swallow he made me fly from the window, My life is consumed. He stripped me of the crown appropriate for the high priesthood. He gave me dagger and sword -‐ 'it becomes you,' he said to me."

Enheduanna appealed to the goddess Inanna to redress her injuries:

"It was in your service that I first entered the holy temple, I, Enheduanna, the highest priestess. I carried the ritual basket,

I chanted your praise. Now I have been cast out to the place of lepers.

Day comes and the brightness is hidden around me. Shadows cover the light, drape it in sandstorms.

My beautiful mouth knows only confusion. Even my sex is dust."

4) Erishti-‐Aya: Letters to King Zimri-‐Lim of the city-‐state of Mari, Akkadian Dynasty 1750 B.C.

Zimri-‐Lim was king of Mari in northern Mesopotamia during the time of Hammurabi. Elite women in Mari held relatively equal status with men. They stood in for the king when he was absent, and ruled in city-‐states that had been conquered. Zimri-‐Lim had eight daughters. Two he had become priestesses dedicated to certain gods. They became cloistered, like nuns. One, Erishti-‐Aya, wrote letters home complaining of her life.

"Now the daughters of your house...are receiving their rations of grain, clothing, and good beer. But even though I alone am the woman who prays for you, I am not provisioned...

Last year you sent me two female slaves and one of those slaves had to go and die! Now you have brought me two more female slaves and of these one slave had to go and die!"

To her mother Erishti-‐Aya wrote:

"I am a king's daughter! You are a king's wife! Even disregarding the tablets with which your husband and you made me entered the cloister, they (the temple officials) treat well soldiers taken as booty. You, then treat me well!"...."My rations of grain and clothing, with which my

father keeps me alive, they once gave me, so let them give me them no lest I starve."

5) Prayer to Goddess Ishtar

Goddess Ishtar, leading a king by the hand Ca. 1700

B.C.

"Gracious Ishtar, who rules over the universe, Heroic Ishtar, who creates humankind,

who walks before the cattle, who loves the shepherd... Without you the river will not open

the river which brings us life will not be closed, without you the canal will not open,

the canal from which the scattered drink will not be closed...

Where you cast your glance, the dead awaken, the sick arise; The bewildered, beholding your face, find the right way...""

6) Letter from Assyrian business woman to her merchant husband. ca. 1900 B.C.

"One heavy cloth to Ashur-‐Malik I gave previously for his caravan trip. But the silver from it he has not yet brought me. ....When you send the purse, include some wool. Wool in the city is costly."

7) Laws in the Hammurabi Code

"If a [woman wine-‐seller] does not accept [grain] according to gross weight in payment of drink, but takes money, and the price of the drink is less than that of the corn, she shall be convicted and thrown into the water." (#108). (This refers to a practice known as a trial by ordeal. It was

believed that the Euphrates River would act as judge of people accused of various crimes. If, when thrown into the river, the accused person floated, she or he was considered innocent. But if they

sank, the river had found them guilty.)

"If conspirators meet in the house of a woman wine-‐seller, and these conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the wine-‐seller shall be put to death."

"If a 'sister of a god' [nun] open a tavern, or enter a tavern to drink, then shall this woman be burned to death."

"If a man wishes to divorce his first wife who has not borne him sons, he shall give her the amount of her purchase money and the dowry which she brought from her father's house, and

let her go." (#138)

"If a woman quarrel with her husband, and says: "You are not congenial to me," the reasons for her prejudice must be presented. If she is guiltless, and there is no fault on her part, but he

leaves and neglects her, then no guilt attaches to this woman, she shall take her dowry and go back to her father's house." (#142)

KEY

Answer Key: Phrases or ideas about women in the “Ancient Tablets” activity

• Where women had some authority

#1) Shub-‐ad was a queen whose elite burial indicates her high status. #2) Another queen mentioned, Shagshag, who also had authority as a high priestess. The extent of her economic control is indicated. #3) The important status of a daughter of a king, in this case the famous Enheduanna, who could become a high priestess and be as highly educated as any male priest or member of the scribal class. #4) Again, the fact that daughters of the king learned to read and write and could assert themselves to try and get what they wanted. #5) Ishtar presents a female role model who is all powerful. Also, the fact that goddesses were deemed to be as important as male gods may have given ordinary human women some stature within their communities. Goddess based religions generally were more favorable toward women than were those dominated by male gods. #6) A female merchant who seems to have some authority within the family business. #7) Hammurabi Codes supporting the rights of women include #131, #142.

• Treatment of slave women

#1) slaves killed and buried with queen. #2) mention of large numbers of slave women as both domestic and craft producing workers. #4) The off hand, even cruel, reference by the royal daughter Erishti-‐Aya about the death of two of her slave women. (A good place to discuss the sharp class distinctions that have existed throughout most of history. Do they still exist? Does slavery still exist?)

• The types of work women engaged in

#1) mention of musicians who often were female. #2) list of jobs mainly done by women. (good place to discuss what other types of work women might do, and the importance of women’s work to the general economy). #3) Enheduanna’s description of her tasks as high priestess. #6) female business woman’s letter. #7) Laws referring to female wine sellers, owners of taverns. Also the fact that women had access to their own dowry indicates a source of income for her.

• Things women complained about

#3) Enheduanna’s loss of power when she is stripped of her position as high priestess and exiled. #4) priestesses whose families are not supporting them as had been arranged (and were required in Mesopotamia). Also a king’s daughter who mentions the fact that her parents forced her to become a nun. #6) Money that is owed a business woman. #7) Indications in the Hammurabi Codes that women complained about their husbands quite publicly.

• Laws that protect women’s rights

#7) Hammurabi Codes supporting the rights of women include #131, #142.

• Laws that parallel and contrast with ours re marriage

#7) Hammurabi Code #142 indicate that men and women could seek divorce because of incompatibility, desertion, and so forth. Laws that contrast with ours: #138. Grounds for divorce on fact that wife hasn’t produced male heirs. (good place to discuss practice in many places throughout history). #142. Mention here, and in other laws, of practice of dowry. And in law #138 the words “her purchase money” which means the husband gave her parents money upon the marriage (bride price). (Since both bride price and dowry are mentioned in this law, it is a good place to discuss the difference between the two practices).

http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/lesson2.html

Station 7: Arts and Culture

Task A:

Write a paragraph about art and culture in Mesopotamia.

Task B

Choose one of the following tasks to complete:

1) Ziggurats –

a) Write a paragraph about ziggurats, describing their importance to Mesopotamians. What do they tell us about Mesopotamians and religion? b) Draw a detailed picture of a ziggurat. Picture should be fine lined and coloured using pencil crayon.

2) Epic of Gilgamesh-

a) Read the different versions of the story. b) Gilgamesh has been called the world’s first superhero. Stories like his set the pattern for countless epics through the ages, including the heroic stories of today. Write a paragraph answering the following questions: - Why was Gilgamesh considered a superhero? - What qualities made Gilgamesh a hero? - What does the story tell us about Mesopotamian society? Using evidence from the story, explain what values and qualities Mesopotamians consider important.

Criteria: - Paragraph is 6-10 sentences long - Paragraph is written in your own words - You have answered all of the above questions - Display pictures within your book

Resources: Articles in the folder

Art, Music, Crafts Sumer, Babylon, Assyria

The Sumerians were wonderful craftsmen. They made jewelry of precious gold and lapis, fancy chairs, and unglazed vases that kept water cool. They were not very good at huge stone sculptures because their artists did not have stone with which to work. But they made beautiful things with the materials on hand.

One of the things they did very well was to create colorful mosaics in intricate and beautiful patterns using little pieces of painted clay. Archaeologists have found remains of their mosaics, helmets, harps, jewelry, pottery, and decorated tablets.

They made such beautiful pottery from wet soil that their pottery became a form of wealth. Pottery was traded for food, clothing, and jewelry.

They had many musical instruments, including the harp, reed pipes, drums, and the lyre.

The Babylonians came next. They built their civilization on the legacy (and remains) of ancient Sumer. The Babylonians continued the craftsmanship of the ancient Sumerians and added some of their own. The Babylonians added huge gates and massive sculptures built to honor the special events that surrounded their gloomy gods, especially the god Marduk.

The Assyrians, in the north, were different. They were not that interested in art for the sake of beauty. They were interested in using art to display huge scenes of their military achievements and the daily life of the military when they were not at war. There are also murals of the royals and their activities. We know a great deal about the Assyrians because of the pictures of daily life they carved and painted.

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/art.html

Mesopotamian ART

Mesopotamian art was largely used to glorify powerful dynasties, and often reflected the belief that kingship and the divine were closely interlocked.

Sumerian (3500–2300 BC) The first of the powerful Mesopotamian civilizations, Sumer was concentrated in the cities of Ur, Eridu, and Uruk in southern Mesopotamia. The Sumerians built temples on top of vast ziggurats (stepped towers) and also vast, elaborately decorated palaces. Sculptures include erect, stylized figures carved in marble and characterized by clasped hands and huge eyes; those found in the Abu Temple, Tell Asmar, date from 2700 BC. Earlier sculptures in alabaster, such as the Female Head (3000 BC; Iraq Museum, Baghdad), show a greater naturalism and sensitivity. Inlay work is seen in the Standard of Ur (2500 BC), a box decorated with pictures in lapis lazuli, shell, and red sandstone. The Sumerians, who are thought to have invented writing about 3000 BC, produced many small, finely carved cylindrical seals made of marble, alabaster, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and stone. The Sumerians, like the ancient Egyptians who were more or less their contemporaries, believed in an afterlife, and so their tombs were well furnished with art, furniture, and other items to prepare them for the next world.

Assyrian (1400–600 BC) The characteristic Assyrian art form was narrative relief sculpture. Unlike the other southern Mesopotamian peoples, the Assyrians had access to large quantities of stone, and their many carved reliefs have consequently survived well. These shallow carvings were used to decorate palaces, for example, the Palace of Ashurbanipal (7th century BC). Its finely carved reliefs include dramatic scenes of a lion hunt, now in the British Museum, London. Winged bulls with human faces, carved partially in the round, stood as sentinels at the royal gateways (Louvre, Paris).

Babylonian (625–538 BC) Babylon came to artistic

prominence in the 6th century BC, when it flourished under King Nebuchadnezzar II. He built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, a series of terraced gardens. The Babylonians practised all the Mesopotamian arts and excelled in brightly coloured glazed tiles, used to create relief sculptures. An example is the Ishtar Gate (about 575 BC) from the Temple of Bel, the biblical Tower of Babel (Pergamon Museum, Berlin, and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).

Gilgamesh and the Cedar Forest Stories about heroes and gods were told for centuries in Mesopotamia. Many of them were written down. Here is one about a king and his fantastic adventures.

Once upon a time a powerful king called Gilgamesh ruled the city of Uruk.

Uruk was a busy city on the flat Mesopotamian plain near the banks of the Euphrates river.

Ziggurats of Mesopotamia

Ziggurats were temples.

Like many ancient people, the ancient Sumerians believed that powerful gods lived in the sky. They built huge structures, called ziggurats, with steps climbing up to the top.

Religious ceremonies were held at the very top.

All year long, people left offerings of food and wine on the steps of the ziggurats. The priests enjoyed these offerings, as the gods could not eat for themselves.

The Ziggurat was built in the center of town. It was the center of daily life. Except for festivals, which, for the most part, were gloomy things, the Ziggurat courtyard was filled with life. You might see an artist painting, a boy racing by on his way to school, someone milking a cow or making a basket.

From the top of the Ziggurat, you could see the protective wall built about the entire town, and over the wall to the farmlands beyond.

http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/ziggurats.html

Ziggurats Temples were originally built on platforms. During the third millennium B.C., these were made higher and bigger. Eventually it was decided to build even higher temples on platforms which were stepped.

These stepped towers we call ziggurats. By 2000 B.C. mud-‐brick ziggurats were being constructed in many Sumerian cities. Later, ziggurats were constructed in Babylonian and Assyrian cities.

No one knows for certain why ziggurats were built or how they were used. They are part of temple complexes, so they were probably connected with religion.

By 4000 B.C. large temples were being built in Mesopotamian towns on top of mud-‐brick platforms.

Archaeologists discovered one of the oldest at Eridu. They thought it must have been a temple because they found the remains of burnt fish which had been left as offerings.

Over hundreds of years the temple was rebuilt on the remains of previous buildings, and so the platform grew in size.

Each time a temple was rebuilt the mud-‐brick walls were knocked down. The remains would form a platform and be used as the foundation for the new building. The remains of the old temple would be buried in the new platform.

When archaeologists excavate platforms like the one at Eridu they find foundations of buildings underneath each other going back through time.

Some of the 13 temples built one above the other between 5200 B.C. (at the bottom) and 3600 B.C. (at the top) to form a mound 10m. high. Later temples were dug away to form the platform for the ziggurat Ur-‐Nammu built in about 2100 B.C. 3600 B.C.

4000 B.C.

4300 B.C.

4900 B.C.

5000 B.C.

5200 B.C.

There was a sand dune beneath the earliest building.

The Ziggurat of Ur

The ziggurat of Ur has been visible on the flat Mesopotamian plain for thousands of years. The ruins have fascinated different people passing through southern Mesopotamia.

For the past two hundred years, people have been excavating the site to learn more about the ziggurat.

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/ziggurats/home_set.html

Station 8 – You have been hired as an Architect!

Task:

You are an architect living in Ancient Mesopotamia who has acquired a great deal of knowledge of what it takes for a kingdom to thrive. You have just been requested to design a new kingdom for King Randhawa. Draw a blueprint that displays the key features within the kingdom and a legend that provides information about each feature. You can find samples of a kingdom on p. 80 in the Ancient Worlds textbook as well as below.

Criteria:

- At least 8 key buildings - Features on both the inside and outside of the walled kingdom - Clearly labelled - Legend that provides detail about each feature and its importance within the

kingdom. - What makes your kingdom unique? Don’t just draw the diagram above. How will King

Randhawa choose your kingdom?

- Rubric - Neatness - Spelling - Writing –detailed information in your own words - - relevant to the topic - - explains thoughts - Followed Directions for each task - Reflection – reflected criteria on all tasks

Government

Resources:

Ancient Worlds Textbook p.

Other Places Other Times Textbook p. 44-‐45, 56-‐57, 63-‐64

Government: The ancient Mesopotamians created a government that was a combination of monarchy and democracy. Kings ruled the people. Elected officials who served in the Assembly also ruled the people. Even kings had to ask the Assembly for permission to do certain things.

Law and Order: Law held a special place in their civilization. Sumerian laws were not written down, but people knew what they were and they knew what could happen to you if you broke the law. The Sumerian laws clearly said how you had to behave and what your punishment would be if you did not behave correctly. The laws that were later written down by the ancient Babylonians were, for the most part, laws first created by the ancient Sumerians.

Government

Mesopotamia did not have protection from natural boundaries. This led to constant migrations of Indo-‐European people from the area between the Black and Caspian seas. This lead to a constant migration and 'Cultural Diffusion', or the process where an existing culture adopts the traits of another and the two eventually merge into a new culture. As a result, a strong central government failed to develop in Mesopotamia. The dominant political unit was the 'City-‐State', a small area surrounding a large, complex city.

Math

USEFUL WEBSITES

http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/ED/TRC/MESO/lessonsmeso.html

http://besthistorysites.net/index.php/ancient-‐biblical-‐history/mesopotamia

http://www.ignitelearning.com/socialstudies/Mesopotamia.pdf


-‐ Add Vocab

-‐ Find Gilmagesh Storybooks at SPL

mesopotamia: the cradle of civilization stations project filesouthern mesopotamia is made up of...

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