Mesopotamia

Middle Eastern Civilizations: 3500 BCE-395CEMesopotamiaThe Neolithic Revolution:Hunter-gatherers began farming and herding animals about 10 000 years ago Food supply increased dramaticallyLarger groups could now live together, leading to permanent villages and communitiesLearned to make pottery, baskets, cloth, jewellery, eating utensils, weapons etc from metalCrafts lead to trade, transportation inventions, and a government (ruler/priest)What makes a civilization?A) Written language

B) Technology (buildings that last)

C) Specialization of labour

Began in places where agriculture could flourish and the population could grow rapidly such as moderate climate zones (not too hot or cold), near river valleys with rich soils

The Middle East has all of these features

Middle East Map:-Follow the instructions on the map handout

-Label and color the places and features indicated

Use your textbook as a guide (page 38)Sumerians (3500 BCE):First group to establish communities along the two rivers (Euphrates and Tigris). Small farming communities eventually grew into the first great cities of the world.

Had independent city-states ruled by separate kings.

Each city state had its own government, laws, military and independently managed its affairs from the others nearby. Largest Sumerian city state was called Ur.Accomplishments:First to develop and use the wheelPotters wheelChariotsPulley systemYokeSeed drillMathematicsSundialWritingBronze

Feature:South:North:Lay of the landWeatherSoilAnimalsNatural ResourcesMesopotamia: The Fertile Crescent*Fill in the chart with appropriate information from pages 37 and 38.Feature:South:North:Lay of the landFlat Flood plain.Mountains.WeatherHot with droughts in summerHeavy rain with floods in spring.Rainfall more reliable, floods rare.SoilVery fertile (silt deposited by flood waters).Superb farmland.AnimalsLots of fish and waterfowl (water birds).Lots of animal life in forests. The plains had herds of wild cattle, gazelles, antelopes and elephants. Valleys had wild boars. Sheep and goats on the foothills of the mountains.

Natural ResourcesFew except for clay which was used for making bricks (building).Close to resources from surrounding areas such as tin, gold and silver.

Mesopotamia: The Fertile Crescent*Fill in the chart with appropriate information from pages 37 and 38.Babylonians (1900 BCE):A new kingdom, led by King Hammurabi was established by taking over what the Sumerians controlled.Hammurabi united many city-states under his control.

Hammurabi is famous for creating one of the worlds first written codes of law; The Hammurabi Code.

Scribes wrote the laws on tablets and later inscribed them on a stela for all to see.

Hammurabi Code:There were 282 laws. (Page 50 of your textbook)

Based on the idea that The punishment should fit the crime, or An eye for an eye.

Hammurabi wanted justice for all of his people.Ticket to leave:On a piece of paper to be handed in to me:Choose one of Hammurabis laws and tell me:

A) What the law said

B) If you agree or disagree

C) Why you feel this way (explain your reasoning)

*Hand this in before you leave todayAssyrians (1300 BCE):Started from the city-state of Ashur.

Assyrians were known as war-loving people. Many of their leaders were hungry for power.

Assyrians were known for the creation of professional armies and made their weapons from iron.Ashurbanipal: (Famous Assyrian Leader)Built schools and temples.

Had a library in his palace (22 000 tablets).

Kept a zoo at his home with animals from all of his conquered lands.

Chaldeans (610 BCE):Also known as New Babylonians.Nebuchadnezzar was their most famous king.Built the Hanging Gardens, temples to Gods (ziggurats).

Everyday Life:1. Describe the role of each of the following people(s) in Mesopotamian society: A) Priests, b) Scribes, c) Merchants and Artisans, d) Common people, e) Slaves

2. What power did the father have in a Mesopotamian family?

3. How were women treated?

4. a) What is monogamy? b) Did the Mesopotamians practice monogamy?

5. a) Who attended school? b) What skills were taught to boys (wealthy and poor) and girls?Good afternoon!Please take out your answers to the questions you were working on last class.Answers to the questions:1. a) Priests: -only people capable of communicating with the gods-responsible for distribution of farmland and running schools

b) Scribes:- the educated class (able to read and write)-wealthy and prestigious jobs (temple, palace, government, army etc)

c) Merchants and Artisans:-traders and craftspeople-developed the civilization by trading ideas and products-made jewelry, statuettes etc

Answers continued.d) Common people:-lower class and were farmers

e) Slaves:-had no rights-did household labour and chores-Two types of slaves: 1) captured in battle 2) Debtors who sold themselves and/or their family to pay off their debt

Answers continued2. What power did the father have in a Mesopotamian family?

-father owned his children

-parental respect was the focus of a childs upbringing

-father could deposit his kids with a creditor as security for debt payment

Answers continued3. How were women treated?-women were respected, but not considered equal to men-could own land and property, but they could not vote or rule

4. a) What is monogamy?-having only one spouse at a time b) Did the Mesopotamians practice monogamy? -Monogamy ruled, but some men took secondary wives called Concubines (often slaves)

Answers continued5. a) Who attended school? -school started at age eight or nine and only for boys of the wealthy

b) What skills were taught to boys (wealthy + poor) and girls?-students wrote on clay tablets-lessons in writing, arithmetic, grammar, history and geography-in school from sunrise to sunset-students who did not do work perfectly were punished-lower class kids learned trades at home such as brick making or boat building etc. Girls were trained as wives and mothers

Mesopotamia Video:"From Nomads to Farmers

(14 minutes)Cuneiform Writing:Copy the following story into your notes, then using your legend of cuneiform writing provided, transcribe the story into the appropriate symbols:

One sunny day, a woman came down from the mountain with her dog by her side. She asked me for some food and water as she was feeling so weak that she could hardly stand. I gave her some fish and barley which she offered to pay for with her shiny metal bracelet. When I asked her what she was doing so far from home she explained that she had been looking for her lost cow who had wandered off from her orchard.

Assignment: Answer all questions in complete sentences and hand them in when complete:Religion (pages 53-56):1. Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic with gods that were anthropomorphic. What do these two terms mean?2. What were Ziggurats and how were they used by the people?

Trade (pages 64-65):3. What is a barter system?4. Which of their products was the Sumerian barter system based on?5. Why and how did the Babylonians change this system?

Mathematics (page 71):6. For what purposes did the Sumerians use mathematics?7. How does their choice of the number 60 as their base unit affect us today?

Assignment answers:1. Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic with gods that were anthropomorphic. What do these two terms mean?

Polytheistic means that they worshipped many gods/goddesses. Anthropomorphic means that their gods had human-like qualities, such as eating, drinking, getting married, having kids etc.

2. What were Ziggurats and how were they used by the people?

Ziggurats were temples built as houses for the gods. Food and gifts would be placed in them for when the gods came down from the heavens to visit earth.

3. What is a barter system?

Instead of using money, people traded goods for other goods.

4. Which of their products was the Sumerian barter system based on?

The system was based on sacks of grain. Every product was equal to a certain number of sacks of grain.

5. Why and how did the Babylonians change this system?

The Babylonians changed the system by introducing money (coins) which were equal to an amount of grain. This made things easier because people no longer had to carry heavy sacks of grain.

6. For what purposes did the Sumerians use mathematics?

They used math to help build canals, to keep records of farms and trades, and to calculate taxes owed to the state.

7. How does their choice of the number 60 as their base unit affect us today?

Their choice of the number sixty has given us the 360 degree circle, the 60 minute hour and 60 second minute.

Cuneiform Writing Assignment:On plain white paper:Use cuneiform symbols to create your own story of at least ten symbols.

Be sure to also include your translation of that story into words and sentences on a separate page.

Create a title page with a colored drawing related to your story, staple the sheets together and hand it in to me.

Nova Video:Cracking the Mayan Code (Hieroglyphics)

(53 minutes)Video:Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Answer the questions provided as you watch the video in class.