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MESOPOTAMIA. THE LAND BETWEEN THE RIVERS. Location Mesopotamia was made up of two parts: Akkad in the north and Sumer in the south. Sumer became the most developed part of Mesopotamia. The Akkadians copied Sumerian culture and technology.
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MESOPOTAMIA THE LAND BETWEEN THE RIVERS
LocationMesopotamia was made up of two parts: Akkad in the north and Sumer in the south.
Sumer became the most developed part of Mesopotamia. The Akkadians copied Sumerian culture and technology.
FarmingThe main job of the Sumerians was farming. Because the rivers flooded every year , and because the Sumerians needed to bring water to their crops, they developed a system of irrigation canals, dams and dikes. Wars sometimes broke out between city-states over water.
The Sumerians grew barley, chickpeas, lentils, millet, wheat, turnips, dates, onions, garlic, lettuce, leeks and mustard. They also raised cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. They used oxen as their primary beasts of burden and donkeys as their primary transport animal. Sumerians hunted fish and fowl.
OtherJobs: • Many Sumerians were also skilled workers. They made products such as: • Cloth from wool • Armour, spears, swords and chariots • Statues of people and their gods • Metal smiths worked with the metals gold, silver and gold. • Some were priests who led the worship of the Sumerian gods. • Others were soldiers in the army.
Science and Technology • Sumerians invented the wheel. • Their number system was based on the number 60. This is how we divide our time (sixty minutes in an hour, sixty seconds in a minute) • They studied the phases of the moon, and learned about months and years. • Used plows and sickles, bronze (copper and tin) and copper tools, armour, spears, swords and chariots. • They made lists of plants, trees and animals
Medicine • Sumerians used herbs as medicine. • They believed different diseases were caused by different gods. • There were two types of “doctors”: one that diagnosed the problem (the “ashipu”) by figuring out which god caused the disease. The second one was called the “asu”; he would administer the herbs, wash and bandage wounds, and make plasters. • Later on, some records describe surgeries that were performed.
Writing and Education • Mesopotamian writing first started as pictures, but later changed to cuneiform (a system of markings. • Later on their system of markings contained 600 different signs. • Markings were made on clay tablets with a pointed tool called a stylus. • School was held in a temple and went from morning to night. • Only boys went to school and they learned reading, writing, penmanship and literature. • Sumerians also used cylinder seals to sign important documents.
Art and Literature • Sumerians wrote poems, stories, proverbs, and historical documents. • Their greatest story was that of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian king who went on a great quest and supposedly found a plant that could provide immortality. • Sumerians created paintings on clay and numerous statues. • Music was played on lyres and harps.
Government • Sumer had a monarchy. Queens did not have any real power. • Sumer was divided into city-states, which were each ruled by different kings under the “god” of that city. • Some of the Sumerian kings believed they were gods themselves. • Later, all of Sumer was ruled by one king with princes in charge of each city.
Law and Order • The king was the highest judge. • Punishments for crimes were either fines or death. • Laws were written on clay tablets. • When Sumer was later taken over by Hammurabi, a famous king of the early Babylonian Empire, he created a code of law that became famous (The Code of Hammurabi)
Code of Hammurabi • Contained 282 laws • Examples: • If a nobleman accused another nobleman of murder but could not prove it, the accuser would be put to death. • If a nobleman committed robbery and was caught, he would be put to death. • If a son struck his father, the son’s hand would be cut off. • If a nobleman knocked out the tooth of another nobleman, his tooth would also be knocked out.
Religion • The Sumerians were very superstitious. • They worshiped in temples called ziggurats (ziggurat means “mountain top”) • Ziggurats could be 80 feet tall and 700 feet around the base. • The height of the temple symbolized their desire to be close to heaven. • They believed in hundreds of gods and goddesses. • They believed in an afterlife that was below the world. • They worshiped creation as well. • People brought offerings to the temples (food or crafts) and sacrificed to their gods.
Sumerian Homes • Wealthy families lived in two-story buildings built around a courtyard. • Poorer families lived in one-story houses located around the city walls. • Homes were made of clay bricks. Walls were thick to keep out the heat. • Roofs were flat and were used as a place to sit and/or sleep in the cooler evenings. • Furniture was made out of wood.
Social Organization • Men were the heads of families. • Sons were favoured over daughters. • Families were part of clans. • People were classified into 3 groups: nobility (privileged land-owners), commoners (farmers, artisans, craftsmen or unskilled workers) and slaves.
Trade and Commerce • Merchants traded surplus grain for silver and lead from Turkey. • They received lumber from Syria. • They received copper and building stones from Oman. • They received semiprecious gems from Afghanistan. • They built trading ships that could hold 35 tones of cargo. • Wars sometimes broke out between city-states over trade.
