Mesopotamia
The early history changes our present day
Geographer
Climate
Historian
5000 BC
The Sumer formed their first town and cities, they used irrigation to farm large areas of land.
4000 BC
They established city-states build ziggurats at the center Mesopotamia.
3300 BC
They invented the first writing system, used pictures for words inscribe on clay tablets.
Civilizations
7 Requirements of civilization
Urban revolution
New political and Military structures
Social structure based on economic power
Distinct religious structure
New forms of artistic and cultural activity
Development of complex technology
Website: Globster.com
Hammurabi laws
5 laws
1. If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.
2. If any one steal cattle or sheep or donkey or pig or a goat if it belong to a god or to the court, the theif shall pay thirty fold therefore; if they belonged to a freedman of the king he shall pay tenfold; if the theif has nothing with which to pay he shall be put to death.
3. If anyone take a male or female slave of the court, or a male or female slave of a freed man, outside the city gates, he shall be put to death.
4. If anyone break a hole in a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole buried.
5. If persons are stolen, then shall the community pay a Mina of silver to their relatives.
Gilgamesh
Agriculture
The early settlers planted wheat, barley, dates, and vegetables like cucumbers, onion, and spices.
Agriculture
There was a lot of crops to grow. Mesopotamia was dry and hardly ever got any rain. Irrigation helped because it stopped all their plants from flooding.
Poisoned fields
What did people eat?
The upper class ate the same things as the lower class but because they are more wealthier They ate unleaded bread, milk,beer, and expensive meats.
Steps of farming
Flood- before you do anything with soil, you have to flood the field with irrigation water.
Step 2
Plough- after you flood the field, you have to plough the field, to rotate the soil.
Step 3
Harrow- after you plough, you have to make the field smooth and even it out.
Step 4
Sow- after you harrowed, you have to put seeds in the ground.
Step 5
Water- you have to water the field 3 times after you sown it.
Step 6
Harvest- the crops are ready to be harvest, you must pick up the crops and send them to the threshing house.
Cylinder seals
If you didn't know how to read or write, you usually hire someone to do it for you. But you didn't need to read or write to sign you a contract or writing document, you used a cylinder seal.
Wheel
The wheel was invented to make things easier to carry and move away.
Hammurabi code
No matter if you were rich or poor you still had to enforce the laws. Once they were written down you had to obey them.
Cuneiform
This is how you write my name in cuneiform.
4 Classes of people
They were powerful, they were in charge of making sure people behaved in a way that would make the gods happy. At the time they were also doctors, if you were sick you went to the priests.
2. Upper class
Men and women wore jewelry. Men wore skirts, had long hair, curly mustaches, and long beards. Women wore one off shoulder dresses, had long hair which was braided or put up in a fancy way. Everyone wore cloaks made from wool in the winter.
3. Lower class
Got paid for their labor and goods. They wore jewelry, they had a home but not as fancy as upper class, followed the clothes fashion as much a s possible. There was no law saying they couldn't move up socially.
4. Slaves
They were brought prisoners back from fights, worked for the king, for the temple and the wealthy. Slaves were bought and sold. A slave brought from auction cost less than a donkey but more than a cow.