Culture and Society in Ancient Mesopotamia

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Culture and Society in Ancient Mesopotamia By Ancient History Encyclopedia, adapted by Newsela staff on 07.25.

1 Culture and Society in Ancient Mesopotamia By Ancient History Encyclopedia, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 1,180 Level 1060L "The Walls of Babylon and the Temple of Bel (Or Babel)", by 19th-century illustrator William Simpson. Influenced by early archaeological investigations. From Wikimedia. Mesopotamia was an ancient region in the Middle East. Most of it is located today in the country Iraq. But it also included Kuwait, the eastern parts of Syria, southeastern Turkey, and regions along the Turkish-Syrian and Iran Iraq borders. The word Mesopotamia comes from the Greek word meaning "between two rivers." Those would be the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. The land was known as "Al-Jazirah," or "Al Jazeera" meaning "the island," by the Arabs, and later the Fertile Crescent by historians, as its soil was ideal for farming. The Cradle of Civilization Ancient peoples in Egypt and Greece believed in similar things and had similar cultures. However, Mesopotamia was a collection of many cultures. Their only real bonds were their use of writing, their gods and their attitude toward women. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 Even so, Mesopotamia is known as the cradle of civilization. That is mostly because of two developments that happened in the Mesopotamian region of Sumer, around 3000 B.C. the rise of the city and the invention of writing. Those were not their only inventions. Mesopotamian people are also said to have invented the wheel. In 1922, the archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley discovered the remains of two fourwheeled wagons with leather tires. Other important developments credited to the Mesopotamians include the domestication of animals, agriculture, tools, sophisticated weaponry and warfare, the chariot, wine, beer, the sail (sailboats), and irrigation. Starting in the 1840s, archaeologists have found human settlements dating to 10,000 B.C. in Mesopotamia. These show that the fertile land allowed people to settle in, domesticate animals and start farming. Trade soon followed and with prosperity came the birth of the city. It is generally thought that writing was invented due to trade. It also helped in long-distance communication, and for keeping careful track of money. Learning and religion Mesopotamia was known in ancient times as a place of learning. Schools were said to be as numerous as temples. They taught reading, writing, religion, law, medicine, and astrology, mostly to priests. There were more than 1,000 gods in the Mesopotamian cultures and many stories about them. Biblical tales such as the "Fall of Man" and the "Flood of Noah" are said to have first been Mesopotamian stories. The Mesopotamians believed that they were co-workers with the gods and that the land was infused with spirits and demons. The beginning of the world, they believed, was a victory by the gods over the forces of chaos. However, even though the gods had won, this did not mean chaos could not come again. The people of Mesopotamia felt they could keep the gods happy and the world balanced by carefully following daily rituals, proper funeral practices, and simple civic duty. They were taught to honor the gods in the work they did every day, as well as respecting elders and one another. Jobs Men and women both worked. Since ancient Mesopotamia was fundamentally a farming society, "the principal occupations were growing crops and raising livestock," historian Stephen Bertman says. Other occupations included those of the healer, weaver, potter, shoemaker, fisherman, teacher and priest or priestess. The highest positions in society were kings and military officers. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 Women enjoyed nearly equal rights as men. They could own land, file for divorce, own their own businesses and make contracts in trade. The early brewers of beer and wine, as well as the healers in the community, were initially women. These trades were later taken over by men, it seems, when it became apparent they were making a considerable amount of money. The work someone did, however, was never considered simply a "job." It was one s contribution to the community and thus to the gods efforts in keeping the world at peace and in harmony. Buildings and government A temple was typically at the center of every Mesopotamian city. Usually, it was on a raised platform, and it symbolized the importance of the city s favored god. Mesopotamia gave birth to the world s first cities. They were largely built of soil, which was dried in the sun and turned into bricks. The land also did not have trees for timber, so people turned to other natural resources that were abundant: "the muddy clay of its river banks and the rushes and reeds that grew in their marshes. With them, the Mesopotamians created the world s first columns, arches, and roofed structures, Bertman says. Cities and temple complexes were famous for their ziggurats pyramids built in layers of steps. These were all built using oven-baked bricks of clay, which were then painted over. The gods were thought to be present in the creation of any building project. It was important to carefully say prayers to the right gods to make sure building was successful. Whichever kingdom or empire ruled Mesopotamia, in whatever time, gods were central to the lives of the people, whether they were field workers or kings. The role of the king was established at some point after 3600 B.C. The king dealt directly with the people and made his will clear through laws he created himself. Kings versus the gods Prior to the concept of a king, there were priestly rulers. They were believed to have gotten messages directly from the gods to make laws. The king, while still honoring the gods, was considered a powerful enough mouthpiece for those gods to be able to know and speak their wishes. This is most clearly seen in the famous set of written laws made by king Hammurabi of Babylon, often called Hammurabi's Code, who claimed to speak with the gods. Many Mesopotamian rulers claimed to talk directly with the gods, with the Akkadian King Naram-Sin going so far as to say he was a god himself. The king was responsible for the well-being of his people. If a king ruled according to a god's wishes, it was said he would be rewarded with a prosperous kingdom. Still, even very good rulers, such as Sargon of Akkad, had to deal with constant uprisings and revolts by groups who claimed he was not the true king. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 Mesopotamia was so vast a region with so many different cultures within its borders that a single ruler trying to govern everyone would have to face disagreement at some point. Legacy The influence of Mesopotamia lives on today through many of the most basic parts of our modern life, such as the 60-second minute and the 60-minute hour. Historian Helen Chapin Metz notes that priests were always watching for special events happening in nature, as these were seen as signs of success or failure of a community. For example, the Sumerians believed that each of the gods was represented by a number. The number sixty, sacred to the god An, was their basic unit of calculation. The highly developed farming and water-control systems of Sumer allowed them to farm huge amounts of food and save it for less fortunate times. This production led to the growth of large cities. Mesopotamia generally, and Sumer specifically, gave the world some of its most enduring cultural aspects. Even though the cities and great palaces are long gone, that legacy continues. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 Quiz 1 Read the sentence from the section "The Cradle of Civilization." Their only real bonds were their use of writing, their gods and their attitude toward women. Which section of the article BEST explains the Mesopotamian attitude toward women further? (A) (B) (C) (D) "Learning and religion" "Jobs" "Buildings and government" "Kings versus the gods" 2 Read the list of sentences from the article. 1. Biblical tales such as the "Fall of Man" and the "Flood of Noah" are said to have first been Mesopotamian stories. 2. Since ancient Mesopotamia was fundamentally a farming society, "the principal occupations were growing crops and raising livestock," historian Stephen Bertman says. 3. "With them, the Mesopotamians created the world s first columns, arches and roofed structures, Bertman says. 4. The highly developed farming and water-control systems of Sumer allowed them to farm huge amounts of food and save it for less fortunate times. Which two sentences taken together provide the BEST evidence that Mesopotamia contributed to future cultures? (A) 1 and 3 (B) 1 and 4 (C) 2 and 3 (D) 2 and 4 This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5

6 3 Read the following two paragraphs from the section "Kings versus gods." Prior to the concept of a king, there were priestly rulers. They were believed to have gotten messages directly from the gods to make laws. The king, while still honoring the gods, was considered a powerful enough mouthpiece for those gods to be able to know and speak their wishes. This is most clearly seen in the famous set of written laws made by King Hammurabi of Babylon, often called Hammurabi's Code, who claimed to speak with the gods. Many Mesopotamian rulers claimed to talk directly with the gods, with the Akkadian King Naram-Sin going so far as to say he was a god himself. HOW is a CENTRAL idea of the article developed in these two paragraphs? (A) (B) (C) (D) by explaining the difference between the power of a king and a priestly ruler by comparing the success of two different kings and the laws they made by showing that kings often lied to their people in order to keep their power by demonstrating that the help of the gods was important for kings' power to rule 4 Which of the following answer choices describes two CENTRAL ideas in the article? (A) (B) (C) (D) Mesopotamia was known as the cradle of civilization for its fertile soil. Its location between two rivers was responsible for the region's fertility. Mesopotamia was the first civilization to develop money and writing for trade. The prosperity that came from trade allowed cities to grow. Mesopotamia was an advanced civilization that gave the world many inventions. Learning and religion were central aspects of Mesopotamian life. Mesopotamia was a civilization that valued religion and learning. It is also known for its large temple complexes made out of bricks of clay. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 6

Mesopotamian Civilization For use with pages 16 23

Name Date Class READING ESSENTIALS AND STUDY GUIDE 1-2 Mesopotamian Civilization For use with pages 16 23 Key Terms civilization: complex societies (page 17) irrigation: man-made way of watering crops