MESOPOTAMIA
Geography and History
Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means 'between the rivers'. The two rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates which flow through modern Iraq. The Euphrates also flows through some of Syria.
Mesopotamia is made up of some different regions, each region has its own geography. The geography of each area and the natural resources found there affected the ways that people lived.
Southern Mesopotamia is made up of wet areas and wide, flat, plains. Cities improved 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, contacting with the neighbor's lands was very important.
Culture
As the Mesopotamian civilization developed so did their culture. They had different kinds of festivals, ceremonies, traditions, and many more, which became an important part in many of their lives. Many of the rituals and ceremonies were based around certain rites of passage, such as birth and marriage, and these events were usually celebrated with a banquet that sometimes included music, dancing and food, though the food available was determined by the social status of the family. For music, though instruments have been found, it is unknown what kind of music they played.
Children were raised according to their gender roles. Boys were raised learning skills they could use to work and girls were raised to be wives and mothers. Once a child was of marrying age, families would arrange a marriage. At the marriage ceremony it is believed that the husband would pour perfume onto the head of his new bride. After becoming a wife, a woman's role was to cook, clean, and raise children. If a woman had a job it was usually related to one of her household tasks. They could become midwives, or sell any surplus of beer or goods that they made for their families.
Burial customs in ancient Mesopotamia varied. One method was placing the body in a ceramic jar then covering the top with more ceramic. Since the jars usually found in excavations are small, possibly household ceramics, it is believed this was a burial custom for infants or small children, though larger vessels have been found that were used for adult burials. Other means of burial included using carpets and mats to wrap the body.
Religion
Government
There was a King and nobles who made the law and declared war and decided how to honor the gods. Then there was an assembly of the people who could over rule the king and say, this is not a good law, get rid of it, or we don't want to go to war, so stop it. The kings, if they were wise, would listen to the people.
Sumerian Laws: The King passed a law, and everyone was expected to learn it and obey it. If you broke the law in Sumer, you would be punished. The punishment was set for each agreement. If you stole something, you were punished according to what you stole. If you offended the gods, you were punished. Everyone knew what the punishment was so there was no escape by saying you didn't know.
Babylonian Laws: The government and laws of Babylon were like the government and laws of Sumer. There was a king and other nobles who ruled with the help of an assembly of the people. The laws of Babylon were taken from the laws of Sumer. Everyone was expected to know and obey the laws. To ensure this and to ensure that the laws were followed by everyone, one of the Kings of Babylon, Hammurabi, had the laws written down on stone tablets. The code of Hammurabi was famous.
Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means 'between the rivers'. The two rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates which flow through modern Iraq. The Euphrates also flows through some of Syria.
Mesopotamia is made up of some different regions, each region has its own geography. The geography of each area and the natural resources found there affected the ways that people lived.
Southern Mesopotamia is made up of wet areas and wide, flat, plains. Cities improved 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, contacting with the neighbor's lands was very important.
Culture
As the Mesopotamian civilization developed so did their culture. They had different kinds of festivals, ceremonies, traditions, and many more, which became an important part in many of their lives. Many of the rituals and ceremonies were based around certain rites of passage, such as birth and marriage, and these events were usually celebrated with a banquet that sometimes included music, dancing and food, though the food available was determined by the social status of the family. For music, though instruments have been found, it is unknown what kind of music they played.
Children were raised according to their gender roles. Boys were raised learning skills they could use to work and girls were raised to be wives and mothers. Once a child was of marrying age, families would arrange a marriage. At the marriage ceremony it is believed that the husband would pour perfume onto the head of his new bride. After becoming a wife, a woman's role was to cook, clean, and raise children. If a woman had a job it was usually related to one of her household tasks. They could become midwives, or sell any surplus of beer or goods that they made for their families.
Burial customs in ancient Mesopotamia varied. One method was placing the body in a ceramic jar then covering the top with more ceramic. Since the jars usually found in excavations are small, possibly household ceramics, it is believed this was a burial custom for infants or small children, though larger vessels have been found that were used for adult burials. Other means of burial included using carpets and mats to wrap the body.
Religion
Government
There was a King and nobles who made the law and declared war and decided how to honor the gods. Then there was an assembly of the people who could over rule the king and say, this is not a good law, get rid of it, or we don't want to go to war, so stop it. The kings, if they were wise, would listen to the people.
Sumerian Laws: The King passed a law, and everyone was expected to learn it and obey it. If you broke the law in Sumer, you would be punished. The punishment was set for each agreement. If you stole something, you were punished according to what you stole. If you offended the gods, you were punished. Everyone knew what the punishment was so there was no escape by saying you didn't know.
Babylonian Laws: The government and laws of Babylon were like the government and laws of Sumer. There was a king and other nobles who ruled with the help of an assembly of the people. The laws of Babylon were taken from the laws of Sumer. Everyone was expected to know and obey the laws. To ensure this and to ensure that the laws were followed by everyone, one of the Kings of Babylon, Hammurabi, had the laws written down on stone tablets. The code of Hammurabi was famous.
By: Ayat Ayesh