Mesopotamia was a very essential civilization. During 4000 BCE, the Ubaid period began. This stage of Mesopotamian life gives one a prime example of a successful civilization. The Ubaid period also involved many interesting events that created the name of this prosperous culture. Pottery expanded to the fullest during this time. Inventions were constructed and were found out to be an accomplishment. They discovered that they could work and build at a much faster and easier pace using these inventions. Architecture and designs were a huge discovery. The buildings and designs that were created during the Ubaid period were astonishing. These reasons and many others are why the Ubaid era was such a memorable time for the Mesopotamians. …show more content…
Many events and actions took place during this time. Mesopotamia was an outstanding civilization and contained many treasures, including pottery, inventions, architecture, and Ziggurats. Civilizations, like Mesopotamia, are created and formed all over the world. What we see as normal can be seen as a total obscenity in another. During the Ubaid era, if a woman cheats on her husband, it is considered a crime and she would get put to death. In today’s society, this would be unethical and wrong but not considered a crime with a death sentence. Mesopotamia had a very strong society, which is always required for any civilization in order for them to become successful. The Ubaid period contained citizens who were smart and developed the ability to survive. This is the main key to acquiring a successful society. Back in beginning of the world, growing and hunting for food was a big factor. We need food and nutrients in order to survive. People who lived in Mesopotamia during the Ubaid period were able to feed themselves and their loved ones. Longer lasting lives were obtainable to them. “Groups of humans tailored their lifestyles to local conditions. In the eastern part of the region, hunter-gatherers moved up and down the mountains, depending on the season. In the spring they pursued herds of wild sheep and goats up to higher elevations, harvesting wild grasses along the way.” (Hackney Blackwell) Citizens need a way to protect
Government:The government of Mesopotamia was a strange one. There were kings and nobles who decided the laws and declared how their subjects should worship the gods, Then there was a group of people who could overrule the king and say which law was good or not, and get rid of it if it was not.
There were many civilizations that inhabited Mesopotamia, but the first, and most important civilization were the Sumerians. The Sumerians were the base of civilization. They set the foundation for future civilizations to come, and had great influence over all other civilizations, whether culturally or technologically. Although there were many important ancient civilizations, the most significant were the Sumerians due to the fact that they created important mathematical concepts that we still use today, invented technology important to almost all civilizations and is still used today, and developed the first writing system in history.
A need for social interaction, the ability to trade goods, and a place to worship would develop and cities would form. The first written languages called Cuneiform, were established by the Sumerians, which consisted of symbols and were used for record keeping with trade deals (Steele 12). Throughout the modern world, people are required to pay their taxes to the government, well you can thank the first rulers from Mesopotamia. Although they did not have a currency system set in place, so taxes were paid with livestock and grains (Steele 13). Government and religion would play off of each other. It was believed by the people of Mesopotamia that the humans were to serve the gods, Anu, was considered the Chief Sumerian god, and Inanna was the goddess of love and war ((Hunter, Corbishley 48). A much later time Hammurabi would be considered a fair ruler, but harsh ruler of the land. While other states had their own beliefs and rituals, they respected him. The Code of Hammurabi was carved into stone for all to see. The statue stood about seven feet tall, and consisted of 272 laws but, what made this different from prior rulers is the laws were passed down from the sun god, Shamash, and not from man (Kerrigan 25). If someone broke the law, there was no way around saying, I did not know. Punishment could vary depending on your status within the community. A surgeon would be held responsible, and his punishment would be
Throughout time, many civilizations have risen and fallen, all of them making their own impressions on the future. Civilizations such as Ancient Mesopotamia evolved over time, becoming more and more advanced. The Ancient Mesopotamians had many groundbreaking achievements and innovations that made them an advanced civilization. These features were in many areas, such as law, technology, and education, among others. Important breakthroughs like these are what made Mesopotamia an advanced and impactful civilization.
It is undeniable that the natural environment of ancient Mesopotamia had a profound effect on the earliest civilizations known to the world. Humankind’s ability to control irrigation waters directly correlates with the rise of mass agriculture. With this mastery of their river environment, early farmers were capable of supporting large urban populations. However, in Mesopotamia the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were both a source of life as well as destruction for early societies. In many ways, the geography of ancient Mesopotamia fostered a sense of catastrophic determinism within the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians. The scarcity of resources as well as the untamable nature of their deluge environment led these early people to
The geography impacted life in Mesopotamia. The Tigris and Euphrates flooded and brought rich soil or silt to the land. Source A it states, the land is quite fertile due to seasonal rains and the rivers and streams flowing from the mountains. Also, I learned a few more things in class on when the Nile river flooded rich silt came to their land also made ditches for the water to their crops. Everything that has been made in Mesopotamia that has been invented in Mesopotamia has
The civilization was located in Eastern Turkey and was called the land of the Fertile Crescent combined with Euphrates, and Tigris. It’s borders include Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, etc. The people adapted to their environment from water of the Nile river, food from the drylands, and structures built from trees with other objects that can create buildings and other structures. Some physical features include wealthy, thriving, seasonal, peaceful, and large. The climate in mesopotamia was very warm. Parts of the land receives enough rain for crops to grow. Southern Mesopotamia has hot summers and little rain. All in all, Mesopotamia experienced moderate rainfall and the usual temperature was often over 43 degrees
The ancient lands of Mesopotamia are unknown territory for many people. It is one of the earliest civilizations in the world. The first great civilization, located between Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was developed in 3500 BC. Word “Mesopotamia” is derived from two Greek words meaning ‘land between two rivers’. The region is a vast, dry plain through which two great rivers flow. People of Mesopotamia were ‘Sumerians’. Tigris and Euphrates created fertile river basins for the region. World’s first cities grew up in Mesopotamia. The people of Mesopotamia were among the first to use the written words and a language of their own. Mesopotamia is known as the “cradle of civilization”. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided rich fruitful soil and
The first civilizations and the rise of empires began with small groups or villages existing with the use of hunting, fishing, and foraging. (William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel, World History, vol. 1, 1) Within a few thousand years, people learned how to cultivate food crops and this led to an increase in population. Increased food production resulted in larger communities. The cities began to expand their cultural and religious developments leading to the beginnings of civilization. (Duiker, World History, 1) The first civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia and Egypt during the fourth and third millennia B.C.E and had various components in common. Each of these civilizations was established in a river valley so they were able to provide and produce the agricultural resources needed to survive and uphold the population. (Duiker, World History, 1) Mesopotamia developed in the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates River known as “the land between the rivers.” These rivers provided irregular and catastrophic flooding for the city-state. They created an intensive irrigation system to improve their agriculture. The first people to create Mesopotamian civilization were known as the Sumerians. These people were the first city builders and created the major city’s named Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Umma, and Lagash. These cities were built with surrounding walls and defense towers. A six-mile-long wall enclosed the city of Uruk. Mesopotamia lacked
The land of Mesopotamia experienced many floods,but now is desert. The flooding challenged many farmers,but eventually learned to work with it.
Forming a cultural entity that lasted for more than 3,000 years. Mesopotamia was the birthplace of the worlds earliest known cities. The mesopotamians developed one of the earliest writing systems. Sophisticated mathematics and astronomy, the sail, and the wheel. They also Divided time units into 60 parts ~ a concept that led to our 60 minute hour.)The exhibit not only focused on the historical events that took place in the fourth millennium but it also gave incite to the people that made these accomplishments possible . Which leads me back to humanities and understanding the meaning, purpose, and goals that furthers the appreciation of singular historical and social phenomena—its just / an interpretive method of finding “truth”—rather than explaining the causality of events or uncovering the truth of the natural world.
Through the archeological discoveries, we can infer some details into the lives of the people who originated in the cities of Mesopotamia. The root word of Mesopotamia refers to ‘between rivers’, this infers to the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, figure 1. Because the environment influenced people to settle, we can see a change in their political, social, and economic structure as they begin to form a complex society. This is the period where we see a complex engineering system as people started to develop canals and other technologies for a more efficient agricultural development. An early culture to settle in the lowlands of Mesopotamia were the Hassuna culture, their civilization were characterized by “small settlements with a few hundred inhabitants, who lived in rectangular houses with several rooms” (Feuerbach, 2015). Another culture to settle in this area were the Samarran culture; even
Mesopotamia was the world's first civilization--the first time people settled down to live together in one place. They didn't have to rely only on hunting and gathering to get food because they knew how to farm and could save up food for the winter. Since they had so much extra time now (the time they used to spend hunting animals and gathering plants), this allowed them to begin creating objects and ideas to help them live a little easier.
Ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt are two of the earliest and greatest civilizations to ever exist. They both show the transition from a Paleolithic society into a settled civilization. Nevertheless, Mesopotamia has been a worldwide centre of awe and amazement . The first written language created by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia became the first means of of written communication for humankind.The spread of agriculture created a new way of life and evolved man from nomadic hunters into civilized people . Most important of all, the creation of the wheel opened up a new way for transportation to be carried out. Between both civilizations, it ancient Mesopotamia left the greatest impact on posterity.
Mesopotamian civilization began in the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and was where agriculture, the Bronze Age, and writing (cuneiform wedges to ideograms/combination of pictures, to phonetic writing) developed.