Arts and Culture
Who was Gilgamesh?
The King of the city-state Uruk; also considered a demigod
Two advantages of living in a civilization rather than as a nomad
*Specialization of labor
*Free time
*Consistent food supply
*Stable/known housing
*Others
Who was the king of Babylon who wrote a code of laws?
Hammurabi
True or false: Mesopotamians are credited with the development of the wheel
True!
Tigris and Euphrates
What was cuneiform used for, and who used it?
Keep track of business and trade dealings, record stories and laws
Written by highly trained scribes; learning to write cuneiform was very challenging
Mesopotamians handled the problem of their dry environment for farming by...
Developing irrigation systems
How many individual rules/penalties were included in Hammurabi's Code?
282
Name one kind of boat or nautical invention the Mesopotamians used/created.
The sail
Guffa/corcle boats (used for cargo, animals, people)
Kalakkul reed boats (super heavy duty - carry up to 35 tons)
Wooden river boats (fishing, trade, transport)
What physical substance was integral in Mesopotamian civilization, used in nearly all aspects of art, architecture and construction?
Mud!
What kind of money was used?
Shekle
Bartering (trading goods)
Describe the kinds of dress that were common in Mesopotamia
Difference/definition between monotheism and polytheism
Monotheism - belief in one god
Polytheism - belief in many gods
Mesopotamians considered illness to be ____________
a punishment from the gods.
What is a city-state?
An independent city and surrounding land area that governs itself separately from those around it
What is a ziggurat?
Human made temple, very tall, "mountains that lead from the earth to the heavens"
Pears, date palms, wheat, pomegranate, pistachios, thgem
Name two minerals or herbs that Mesopotamian healers might prescribe if you were ill.
Potash (purgative, make you vomit, to expel toxins)
Thyme, juniper (antiseptic, to clean wounds)
Pine nuts (treatment for ulcers)
Saffron (treatment for depression)
Sunflower seeds (for coughs)
What tools did the Mesopotamians use for measuring time and creating calendars?
Sundials, solar and seasonal observation
Three adjectives that describe the physical geography and climate of the Mesopotamian area
Desert/arid, mountainous, and hot! In the summer it could reach more than 120 degrees!
What roles did males/men/boys take on Mesopotamian culture?
What roles did females/women/girls take on?
Males: laborers, warriors, politicians
Women: domestic duties (cooking, cleaning), raising children
What were the layers of the Mesopotamian social pyramid (what different jobs or social classes existed)?
King; priest; shopkeepers/merchants; children/elders; enslaved people
3 examples of Mesopotamian dieties
Enki (God of the Sea)
Enlil (God of Heaven and Hell)
Ninhursa (Goddess of the Earth)
Ishar (Goddess of Love and War)
Nanna (Goddess of the Moon)
Utu (God of the Sun)
Archaeological evidence (physical remains and models)
Descriptions on cuneiform tablets
Depictions in art (paintings, on pottery)
Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Kish, Eridu