Sofia's+Mesopotamia+Project

1. Why were river valleys the first place for complex societies (civilizations) to develop? What are the advantages of residing in a river valley? Answer: River valleys were the first place for complex societies because there was a source of water, food and soil for agriculture. The advantages of residing in a river valley include my answer to the above question as well as a means of transportation and a source of building materials (e.g. mud for bricks). 2. Explain how farmers were able to control seasonal floods and bring water to their fields. The farmers would dig ditches from the river to their fields to irrigate their crops. 3. The ancient Sumerians moved from pictographs to cuneiform (logograph) - what is cuneiform? What is a rebus? Why was it so important to develop a writing system? Cuneiform is one of the earliest forms of written expression used in ancient writing by use of wedged shaped characters. The wedged shaped characters were usually engraved on clay tablets with a tool called a stylus. A rebus is a type of writing system used by putting together meaningless symbols to make a word. For example “carpet” could be written by placing the symbols of a car and a type of pet next to each other. It was important to develop a writing system to maintain records. For example these records were used to make sure that everybody received the same amount of food, the number of cattle and sheep, who was born and who died and how much food they gave to the Gods. It was also important in transferring information from person-to-person in written form rather than orally. 4. Learn at least 3 inventions the Sumerians founded and 3 mathematical ideas. How do we use these inventions today? Three inventions the Sumerians founded where the potter’s wheel, the wagon wheel and the sailboat. Three mathematical ideas the Sumerians founded where geometry, a numerical system based on sixty (e.g. 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute) and a lunar twelve month calendar. We continue to use the potter’s wheel, we developed the wagon wheel into a wheel for machines (e.g. cars) and we continue to use the sailboat (e.g. fishing and recreation). 5. Read the story of Gilgamesh, one of the first recorded stories in world history. What is your favorite part of the story and why? I liked the part in the book when Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu went to go kill the beast in the forest because they were bored in everyday life and wanted to find adventure. I also liked the part in the video were Gilgamesh set off on a quest to find immortality. I liked it because he went to all these different and interesting places. 6. What is a ziggurat and what was its function? If you had to construct a miniature model of a ziggurat, what would you use and why? A ziggurat is a large solid tower with steps. The whole ziggurat is made out of bricks made of mud. They constructed it so that each platform is smaller than the one below it. The platform on the very top is the temple dedicated to the Gods. Only priest and priestesses were allowed up in the temple. If I had to create a miniature model of a ziggurat, I would use bricks made of mud like the original architects so that it would last a long time. 7. Who was this Hammurabi guy? What kind of leader was he? Why was his Code so important? Why do you think his reign was called "The Golden Age of Babylon"? And why did he need 282 laws? Hammurabi was a leader of people and one of the first leaders to have written a code of laws. Hammurabi was a strong and good leader because he wanted peace and justice for his people. Hammurabi’s code of laws was important because they established peace and order for his growing empire. I think his reign was called The Golden Age of Babylon because there was a lot of trade and a lot of metal at that time like gold, silver and bronze.