WRITING IN CITY LIFE CH 1
MESOPOTAMIA(GREEK WORD) mesons means middle,potamos is river,these days known as
republic of Iraq,it was between 2 rivers-Euphrates and Tigris
KINGDOMS-
South-summer and Akkad.
After 2000 bce babylonia became important
North-1100 bce,assyrians established in north,also known as assyira
First language was summerian but was gradually replaced by akkadian around 2400
bce,1400 bce aramic came in which is similar to hebrew
ARCHAELOGICAL EXCAVATIONS-started in 1840s at 2 sites (uruk and mari)longest
excavation.found buildings,seals,tools etc
WHY MESOPOTAMIA WAS IMPORTANT TO EUROPEANS??
-> Mesopotamia referred to an old testament of the bible,the book of genesis refers
to shimer meaning summer,noah story,they think that the mesopotamia is related to
shimer and is hence mentioned as shimer,also thier ancestors were from
mesopotamia.mid 19th century exploring started but in 1873 a british newspaper
funded a muesum to fimd out about thetablet on which info about the flood is
there.by 1960s people understood that the story was not literal true.
GEOGRAPHY-
North east-undulating planes,mountain ranges,wild flowers and rainfall.agriculture
stared in 7000 to 6000 bce
North-steppes,animal hearding,better livelihood,after winter animals grazed
East-tributaries of tigris went to the mountains od iran
South-dessert,(first city and writting emerged)the rivers carried fine mud which
was firtile because of which agriculture was possible,people diverted the water of-
the tributaries,did not have that much rainfall.
For urban life their should be division of labour and people are not self
sufficient,their should be trade,written records were needed.
WARKA HEAD—
The womans head was of white marble in uruk before 3000,eyes and eyebrows were of
lapiz lazuli,and the shell was white,the black area was of bitumen,had an ornament
on the head,world famous piece of sculpture,the stone on which it was made was not
of Mesopotamia but was imported from somewhere else.
The trade started.
MOVEMENTS OF GOODS INTO CITIES-
Mesopotamia was rich in food resources but lacked minerals.
South lacked stones,jewels and seals,the wood of the date palm was not good for
carts and wheels. So mesopotamia traded stones,textiles,wood,jewels etc from
turkey,iran and gulf,these counties did not have agriculture.
TRANSPORT-
It took to much time through animals so the cheapest way was water transport.river
boats came in, as they flowed with the current of water but the animals had to be
fed again and again .all the small river channels became good transport channels
between large and small settlements.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING-we found tablets in mesopotamia in 3200 bce,they
contained picture like numbers.there were 5000 lists of fish,bread etc,the goods
were brought or distributed from the temples of uruk.writing was needed when
records were needed.
Mesopotamians wrote on clay tablets,a scribe would wet the clay and pat it into the
needed size.after smoothning the surface,he used a sharp reed to write on the
tablet while it was still moist,they used wedge shaped or cuneifrom signs.once the
surface is dried then the signs can not be pressed,so each transaction was made on
different tablets.this is why we found 100s of tablets.
By 2600 bce the language was sumerian,writting was not only used for keeping
records but for deeds of kings,announcing the changes that the king made in the
laws,making dictionaries etc.summerian was graduakky replaced by akkadian after
MESOPOTAMIA(GREEK WORD) mesons means middle,potamos is river,these days known as
republic of Iraq,it was between 2 rivers-Euphrates and Tigris
KINGDOMS-
South-summer and Akkad.
After 2000 bce babylonia became important
North-1100 bce,assyrians established in north,also known as assyira
First language was summerian but was gradually replaced by akkadian around 2400
bce,1400 bce aramic came in which is similar to hebrew
ARCHAELOGICAL EXCAVATIONS-started in 1840s at 2 sites (uruk and mari)longest
excavation.found buildings,seals,tools etc
WHY MESOPOTAMIA WAS IMPORTANT TO EUROPEANS??
-> Mesopotamia referred to an old testament of the bible,the book of genesis refers
to shimer meaning summer,noah story,they think that the mesopotamia is related to
shimer and is hence mentioned as shimer,also thier ancestors were from
mesopotamia.mid 19th century exploring started but in 1873 a british newspaper
funded a muesum to fimd out about thetablet on which info about the flood is
there.by 1960s people understood that the story was not literal true.
GEOGRAPHY-
North east-undulating planes,mountain ranges,wild flowers and rainfall.agriculture
stared in 7000 to 6000 bce
North-steppes,animal hearding,better livelihood,after winter animals grazed
East-tributaries of tigris went to the mountains od iran
South-dessert,(first city and writting emerged)the rivers carried fine mud which
was firtile because of which agriculture was possible,people diverted the water of-
the tributaries,did not have that much rainfall.
For urban life their should be division of labour and people are not self
sufficient,their should be trade,written records were needed.
WARKA HEAD—
The womans head was of white marble in uruk before 3000,eyes and eyebrows were of
lapiz lazuli,and the shell was white,the black area was of bitumen,had an ornament
on the head,world famous piece of sculpture,the stone on which it was made was not
of Mesopotamia but was imported from somewhere else.
The trade started.
MOVEMENTS OF GOODS INTO CITIES-
Mesopotamia was rich in food resources but lacked minerals.
South lacked stones,jewels and seals,the wood of the date palm was not good for
carts and wheels. So mesopotamia traded stones,textiles,wood,jewels etc from
turkey,iran and gulf,these counties did not have agriculture.
TRANSPORT-
It took to much time through animals so the cheapest way was water transport.river
boats came in, as they flowed with the current of water but the animals had to be
fed again and again .all the small river channels became good transport channels
between large and small settlements.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF WRITING-we found tablets in mesopotamia in 3200 bce,they
contained picture like numbers.there were 5000 lists of fish,bread etc,the goods
were brought or distributed from the temples of uruk.writing was needed when
records were needed.
Mesopotamians wrote on clay tablets,a scribe would wet the clay and pat it into the
needed size.after smoothning the surface,he used a sharp reed to write on the
tablet while it was still moist,they used wedge shaped or cuneifrom signs.once the
surface is dried then the signs can not be pressed,so each transaction was made on
different tablets.this is why we found 100s of tablets.
By 2600 bce the language was sumerian,writting was not only used for keeping
records but for deeds of kings,announcing the changes that the king made in the
laws,making dictionaries etc.summerian was graduakky replaced by akkadian after
