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Exploring Ancient Mesopotamia: Birth of Civilization & Sumerian Inventions

Dive into the cradle of civilization with Ancient Middle Eastern knowledge, society, and innovations from Mesopotamia. Witness the birth of writing, ziggurats, and the Epic of Gilgamesh in this fascinating journey back 6,000 years.

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Exploring Ancient Mesopotamia: Birth of Civilization & Sumerian Inventions

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  1. Darwin’s Tea Party Last update: Fall 2019 Ancient Middle Eastern Knowledge & Society The Hanging Gardens of Babylon with Ziggurat of Marduk on the left (artist’s recreation)

  2. Ancient Middle Eastern Society: The Birth of Civilization By the end of the Neolithic period (6,000 ya or 4,000 BC) conditions were right for the birth of civilization. This happened first in the Ancient Middle East, where agriculture had also appeared 4,000 years earlier. A Ziggurat – like the pyramids, these public religious buildings show the advanced science and technology as well as religious beliefs of Mesopotamian civilization

  3. Ur, one of the first ever cities. Reconstruction by unknown artist

  4. City of Babylon according to Royal Ontario Museum reconstruction. Note the Ziggurat of Marduk dominating city center. http://www.kadingirra.com/introduction.html (check out this website for more amazing drawings)

  5. Ancient Middle East • The Ancient Middle East includes two major areas:

  6. Mesopotamia (now mostly in Iraq)

  7. Mesopotamia (now mostly in Iraq) Egypt (along Nile river)

  8. Ancient Sumer • Ancient Sumer has been called the “cradle of civilization”. • Others claim “history begins at Sumer”. • The Sumerians are believed to be the first culture to develop writing and built the first large urban centres.

  9. Ancient Sumer • The Sumerians developed cuneiform writing. • This is one of the tablets of the famous Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2000 BC).

  10. Did you get the popcorn? Sumerian couple preparing to watch 3D IMAX film “Statuettes of Two Worshippers from the Square Temple at Eshnunna Amongst the oldest artistic artifacts known to man (from Mesopotamia)” [Not really if we all remember the cave paintings, etc… but still pretty old… GT] https://chloefrancillon.tumblr.com/post/119133907781/statuettes-of-two-worshippers-from-the-square

  11. Ancient Sumer Top 10 Sumerian Inventions: • Fabrication of copper • Board Games • The wheel • Number system (based on 60) • The sailboat • Writing (Cuneiform script) • Code of Ur-Nammu (first written law code) • Monarchy • Astrology/Astronomy and Lunar calendar • Mythological literature (Epic of Gilgamesh) Slightly modified from “Top 10 Sumerian Inventions and Discoveries. Last updated: June 4, 2019 by Saugat Adhikari”, https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/mesopotamia-history/top-10-sumerian-inventions-followed-many-civilizations/

  12. Ancient Sumer • At first, these civilizations were independent city-states • But soon these city states grew into or were taken over by larger empires

  13. Sargon of Akkad (ruled 2334-2279 BC), the world’s first empire builder despite his eye problems. David Nieman “Cradlles of Civilization – Sargon of Akkad”, Ancient History Encyclopedia”

  14. “Victory stele of Naram-Sin” 2261-2224 BC) (grandson of Sargon), boasting of his all around nastiness. Scott Michael Rank, “The Akkadian Empire” https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-akkadian-empire

  15. After the Akkadians were the….

  16. By MapMaster - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3578442

  17. Who were then succeeded by the…

  18. Who likewise fell to the …

  19. Ancient Social Structure • Many empires and civilizations rose and fell in ancient Mesopotamia’s 4000 year old history • Empires replaced city-states, conquering and enslaving neighbouring societies • Through such conquest came increasing wealth, population, urbanization, inequality and knowledge.

  20. But how to keep such a huge, complex society together? • Military or coercive force may not be enough and is expensive.

  21. Mesopotamian Religion By editor Austen Henry Layard , drawing by L. Gruner - 'Monuments of Nineveh, Second Series' plate 5, London, J. Murray, 1853, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18217886

  22. Mesopotamian Religion The Babylonian God Marduk (?) confronting the monster dragon Tiamat representing “chaos” and the primeval (original) waters. The Mesopotamian creation story, the Enuma Elish, says that Marduk defeated Tiamat and from her body made the sky and the earth and preparing the way for the gods and goddesses, the creation of humans and the city of Babylon. By editor Austen Henry Layard , drawing by L. Gruner - 'Monuments of Nineveh, Second Series' plate 5, London, J. Murray, 1853, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18217886

  23. Mesopotamian Religion The Adda Seal. The figures can be identified as gods by their pointed hats with multiple horns. The figure with streams of water and fish flowing from his shoulders is Ea (Sumerian Enki), god of subterranean waters and of wisdom. Behind him stands Usimu, his two-faced vizier (chief minister).At the centre of the scene is the sun-god, Shamash (Sumerian Utu), with rays rising from his shoulders. He is cutting his way through the mountains in order to rise at dawn. To his left is a winged goddess, Ishtar (Sumerian Inanna). The weapons rising from her shoulders symbolise her warlike characteristics. By The British Museum Collections - Version 1 Version 2, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12751616

  24. King Hammurabi of Babylon (1810-1750 BC) receiving the sceptre of kingship from the sun god Shamash (?). The claim is that the gods made kings the rulers of society

  25. Ancient Social Structure

  26. Ancient Social Structure

  27. Ancient Middle Eastern Knowledge and Religion astronomy/astrology The stars were made by the gods and were gods and goddesses. Observation of the stars could help in understanding or predicting events on earth – like the annual floods. And this is how astrology/astronomy was born! Sumerian-Babylonian god of the sun, Utu (Shamash in Babylonian). Note the rays emanating from his shoulders and one of his feet on the mountain of the East which he crosses daily.

  28. Ancient Babylonian astronomy/astrology Two images of Ishtar – goddess of love and war – with the evening star (Venus) representing her.

  29. Ancient Knowledge: Sexagesimal number system

  30. Sexy Isn’t it?

  31. Ancient Knowledgeastronomy/astrology The sexagesimal system : • 60 seconds = 1 minute • 60 minutes = 1 hour • 24 hours (6 X 4) = 1 day • 360 days (60 X 6) = (1 year)

  32. Ancient Knowledge:astronomy/astrology • A reliable calendar and time-keeping system was necessary to predict the annual floods, planting and harvest times • Their number system, mathematics and astronomy/astrology came out of these practical needs.

  33. Ancient Knowledge: astronomy/astrology • But the calendar also fulfilled religious purposes • It helped establish the dates for important religious holidays, including the all important date of the new year.

  34. Ancient Knowledge: astronomy/astrology Counterclockwise from bottom: Sirius (Arrow), Pegasus + Andromeda (Field + Plough), [Aries], the Pleiades, Gemini, Hydra + Corvus + Virgo, Libra. Drawing by L.W.King with corrections by J.Koch. NeueUntersuchungenzutTopographie des BabilonischenFixsternhimmels(Wiesbaden 1989), p. 56ff. Assyrian Star map

  35. The Nature of Ancient Civilization • Thus we learn that civilization: • Began with Sumer (c 6,000 ya) in the Middle East from earlier Neolithic agriculture • Grew from city-states to empires controlling huge resources and millions of people. • Were characterized by class stratification (inequality) • Made remarkable advances in science and technology.

  36. The Nature of Ancient Knowledge • We also learn that: • The gods/goddesses created and run the world (actually, the world is the gods/goddesses) • Therefore knowledge of the world is knowledge of the gods’ actions and will • Humans were created to serve the gods • Knowledge of the world is useful to better serve the gods • Knowledge of the world is useful for humans, too (to help understand and predict events on earth, such as annual floods)

  37. The Nature of Ancient Knowledge Question: How did ancient Mesopotamians explain the existence of all things (living and non-living)?

  38. The Nature of Ancient Knowledge Question: How did ancient Mesopotamians explain the existence of all things (living and non-living)? Answer: The gods/goddesses created them and explain everything about them.

  39. The Nature of Ancient Knowledge Question: How did ancient Mesopotamians explain the existence of human society, including the existence of rulers (kings) and ruled?

  40. The Nature of Ancient Knowledge Question: How did ancient Mesopotamians explain the existence of human society, including the existence of rulers (kings) and ruled? Answer: The gods/goddesses created society and chose rulers and kings to rule over the rest.

  41. The Nature of Ancient Knowledge In other words religion provided an explanation of how the world worked It also provided a justification for the structure of society However, one ancient civilization did begin to distinguish between religious explanations and scientific explanations (or, philosophical explanations ) of the world.

  42. End of Ancient Knowledge (Part I)

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