Early culture of Babylon

1. Early culture of Babylon By: hunter whitney, parker buchanan, danielmarcuse, Jon walsh

2. Early writing • In early cultures people used cuneiform as a to write down events and important things. These people that wrote using cuneiform included the Babylonians and Sumerians. Cuneiform is a word that derives from Latin meaning “wedge-shaped”. Before writing people used pictures and the some form of language was pictographic. This form of writing showed sketching's of the subject or thing that they were trying to communicate. People needed writing in cuneiform for many things. People would write down legal issues along with stories of religion and gods.

3. Food and water sources • People in early Babylon needed a source for food and water in their settlements. For food they had to supply many people throughout the city. Hunting and gathering was not successful and people became advanced enough to start to use agriculture. People would grow plants for the city. For meat farmers would domesticate animals such as sheep and goats. These animals were the source of meat and protein for the people in the towns. For water, Babylon was built near a river so that people would always have a water source. People would use irrigation to give water to the crops and since the cities were right near the rivers people would use that water to drink

4. Housing in Mesopotamia • The houses were built surrounding the temples • The houses was made out of brick that was dried by the sun • The city of Babylon housed between 10,000 to 50,000 people. • Most houses were one story and the two story houses were built for the wealthy residents. • In the basement of the houses were reserved for a mausolem • This is were they kept their dead family members • The Babylonians believed in life after death

5. Military influence • Not much is know about the Babylon military. • The Babylon empire’s army copied the Assyrian empire by adopting some of their weaponry and battle tactics. • The Babylonian army specialized in Cavalry and archers mounted on horses. • The Babylon empire mastered the Assyrian techniques from fighting and taking over their cities.

6. Military tools and technology • The city of Babylon was established when the tribe called Amorites conquered the city of Ur around 2,000 B.C. • The military used armor that was leather and had metal disks sown to the leather. • This offered little protection from the iron swords and bronze tipped arrows. • In 2500 B.C the bronze headed axe was the most devastating weapon at the time

7. Education • Edubbameans “tablet house”. It is the Sumerian word for school. Students came from wealthy families because it cost time and money. The language of education was Sumerian. Students began by learning their alphabet. Student were taught to be scribes. They learned legal phraseology. They were also taught to write letters. They learned how to make monuments to honor the king and how to do multiplication, reciprocals, coefficients, accounting, etc. They were taught how to play instruments and sing.

8. Infrastructure • People traveled by foot, donkey, gulf boat, raft, coracle, river boat, and cart. They would transport goods like grain, meat, fish, textiles, precious materials, lapis lazuli, wine, stone, wood, pearls, carnelian, copper, ivory, reeds, logs, wool, bricks, beer, gold, silver, precious stones.

9. Cities • Capitol: Babylon • Kish • Sippar • Isin • Uruk • Eshnunna • These last three cities, were conquered City-states.

10. Economy • Their main form of economy, was trade, which because the Babylonians controlled many cities, including coastal one, this was easy for them. • They had a large amount of farmland, and mined valuable gems and minerals, which were excellent in trade.

11. Credits • Hunter Whitney: Food and water, and writing • Parker Buchanon: Military and housing • Jon Walsh: Economy and cities • Daniel Marcusse: Education and Infrastructure