John+C

__**include component="comments" page="John C" limit="10" Mesopotamiainclude page="John C" component="backlinks" limit="10" **

Location and Geography__ Mesopotamia was located in what is now modern day Iraq. It was between the Tigris and Euphrates river. It is called the "Fertile Crescent" because of its curved shape and its flat, swampy land good for farming. Even though it has a desert climate, Mesopotamia had a lot of fertile land that rich crops grew in.

__Economy/Agriculture__ Some Mesopotamians had no natural resources at hand. So, the people from a city-state without the resources traded grain for stone, wood, and metal from other city-states with the resources. Some of the crops traded were wheat and barley. Trading resources is an example of cultural diffusion .Cultural diffusion is trading objects and ideas with other cultures.

__Time Period__ Mesopotamia was first a civilization when people started farming in 4500 B.C., and the city-state of Sumer was established in 3300 B.C.

__War/Military Defense__ Some city-states had no natural barriers to protect from invaders. So, city walls were built around the city-state. Militaries were established. In times of war, men picked someone to lead the military instead of having a priest lead.

__Institutions__  __Architecture/Ziggurat__ tecture included arches, ramps, columns, and pyramids. The center of a city-state was a ziggurat, which was a structure that held grain in its first levels, government offices next levels, and a temple at the top. A bazaar was at the base of a ziggurat, and there was even a school there. __Literature__ The most famous piece of Mesopotamian literature is the Epic of Gilgamesh, a story similar to the story of Noah's Ark (both involved a flood). Literature from Mesopotamia may show how the people lived.
 * City-state: City-states were independent self-governing cities with surrounding farmland. They were led by dynasties, or a series of rulers from one family.
 * Religion: Mesopotamia had a polytheistic religion, or a religion that has beliefs of multiple gods. The gods worshipped were nature gods. Many offerings were made to gods, including human beings through a sacrifice. The belief as that when you die, you go to the "Land of No Return".

__Social Class__  __Equality__ Women had more rights than in most other ancient civilizations. The could be mercants, farmers, artisans, own property, and be priests. Some women went to school to learn to read and write so they can be scribes. Anyone above slave class and below kings and preists usually had equal rights.
 * Highest Class: Kings, landlords, and priests were the people of the highest social class
 * Upper Class: Wealthy merchants were more high-class than regular middle class people
 * Middle (Working) Class: Most people in Mesopotamia were middle-class merchants, craftspeople, and workers.
 * Lowest Class: Slaves were poor and the only way they could work was by being a slave

__Technology__ Mesopotamian tecchnology included inventions like the wheel, the plow, bronze, and the sail. math was invented to help plan and build things. The base number was 60. Writing was invented. Called cuneiform, it was comprised of wedge-shaped characters.

__Important People__ Sargon was a leader who took posession of Sumer and other city-states and created the Babylonian empire. Hammurabi took lead of the empire, and conceived a code of law that involved eye-for-an-eye treatment.

__Government__ City-states were controlled by priests. In times of war, a military leader was chosen, then the priests regained control after the war. Later, military leaders became permanant leaders due to more frequent wars. Finally, if the military leader failed to fend off the warriors, the city-state would be conquered by either another city-state or the Babylonian empire.

