Phillip Martin's You Be the Judge of Hammurabi's Code Hammurabi, the Priest King Hammurabi (ca. 1792 - 1750 BC) united all of Mesopotamia under his forty-three year reign of Babylon. Although Hammurabi's Code is not the first code of laws (the first records date four centuries earlier), it is the best preserved legal document reflecting the social structure of Babylon during Hammurabi's rule. About the Code Two hundred eighty-two laws, concerning a wide variety of abuses, justify Hammurabi's claim of having acted "like a real father to his people . . . [who] has established prosperity . . . and (gave) good government to the land." See for Yourself The laws were discovered in 1901 on a stela now in the Louvre Museum of Paris, France. What Other Have to Say Every now and then, I hear from people who enjoy the site.
Early Mesopotamia Close Date palms commonly grew in large groves, similar to those seen here. Dates were an important crop in Early Mesopotamia, and remains of dates were found in the Royal Cemetery. Furthermore, dates were often featured in the art of Mesopotamia. Date palms commonly grew in large groves, similar to those seen here. The term “Mesopotamia” comes from the Greek for “land between two rivers”—a clear reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. What we know about the people of ancient Mesopotamia comes from excavations and the study of artifacts. Once writing began to record historical events, time periods began to be named after dominant political institutions. During the Early Dynastic period at least two languages were used in southern Mesopotamia.
The Seven Wonders - Hanging Gardens of Babylon Some stories indicate the Hanging Gardens towered hundreds of feet into the air, but archaeological explorations indicate a more modest, but still impressive, height. (Copyright Lee Krystek, 1998) The city of Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, must have been a wonder to the ancient traveler's eyes. Herodotus claimed the outer walls were 56 miles in length, 80 feet thick and 320 feet high. While archaeological excavations have disputed some of Herodotus's claims (the outer walls seem to be only 10 miles long and not nearly as high) his narrative does give us a sense of how awesome the features of the city appeared to those ancients that visited it. Gift for A Homesick Wife Accounts indicate that the garden was built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled the city for 43 years starting in 605 BC (There is an alternative story that the gardens were built by the Assyrian Queen Semiramis during her five year reign starting in 810 BC). The Water Problem Garden Construction Archaeological Search
The Sumerians and Mesopotamia | Sumerian The ancient Sumerians, the "black-headed ones," lived in the southern part of what is now Iraq. The heartland of Sumer lay between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, in what the Greeks later called Mesopotamia. This territory, once skillfully irrigated, proved very fertile, and major cities had long been in existence before the period when archaeologists can identify the Sumerian people themselves. The Sumerians were characteristically inventive, and are likely to have been responsible for the development of the first writing. Well before 3000 B.C.E. Silver lyre from Ur, c. 2600-2400 B.C.E., 106 x 97 cm, silver, shell, and lapis lazuli are original, the wood is reconstructed, southern Iraq © Trustees of the British Museum. Book-keeping was a feature of Sumerian life, and very detailed records on clay tablets of offerings, rations, taxes and agricultural work have come down to us. © Trustees of the British Museum
Index Trade With irrigation, the fertile land of southern Mesopotamia produced abundant wheat, barley, dates, flax, and other essential crops. Fish and fowl flourished in the marshes where stands of tall reeds were harvested for housing materials, mats, and even the styli used for writing. Fast growing trees offered wood for windows and roofing. And the most abundant material of all, mud and clay, was used to make bricks and pottery, both fundamental for ancient urban life. Even a poor quality limestone was available nearby. [stextbox id="grey"]With the exception of the textiles and ceramics virtually all the other objects found in the royal tombs were imported. As communities in southern Mesopotamia grew from small agricultural villages to larger urban centers and city-states, the demand for materials also grew. Although details are lacking, we know that trade was organized in different ways: by private merchants, state organized trade expeditions, and local traders and merchants. Close
Collapse: Mesopotamia Mesopotamia was known as the land between two rivers, the Tigris to the north and the Euphrates to the south. Rains were seasonal in this area, which meant that the land flooded in the winter and spring and water was scarce at other times. Farming in the region depended on irrigation from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. In ancient times, many resources in Mesopotamia were scarce or absent, which stimulated trade within the region and beyond. Mashkan-shapir was a typical Mesopotamian city, located about 20 miles from the Tigris River and connected to the river by a network of canals. Poisoned fields: A contributor to collapse Along with factors such as war and changes in the environment, scientists now believe irrigation techniques played an important role in Mashkan-shapir's collapse. In Mesopotamia, irrigation was essential for crop production. Could this happen today? Modern methods don't seem to be helping the San Joaquin Valley avoid this fate.
Highlights from the Collection: Mesopotamia | The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago Mesopotamia - the land between the rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates - is an ancient Greek term used by archaeologists to refer to the area now roughly equivalent to the modern country of Iraq. The Mesopotamian collection of the Oriental Institute Museum was acquired almost exclusively through archaeological excavations. The first of these - the University of Chicago Oriental Exploration Fund's expedition to Bismaya (ancient Adab) - worked in Iraq from 1903-1905. During the 1930's the Babylonian Section of the Iraq Expedition excavated four sites on the lower Diyala River, and today the Nippur Expedition is continuing its work, begun in 1948, at the holy city of Nippur. The material that has been brought back as a result of divisions of finds from these expeditions forms one of the major world collections, covering in depth the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia. Foundation Figurine of King Ur-Nammu Striding Lion Four-Lugged Vessel Female Figurine Cup Supported by Hero and Animals
Daily Life in Ancient Civilizations for Kids Ancient Sumer, Babylon & Assyria (Mesopotamia) - What do a sailboat and a wheel have in common? They were both invented by the ancient Sumerians. Find out what happened to kids in school who disobeyed their teacher! Meet the first superhero - King Gilgamesh. Come meet the people who lived 5000 years ago in the land between two rivers. Ancient Egypt - Do you know what the ancient Egyptians believed would cure a toothache? Ancient Greece - How would you have behaved if you had lived in ancient Sparta? Ancient Rome - If you had lived in ancient times, would you have chosen to become a Roman citizen? Ancient China - Learn about Taoism with Winnie-the-Pooh! Ancient India - What did the ancient Indians wear? Ancient & Medieval Africa - Explore daily life in five huge trading kingdoms - The Kingdom of Ghana, Mali, Songhay, Benin, and Kush. Ancient Mongols - The ancient Mongols invented the ger - but what is a ger? The Vikings - The Vikings were a smart, creative, artistic, democratic people.