HUMA 1301--Ancient Mesopotamia Lecture (1)

Ancient Mesopotamia

Introduction

• Provide a historical overview of Ancient Mesopotamia.

  • Discuss the emergence of civilization and the rise of empires.

  • Discuss the religious beliefs of the people of Mesopotamia.

  • Analyze the arts of Ancient Mesopotamia.

• Read literature from the period (to be done outside of lecture).

Early Civilizations

• Define what constitutes a civilization:

  • A large group of people sharing common societal elements.

  • Complex social hierarchy.

  • Complex political, military, and religious structures.

  • Written language.

  • New forms of artistic and intellectual activities.

  • Urban focus.

• Importance of water sources:

  • Adequate water supply is crucial for sustaining a complex civilization.

Timeline of Ancient Mesopotamia

• Agriculture arrives in Mesopotamia (ca. 5000 B.C.E).

• Beginning of the Sumerian Period (ca. 3500 B.C.E).

• Sargon conquers Sumer (ca. 2350 B.C.E.).

• Rise of Babylon (ca. 1800 B.C.E).

• Assyrian Empire (1000-612 B.C.E).

Written Sources

• Introduction of the first writing systems around 5000 years ago:

  • Initially developed for record-keeping and laws.

  • Over time, writing became more extensive.

• Early civilizations often recorded political and military events:

  • Many works copied down by later generations.

  • Writing was predominantly practiced by the upper classes.

• Cuneiform:

  • Perhaps the first written language; originated in Mesopotamia.

Fertile Crescent

• Definition of the Fertile Crescent:

  • Region stretching from Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys to modern-day Turkey and Levant.

• Significance of Mesopotamia:

  • "Land between Two Rivers;" extremely fertile due to regular flooding and rich soil.

  • Unlike Egypt, Mesopotamia's flooding was irregular and unpredictable.

  • Adoption of elaborate irrigation systems to manage flooding.

Ancient Mesopotamia's Cultural Structure

• Lack of cultural unity:

  • Comprised of city-states, though empires occasionally united the region.

• Religious practices:

  • Polytheism; worship of many deities (Sun, Moon, Sky, Lightning, Rain).

  • Beliefs in divine punishment for immoral actions.

  • Initially, priests held governing power; this shifted over time.

  • Construction of ziggurats for worship by 2100 B.C.E.

Ziggurat of Ur

• Important monumental structure, ca. 2100 B.C.E.

Standard of Ur (ca. 2500 B.C.E)

• Provides visual representation of Ancient Sumerian life.

• Context: Discovered in a burial site; purpose is uncertain.

• Ritual suicide of concubines and servants as part of royal burial customs.

Sumer

• Mesopotamian history divided into two eras:

  • Sumerian era (3500-2350 B.C.E.) and Semitic era (2350-612 B.C.E.).

• Leadership and governance:

  • Unclear number of rulers; temporary rulers in crises; hereditary power emerged.

• Advancements:

  • Progress in writing, mathematics, and poetry.

  • Establishment of scribal schools by 2500 B.C.E.

  • Numerical system based on units of 60, 10, and 6 (60 minutes in an hour).

Epic of Gilgamesh

• Most famous literature from Ancient Sumeria:

  • Gilgamesh, ruler of Uruk (ca. 2700 B.C.E.).

  • Explores themes of immortality and parallels to biblical flood stories.

  • Gloomy outlook on the Mesopotamian view of the afterlife.

The Akkadians and the Babylonians

• Akkadian Empire:

  • Created by Sargon (2350 B.C.E.), adopted cuneiform.

  • Expanded from the Persian Gulf to Syria; lasted about 150 years.

• Babylonian resurgence (1800 B.C.E.):

  • Unified Mesopotamia under Hammurabi.

  • Notable for creating the Code of Hammurabi, one of the first extensive legal codes.

Hammurabi’s Law Code

• Key laws included:

  • Regulations for various professions.

  • Death penalty for theft.

  • "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" principle.

  • Marriage and family laws outlined.

• Social class impact on justice:

  • Diverse penalties based on social class (fines for upper class offenders of lower class).

The Assyrians

• Rise of the Assyrians (1000-612 B.C.E.):

  • Known for their militaristic nature; referred to as "a land bathed in blood."

  • Influences seen in palace art and carvings.

  • Empire stretched from Mesopotamia to Central Egypt.

• Patriarchal society with limited rights for women and commoners.

Conclusion

• Cultural diversity in Mesopotamia under various empires.

• Written records first appeared around 3200 B.C.E.

• Surviving artistic works primarily depict military and political events rather than everyday life.