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Mesopotamia essay

Mesopotamia essay



And Tansey. After the end of the classical empires of the Middle Mesopotamia essay such as Egypt and Assyria the region was politically and…. This is where the people of Egypt and Mesopotamia developed some organized communities and institutions which can be associated with civilization, mesopotamia essay. Bitros, George C. Caught between the powerful Hittites to the north and the even more powerful Assyrians to the south, Mitanni survived by making an alliance with Egypt; but eventually the Egyptians lost interest in this relationship, mesopotamia essay, and courted favor with the Assyrians.





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This sample Ancient Mesopotamia Essay is published for informational purposes only. Free essays and research papers, are not written by our writers, they are contributed by users, mesopotamia essay, so we are not responsible for the content of this free sample paper. If you want to buy a high quality essay at affordable price please use our custom essay writing services. The cuneiform of Sumer was the first known form of writing and probably influenced Egyptian hieroglyphics. Israel felt the influence of Mesopotamia essay Tales from the region provide the source for many of the great stories in the early chapters of the Bible, mesopotamia essay, and later the Israelites would become captives of the Assyrians and Babylonians.


Mesopotamia essay the mud of Sumerian huts to the stars mapped by the astronomers of Babylon, there were few aspects of ancient life not touched by the brilliant cultures of Mesopotamia. The rivers flow out of the mountains in southeastern Turkey and ultimately come together before emptying into the Persian Gulf. The region is so named because a line in the shape of a crescent, or half-moon, would join the two regions. Today mesopotamia essay area surrounding Mesopotamia is called the Middle East. No one knows quite when this happened: the first settlers could have arrived anywhere between and B. This first group was the Ubaid culture, mesopotamia essay, which settled in the marshes of southern Mesopotamia—an area that remains marshy today.


Historians know little about the Ubaidans, but they seem to have had a fairly sophisticated knowledge of irrigation, or methods of keeping crops watered. They also knew how to make pots of baked clay, and built their houses of reeds from the nearby marshes, mesopotamia essay. At some point their area was invaded by Semitic tribes from the southwest, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, but the two groups eventually became one through marriage. By about B. The Sumerians in turn established virtually all the essentials of civilization over the next years.


One of the most brilliant cities of the ancient world was Babylon. In its legal codes and its sciences, it stood at the furthest advances of human understanding. Its Hanging Gardens were among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Founded by the Amorites, a previously nomadic people from Arabia, it existed as early as B. For nearly a thousand years, it remained under the control of Ur and later the Akkadians, mesopotamia essay. But the invasion of Ur in B. was an indication that the Amorites were mesopotamia essay the move, and in B, mesopotamia essay. A century mesopotamia essay Sumuabu would come the only truly great leader in early Babylonia— and one of the great figures of human history. But it would be a mistake to assume that these groups—Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians—were the only peoples of Mesopotamia.


There were of course the Aramaeans, whose one contribution to the culture of the area, mesopotamia essay, their language, was exceedingly important. There were the other groups that menaced Babylonia, including the Hittites and the Persians. Also there were the peoples at the fringe of Mesopotamia, who either threatened or were threatened by the Babylonians and Assyrians, mesopotamia essay. Principal mesopotamia essay these were the Israelites, who became captives of both nations. Finally, there were the smaller groups of earlier times in Mesopotamia, who ultimately became part of larger cultures. Among these were the Akkadians, who became so completely tied to Sumerian culture that it is impossible to talk about the one without the other; and there were city-states such as Mari and Isin, mesopotamia essay, ultimately absorbed in Sumer and Babylonia respectively.


Mesopotamia essay were also the Hurrians, who entered the region in about B. and established the kingdom of Mitanni, which flourished briefly between and B. Caught between the powerful Hittites to the north and the even more powerful Assyrians to the south, Mitanni survived by making an alliance mesopotamia essay Egypt; but eventually the Egyptians lost interest in this relationship, mesopotamia essay courted favor with the Assyrians. That was the end of Mitanni, whose two threatening neighbors devoured it.


Despite the many names and the many cultures, however, there remained three primary Mesopotamian groups. But since the Sumerians disappeared from the scene much earlier, Mesoptamian history between about mesopotamia essay B. can be characterized as a great competition between two cultures, Babylonia to the south and Assyria to the north. Both had great capital cities along the rivers of Mesopotamia: Babylon on the Euphrates and Nineveh on the Tigris, mesopotamia essay. Both grew out of Amorite groups who absorbed the Sumer-Akkad civilization, mesopotamia essay, and they were similar in language, religion, mesopotamia essay, and other cultural aspects. Perhaps because they were so similar in some ways, they were almost always in conflict, like two family members who cannot resolve their differences.


This pattern has repeated itself throughout history, from ancient times to the modern world. As ancient history is full of conflicts between related peoples, the twentieth century has been full mesopotamia essay wars and conflicts between neighboring lands. Africa has been subject to countless struggles among and within nations of similar heritage. The mesopotamia essay that broke off from the nation of Yugoslavia entered a period of incredible mesopotamia essay following the end of Communism there in Greece and Turkey have often been at mesopotamia essay with one another in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, mesopotamia essay, just as peoples of those two nations fought in the Trojan War more than 3, years before. The two greatest conflicts in history, World War I and World War II — involved, among other issues, an age-old rivalry between Germany and France.


In some ways, the Assyrians and Babylonians can be compared with the German and French nations. Like the French, the Babylonians were noted for their splendid culture, which excited both the admiration and the mesopotamia essay of mesopotamia essay countries, who often tended to see them mesopotamia essay people devoted to pleasure and high living. And like the Germans, the Assyrians were known for their talent at making war. For much of the first half of the twentieth century, Germany had an ambition of ruling the world, mesopotamia essay, and it developed one of the most powerful military forces ever known. Similarly, Assyria wanted to rule the known world, mesopotamia essay, and it created an army that terrorized many nations.


This is not an entirely accurate comparison from historical perspective, of course, because Germany has produced all manner of cultural achievements in the arts and philosophy and their militaristic period lasted for only about 40 years, and France waged mesopotamia essay wars than any other modern nation. Assyria is likewise remembered for its brilliant architecture. But the greatest talent of the Assyrians was the art of warfare, mesopotamia essay. Babylonia and Assyria fell first to the Persians and later to the Greeks under Alexander. Still later, Mesopotamia briefly became a part of the Roman Empire. In the A. The Muslims mesopotamia essay the area its religion, Islam, which is the faith of modern Mesopotamia.


Again like most of the Middle East, it came under the rule of the Turkish or Ottoman Empire for many centuries, which only ended with the defeat of Turkey in World War I. Britain then took over, and for a time mesopotamia essay revived the old name of the region. The Assyrians and Babylonians could not have known that their great gods Ashur and Marduk, along with the other deities they worshiped, would be largely forgotten in modern times; or that the god of the people they defeated, the Israelites, mesopotamia essay, would be worshiped by hundreds of millions of people, mesopotamia essay.


Yet thanks to the Israelites and their holy book, mesopotamia essay, the Old Testament, the memory of those two nations was preserved throughout the Middle Ages A. Viewing mesopotamia essay landscape of modern Iraq, it is perhaps hard to believe that this region was once called the Fertile Crescent, a land of lush gardens and fruit trees maintained by the extensive irrigation systems of the various Mesopotamian peoples. The delta of the Euphrates in southern Iraq is still green in many places, but the constant fighting in ancient times destroyed most of the irrigation systems, and much of the country is dry, mesopotamia essay, rocky desert, mesopotamia essay.


The building styles of the area, particularly in Assyria, mesopotamia essay, have continued to fascinate architects. Among these was an Mesopotamia essay, Frank Lloyd Wrightoften described as the greatest architect of the twentieth century, who included many Assyrian aspects in his designs. Likewise it appears that the Romans made use of Assyrian styles in their monuments and other symbolism. Free essays are not written mesopotamia essay satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to order a custom essay, mesopotamia essay, research paper, or term paper and get your high quality paper at affordable price. UniversalEssays is the best choice for those who seek help in essay writing or research paper writing in any field of study.


Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Writing Services Prices FAQ Examples Order Essay. Ancient Babylonia One of the most brilliant cities of the ancient world was Babylon. The Legacy of Ancient Mesopotamia Babylonia and Assyria fell first to the Persians and later to the Greeks under Alexander. Bibliography: Baumann, Hans. In the Land of Ur: The Discovery of Ancient Mesopotamia. Translated by Stella Humphreys. New York: Pantheon, Butcher, Geoffrey. Daniel and the Kings of Babylon. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Publications, Dijkstra, Henk. New York: Marshall Cavendish,pp. Finkel, Irving L.


The Hero King Gilgamesh. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishers, Hassig, Susan M. New York: Marshall Cavendish, Landau, Elaine. The Assyrians. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, The Babylonians. The Sumerians. Lansing, Elizabeth, mesopotamia essay. The Sumerians: Inventors and Builders. New York: McGraw-Hill, Malam, John. Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent, mesopotamia essay, 10, to B. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn,





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Relationship to Previous Periods -- From the time of the disintegration of the great Middle Eastern Empires Babylonia, Assyria, Egypt, etc. Part of the Mohammidian tradition was the understanding that real incentives were needed to increase agricultural production. As a result, Islam is more than a religion -- it is a social transformation that allowed for a greater degree of economic stability, thus allowing various tribes to coalesce into a nation, united under religion. For example, one religious leader expressed it as "All Muslims are partners in three things: water, herbage, and fire" Chaudry, The Golden Age was a period in which the Roman Empire had transferred most of its political power to Constantinople and the population of Europe. Interpersonal Skill of Islamic Golden Age A prime instance of Islamic leadership skills includes their medical services.


The hospital and its peer review, were both innovations that enabled the Islamic culture to lead the est and East in to a better world. Arab philosophers also introduced the ancient teachings from India and China to the est. It also believed by some historians that Islamic legal tradition has laid the groundwork for the estern legal tradition. Islamic communication included the introduction of paper, the library, universities, research institutes and diplomas into the est. Another significant contribution is the Islamic globalization of its economy, probably a function of the fact that it lies between the East and est and relatively easy access to and friendly markets in both.


The Golden Age of Islam appears to have been an eclectic and dominant era, wherein the Muslim world of the Middle East excelled in…. Works Cited Abbott, Frank Frost. A History and Description of Roman Political Institutions. Bala, Arun. The Dialogue of Civilizations in the Birth of Modern Science. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, isolated life of the Old Testament Mesopotamians was strictly tied to the fertile plateau the varied civilizations occupied. The groups were largely divided into Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian; under the unifying leadership of Ur, the people were divided into three legal categories that defined their daily lives: aristocracy, commoners, and slaves. While documentation of the cultures are based most commonly in religious texts, further excavation by Sir Leonard Woolley in the Twentieth Century elaborated greatly among the lists of kings, artifact preservations, and spheres of influence among the united cultures.


The daily life of the families was inevitably tied to their life source, the rivers. Marriage, with institutional roots dating back to the Mesopotamians, was more than just alliance among two people, but extended into the larger connections between family clans, exchanges of power, and utility in tilling the land. Overall, marriage served the purpose of being an economic, political,…. City-dwellers were dependent upon rural residents for buying surplus crops for their food. Trade was mutual, as residents of cities were often specialized artisans that could offer their skills. In return, the city provided rural districts with military protection against bandits and raiders and a market where villagers could acquire manufactured goods produced by urban specialists But society was highly stratified because of this rural-city divide.


Class divisions were sharply evident in Mesopotamian society -- the infamous law code of Hammurabi meted out different punishments according to class. Even within religious structures, this inequality was tolerated by the Babylonians. The gods were conceptualized as anthropomorphic and not necessarily beneficent. The gods showed favor to some but not to all. Although all members of the society seemed to participate in some sort of religious rituals…. Anu was considered to be the supreme God of the sky, and also the Lord of the Heavens, as mentioned earlier, and the 'Supreme Manager' of all the other Mesopotamian Gods. Inanna was the beautiful Goddess of words, language, syntax and meaning. Inanna was probably the daughter of Anu.


Humbaba was the monster of the cedar forests, and he was taken on by many Gods, and would get into many a fight with them, in a demonstration of superior strength and power on both the sides. Ereshkigal, the final God on the pantheon of the most import Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses, was the underworld Goddess of darkness and death. the Gods of Mesopotamian mythology It is important to remember that Mesopotamian life and religion and knowledge of Gods, Goddesses and Demons is as modern man knows about it today, but one must keep in mind the fact that the Mesopotamian…. References Gill, N. Ancient Mesopotamia, early religion.


htm Miller, Patrick D. Israelite religion and Biblical theology, collected essays. Continuum International Publishing Group. Gods, Goddesses, Demons and Monsters. html N. Lecture 3, ancient Mesopotamia. However, in Mesopotamia, Ishtar was considered the primary god, and Ishtar was a woman. It is interesting to note that in Mesopotamia war is considered a feminine pursuit, and Ishtar is the god of war, while in Greece it is primarily a male pursuit and, though there are specific gods of war, Zeus is seen as the ultimate leader in times of war. Despite these differences there are strong similarities between these two cultures as well. Slavery, for instance, was practiced in both cultures. The abundance of slaves was an indication of social rank and prosperity in both the Mesopotamian and ancient Greek cultures.


Slaves account for the bulk of the workforce in both countries as well. Also, even though the treatment of women was very different, marriages were still arranged in both cultures. Of course, in Mesopotamia the groom pays the bride's family a dowry, and in Greece the…. Mesopotamia was known as the land between the rivers. Each religion developed according to the history and reality of the people living during their time. The Egyptians and Mesopotamians developed a polytheistic religious outlook, while the Hebrew people developed a monotheistic culture. However the Hebrew religion is much more similar to the Egyptian religion considering it's positive outlook and affiliation with a God or gods, unlike the Mesopotamian belief system which may be considered very negative.


Ultimately, though each of these religions are different, they developed as a result of the physical and cultural influences of the people living during ancient times. The religion of the people of Mesopotamia was all encompassing, the center of daily life fortunecity, The Mesopotamian views…. References Egyptian Religion. html Egyptian Religion. Mesopotamian Religion. Mesopotamian vs. Egyptian civilizations This paper will compare and contrast the Mesopotamian and the Egyptian civilizations, in particular the political, social, economical and religious differences. The paper also discusses the role Nature played in each civilization. The Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations were similar in many respects, in that they were both at a similar level of 'advancement', in terms of the development of tools, and cultural and scientific thought such as language, writing, the use of mathematics but they differed in some fundamental respects, such as in the place of origin of the civilization for Mesopotamia in modern-day Iraq, and for Egypt, in modern-day Egypt , and the time period during which the civilization ruled for the oldest Mesopotamian civilization, the Sumerians, from BC, and for Egypt for the Old Kingdom, from BC, to the New Kingdom, from BC.


In terms of the political structure of the civilizations,…. Ancient Mesopotamian Artifact She comes up from the swamp Is fierce, terrible, forceful, destructive, powerful: and still she is a goddess, is awe-inspiring. Her feet are those of an eagle, her hands mean decay. Her fingernails are long, her armpits unshaven Twelve lamentation priests surrounded him in a circle, their heads bowed, droning the chant. Surrounded by the temple musicians, the circle of lamentation priests swayed to and fro, gently holding each others' hands and reciting the incantation against Lamashtu. One of Uruk's most prosperous merchants, Asshurk, commissioned the rite of protection; his wife was pregnant for the first time and he wanted to ensure the birth of a healthy child.


Lamashtu had taken not only his first-born son but also his first wife, who died soon after the child was born. Asshurk wanted no complications with the pregnancy this…. Works Cited Caubet, Annie and Pouyssegur. The Ancient Near East. Paris: Terrail, Gods, Goddesses, Demons, and Monsters. Retrieved 20 April Jastrow, Morris. The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria. Boston: Ginn, Nemet-Nejat, Karen Rhea. Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia. Westport, CN: Greenwood, Geography on Political, Cultural, and Economic Development of Early Civilization in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley The focus of this study is the effect of geography on the political, cultural, and economic development of early civilization in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley.


The characteristic that Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley all have in common is that they were all river valleys. Therefore, the geography of these locations was very much alike and likewise their culture, political landscape, and economic development were all very much the same. Statement of Thesis The civilization of Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley were highly affected by the geography of these regions, which resulted in rapid expansion, and growth of these civilizations and which affected the cultural, political, and economic environment of these areas of the world. Bibliography Ancient Civilizations to BC Introduction: The Invention and Diffusion of Civilization The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.


htm Guisepi, R. nd The Indus Valley and the Genesis of South Asian Civilization. One god unites the nation, strengthens rulers authority much more than many different small gods who are popular in some local territories but not in the whole country. Though religion was an important kind of rulers support, but it was not that important as strong army which was the main fulcrum of king's power in the country. Ruler was a commander in chief of all armed forces of a state and hardly ever allowed very close and reliable people to head the army. To sum up the written essay I'd like to admit that Mesopotamia was a very developed and progressive country of the Close East and whole world. Its achievements were assimilated by many nations and even now we use those sciences which had appeared and developed in Mesopotamia.


Mesopotamian civilization influenced all nations of ancient world, especially Persians, Egyptians, Jews, Greeks and even Arabic state of 8th century…. Bibliography Moore, C. Balit, C. Ishtar and Tammuz: A Legend of Ancient Babylon Frances Lincoln Ltd. Regions People think of the Middle East and mistakenly think that the area is all the same. Most people think about the dry sand and the hot sun. People who do not know much about the area assume that all of the countries have the same land types and the same climates. These people make their assumptions because of what they see on television and in movies about these places in the world. They think of deserts and maybe the Nile River but they assume that the whole place looks the same and has many of the same things.


The areas of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Yellow River area, and the Indus River region are very different but they also have some things in common. Ancient Egypt is known for being a desert region but it also has water ways which allow for plants to grow there. However, the area is…. Architecture through the Ages Mesopotamia Construction in ancient times is second only to agriculture-it reaches back as far as the Stone Age and possibly further Jackson 4. Before the existence of master builders in design and construction the Code of Hammurabi B. referred to design and construction as a simple process Beard, Loulakis and undrum Hammurabi was the ruler of Babylon, the world's first metropolis and he codified his code of laws Beard This is the earliest example of a ruler introducing his laws publicly.


The code regulated the organization of society including the extreme punishments for violating the law. The builder's work is addressed in the code, however faulty design and improper construction were viewed as one Six specific laws address the builder. These laws are; If a builder build a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house…. Works Cited "Albert the Great. Beard, Jeffrey, Michael Loulakis, and Edward Wundrum. Design-Build:planning through Development. McGraw-Hill, perceived superiority of modern Western civilization is unfounded. There is little evidence to suggest that our cultures are any more advanced than the ancient cultures of the Fertile Crescent, Greece, or Rome.


The argument for a linear progression or an evolution of civilization can be countered by evidence to the contrary in areas as diverse as science, politics, philosophy, art, and architecture. Although definite improvements have been made in women's rights, forced labor, and governmental systems, for instance, the accomplishments of ancient cultures rival our own. They may not have possessed microchips or jet engines in ancient Athens, but they did create the structures upon which we base our society today. We are still reaping the rewards that ancient civilizations sowed millennia ago.


In fact, Mesopotamia, Sumeria, Babylon, Egypt, Assyria, Israel, Greece, and Rome comprise the beginnings of Western civilization. Ancient civilizations possessed a remarkable understanding of nature and the…. Men are the focal point in the sculpture, Darius and Xerxes Receiving Tribute. Darius is raised on a higher level than his subjects are. He appears taller than the others, even while sitting. There is a direct order in the status of the men who are coming to pay tribute to him. His most important guests are in front of the line. The least important guests are at the rear.


He is holding his staff in his right hand, the sign of a ruler. Darius felt that he was all power and " king of the earth" Ancient Mesopotamia. The Persians ordered men from conquered cities to bring gifts to the Persian ruler, the theme of the sculpture. This sculpture was found in the Apadana, one of the most impressive buildings in the area. The building is decorated with several depictions of nobles and others carrying gifts to the king. Works Cited Ancient Mesopotamia. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on October 3, htm P Art html Persians Persepolis and Ancient Iran, the Apadana. Confusing Over the course of the semester, there were many things that surprised and intrigued me and unfortunately, sometimes confused me; but, upon reflection there are three specific instances that rise to the top in terms of classifying it as surprising, intriguing and confusing Foremost, over the course of the semester I was most intrigued by the masters of the Venetian renaissance, Giorgione and Titan.


The images that both captured in their art work are interesting and mysterious and leaves more to the viewer's imagination and thoughts than one may think upon first glance. oth artists painted religious symbols, mythological figures and while also capturing more human figures and scenes leaves much to be desired. The way in which Giorgine and Titan worked in the same way and were able to construct such beautiful yet mysterious works of arts is truly intriguing. The colors are vibrant and their attention to…. Bibliography Kren, E. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Judaism Hebrew history, as told by the Hebrews, begins in Mesopotamia, in the cities of Ur in the south and Haran in the north.


With Abraham, the story of the Hebrews begins, and it is clearly stated that Hebrew origins lay outside Canaan. The command to leave his ancestral home and journey to Canaan was accompanied by a promise Gen. The journey itself was more than a pilgrimage, for it represented the starting point of a continuing adventure in nationhood. Nor are the travelers without vicissitudes, but throughout famine, earthquake, fire and war, god protected them. The close relationship between the Hebrews and…. For example, the Chinese had no need for European foodstuffs but they did want European silver "Early Global Commodities" Trade between China and Europe was not as robust as it was between the Arab world and Europe because of the lack of demand in China for European products other than silver.


As a result, a diffusion of culture from China to Europe did not take place as did the diffusion of culture from Arabia and medieval Muslim societies to Europe. Moreover, much European silver came from the territories conquered in the New World. In addition to plundering South America for silver, European societies also imported South American foods such as tomato, chili, chocolate, and sugar. These commodities eventually transformed the European diet "Food, Demographics, and Culture" Thus, economic imperatives cause the development and diffusion of ancient South American societies. On the other hand, Yellow iver Valley culture in…. References "Early Global Commodities," Yaxuna, a city founded during the Middle Preclassic period, around B.


Just because it was a subordinate, however, it was strategically important. Linking the large central cities with the Northern metropolises, in addition to occupying an important position along a central trade route, Yaxuna quickly became pulled back and forth by the struggling major powers Shuler and Freidel, Although less powerful than some of its geographically distant peers, Yaxuna was the largest city in the central northern lowlands Shuler and Freidel, The city was torn apart at least twice due to trans-peninsula warfare. Although Yazuna did not have diplomatic relations with Chichen Itxa, its powerful neighbor to the far north, it did share diplomatic relationships with several other northernmost cities.


Its place in the Mayan world, however, seemed to be dictated by power struggles and warfare, a pawn in the struggle…. Each of these "divine lords" appeared to share the same rank over their kingdoms, but evidence suggests that some cities, those with larger populations, held significant sway over other cities. This information is supported both by the vast degree of centralized projects, such as pyramids and roads, as well as the Mayan language, which clearly makes room for a superior-subordinate type relationship Martin and Grube, Large cities were dominating forces in Mayan regional centers, while smaller cities made ties with these forces to create alliances that shared similar enemies.


Patterns of warfare in Mayan cities followed these conglomerations of alliances and enemies Martin and Grube, Its place in the Mayan world, however, seemed to be dictated by power struggles and warfare, a pawn in the struggle between larger powers Shuler and Freidel, While Yaxuna's role in the Mayan world certainly suggested its importance, as well as shedding light on a complex political system, it was, by no means, unique. In Mesopotamia, the city of Mashkan-shapir shared a role similar to Yaxuna's.


Like Yaxuna, Mashkan-shapir was politically and geographically in the middle of two warning cities, Isin and Larsa. Although Mashkan-shapir was founded near the third millennium B. Also like Yaxuna, Mashkan-shapir was an important economic center. In fact, after Larsa's victory, Mashkan-shapir kept its position of importance, eventually gaining the status of a second capital city for the region Stone and Zimansky, Thus, Yaxuna teaches archeologists and students of history much about power in ancient civilizations. The Mayan power struggles remind students of history that polarity issues between viable hegemons have always existed, even before modern statehood. The existence of areas of Yaxuna and Mashkan-shapir teach students that minor cities and alliances have always been important in these struggles for power.


According to Bachhuber, the Myceaen Agean presence on the Uluburun ship pointed out an important connection between the Semetic and Aegean civilizations Bachhuber. In addition to the Agean-Semetic connection, materials on the ship also came from Africa, including African woods like Ebony, Elephant tusks, and hippopotamus teeth, which were counted among the rarer items in the findings. Finally, tests of the raw copper found on the ship suggested that some of the material came from as far as Europe, especially Spain University of Texas. This confirms that the trade routes in the Levant were not only as extensive as previously assumed, but a considerable degree further.


The implications about trade that can be drawn from the artifacts found on the Ulburun are not restricted to simple economics. Instead, the artifacts also allow for important social implications. According to the University of Texas, the wreck's anchors allowed scholars to assume that…. Works Cited Bachhuber, Christoph Stephen. Aspects of Late Helladic Sea Trade. University of Texas. Pulak, Cemal. Dendrochronological Dating of the Uluburun. Major Trade Routs. Libraries Changing ole of Libraries Changing ole of Libraries in Today's Society Changing ole of Libraries in Today's Society Changing ole of Libraries in Today's Society From the time when the recorded history began, all kinds of artifacts of symbolic, religious, social, and educational have been assembled together and protected in the libraries in the form of books and documents.


Sumerians were the one who developed and brought into actual formation of a library. People of Mesopotamia, several millennia before, revolutionized the means of communication by using symbols and pictures which represented specific units of speech. According to Derrida , the humans have undergone an "archive fever" which means the urge to preserve all kinds of information regarding the history, facts, experiences of people, etc. This impulse gave rise to libraries like temple libraries which contained organized and arranged books and this was done by trained personnel. Libraries in the…. References Barr, RB. From teaching to learning -- A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change 27 6 : 13 -- Bazillion, RJ.


Academic libraries in the digital revolution. Educause Quarterly 24 1 : 51 -- Academic libraries as high-tech gateways: A guide to design and space decisions. Chicago: American Library Association. Beagle, D. Conceptualizing an information commons. Journal of Academic Librarianship 25 2 : 82 -- Staircase ramps which are comprised of steep and narrow steps that lead up one face of the pyramid were more in use at that time with evidence found at the Sinki, Meidum, Giza, Abu Ghurob, and Lisht pyramids respectively Heizer. A third ramp variation was the spiral ramp, found in use during the nineteenth dynasty and was, as its name suggests, comprised of a ramp covering all faces of the pyramids leading towards the top.


Reversing ramps zigzag up one face of a pyramid at a time and would not be used in the construction of step pyramids, while lastly interior ramps that have been found within the pyramids of Sahura, Nyuserra, Neferifijata, Abusir, and Pepi II Heizer, Shaw. Ancient Greece Ancient Greek architecture exists mainly in surviving temples that survive in large numbers even today and is tied into Roman and Hellenistic periods which borrowed heavily from the Greeks. Bibliography Ackerman, J. Alchermes, Joseph. Allen, Rob. Civilization Collection. Anderson, James. Houses permitted the people to move from a nomadic existence to a settled and more organized way of life.


The majority of the houses were square with other rooms built on. The palaces of the early Sumerian culture were the political, economic and religious focal points of the city; large-scale, lavishly decorated, and consisted of rooms used to house craftsmen and such. Archaeological finds have also revealed them to be temples and burial chambers for the elite, as well as library complexes, armories, and entertainment halls decorated with pictorial and mythological figures. It was during the time of the Sumerian civilisation transitioning from nomadic hunting to agriculture, that many changes occurred as the population grew and more force was exerted on the local food supply.


This necessitated more organization and administration that led to non-tribal leadership with its own political, economic and religious arrangement. Mesopotamia's expansion led to a wide…. Ancient Culture Development AC Ancient Culture Development As ancient man developed, they were faced with various challenges that were as well confronted in particular ways, in order to survive in the environment that was full of challenges. There was the use of stones shaped like chisels, flaked at the tip to provide a sharp edge to cut meat. This is one of the earliest documented tools that are estimated back to around 2. These were tools that were discovered in East Africa at Olduvai Gorge as one of the ancient man's abode.


There was division of labor apparently, and men who were faster were commissioned to hunting while women did the gathering of plant products and caring for children. This was a simple governance structure that had to do mainly with domestic labor structure. This was during the lower Paleolithic. During the upper Paleolithic…. References Anne Pyburn, The First People and Culture. html Anne Pyburn, Middle and Upper Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherers The Emergence of Modern Humans, The Mesolithic. html The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, a.


The 'Neolitic Revolution'. html The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, b. Life in Mesopotamia: Law and Governance. Specifically, Caesar masterfully showed how through building alliances one may achieve power and rise to the top of the leadership tier even in a group or society as vast as the Ancient Roman Empire Abbott, , p. The Roman Empire also provides an example of organizational systems within the public domain through the Republican system. In the Roman Republican system of government, one man did not have the power to make law. Instead, power was balanced amongst three different branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial "The Roman Empire".


In fact, this form of government introduced the concept of a senatorial body to the public. In Rome, the Senate was designed as a separate body of government from that of the Emperor so as to avoid the tyranny of one leader. Through the advent of the Senate, the Romans laid the groundwork for leadership structure of Britain…. New scholarship suggests that Byzantine Empire was as successful as was ome in shaping modern Europe Angelov, Islamic Golden Age The Islamic Golden Age also called the Caliphate of Islam or the Islamic enaissance was a center of government and political, cultural and religious traditions that arose in the early 6th century AD from the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed and reached its height between the 8th to 13th centuries Kraemer, The Golden Age was centered around the Saudi Arabian peninsula.


Its first capital was Media; at its greatest extent, the Caliphate controlled all of the present day Middle East, northern Africa and parts of Spain, and extending to the Indus Valley. It was thus one of the few empires that rules over three continents Kennedy, After the end of the classical empires of the Middle East such as Egypt and Assyria the region was politically and…. htm Islam and Islamic History in Arabia and the Middle East. Retrieved March 28, , from islamcity. htm The European Voyages of Exploration.


html Mummies and Mummification. One exception to this is Pausanias, a Greek writer. He recorded the quarrying done in Greece but he lived in the second century a. For other details, the information related to their architecture is limited to the writings of Vitruvius, an architect in ome, also a military engineer and a writer who lived during the rule of Augustus Masrgary, ; Derry and Williams, The Greek construction inherits its glory from the timber-framed European houses that revolved around three chambers and hearths and not from the buildings in the Near East or even the Mycenean tombs. The temples that appeared earlier in Greece were built of mud bricks with a timber roof that was thatched to facilitate a wider construction, the transverse beams were held by a row of posts that were kept in the middle and the posts were also kept in the mud brick walls for the same….


References Derry, T. And Williams, T. A Short History of Technology from the Earliest Times to a. Oxford University Press. New York. Chapter 5. Sttraub H. A History of Civil Engineering. Hill, London, Edwards I. S the Pyramids of Egypt. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, Toy, S. A History of Fortification from B. Heinemann, London, He stated that, "I mean printed works produced ostensibly to give children spontaneous pleasure and not primarily to teach them, nor solely to make them good, nor to keep them profitably quiet. There is always the fallout that once a child learns to love to read he or she will read many more things with greater enthusiasm than before.


The children's literature genres developed in Mesopotamia and in Egypt over a roughly 1,year period - proverbs, fables, animal stories, debates, myths, instructions wisdom literature , adventure and magic tales, school stories, hymns and poems - pass down to the Hebrews and the Greeks. The Old Testament owes much to both Mesopotamian and Egyptian literature Adams One can see that, as stated previously, children's literature is…. References Adams, Gillian. London: Routledge. Ancient Babylonia - Gilgamesh Tablet. Bible History. Bell, Robert H. Genisis Files. It consists a series of successively smaller platforms which lifted to a height of about 64 feet, and was constructed with a solid core of mud-brick covered by a thick skin of burnt-brick to guard it from the forces of nature Burney.


The Ziggurat's corners are oriented to the compass points, with walls sloping slightly inwards Molleson and Hodgson. The Ziggurat of Ur was a component of a temple building complex that serviced the urban center as an administrative hub. Additionally, in terms of spirituality, it was believed to be the site on earth that the moon god Nanna the patron deity of Ur had selected to inhabit. Nanna was shown as a wise and unfathomable old man, complete with a flowing beard and four horns in number. A single shrine crowned the summit of the ziggurat Faiella. This was purportedly the bedchamber of the god, and was occupied….


Economics in Ancient Civilization It is said that "Rome was not built in a day. Precursors to the culture most identified as the seat of estern political economy, the Ancient Egyptians, Etruscans, Greeks, Syrians, Carthaginians and Phoenicians all had contact with the Romans, and eventually were incorporated through territorial expansion of the Empire in Asia Minor, Cyrenaica, Europe, and North Africa. Prior to the Roman period, Europe was primarily occupied by Barbarian tribes; societies where no written language, legal system or alternative mechanism of governance was in place. hen we discuss the advancement of Ancient civilizations, then, it is through the transmission of law, literacy and polity that we find source to retrospect on early economic forms.


In Feinman and Nicholas , Perspectives on Political Economies, the difficulties…. Works Cited Buck-Norss, S. The Dialectics of Seeing: Walter Benjamin and the Arcades Project. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, Benjamin, W. Das Passagen Werken. Bitros, George C. Boyazoglu, J. Hatziminaoglou, and P. It involves the replacement of rule of thumb gradually with science for the mechanical arts. Mesopotamia The existence of the two rivers i. Euphrates and Tigris gave this name Mesopotamia which means the land between rivers to the region. Agricultural revolution was begun by the people of this region in about ten thousand years ago.


They domesticated animals and plants instead of hunting and gathering as was common in the time. Their crops were tended in houses built of mud-brick or reeds and clustered in villages Hyman Their grains were stored in the granaries that they built and their trade and account were recorded in a token system that they developed. There was a sudden change and growth in the civilization of the southern Mesopotamia between and , with the main focus being in the cities of Ur and Uruk. Rendering of the old ways of agriculture less…. Works Cited Badiru, Adedeji, Triple C.


Model of Project Management: Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination. Oxon: CRC Press, Hyman, Kavett. From his authority in Cairo, Saladin worked hard to preserve unity between many of the Muslim kingdoms that comprised the Middle East region. Accordingly, Lane-Poole reports that as dynasties rolled over into new families of leadership in places such as Syria and Mesopotamia, "to these transactions Saladin offered no opposition. He was bound by his treaty to respect his ally of Mosul, and he never broke a treaty in his life. XI hile Saladin postured as a warrior-ruler, he also remained loyal to the legal terms of regional agreements and in an important regard would parlay this good-will into a unity in repelling the English crusaders who sought to eliminate religious divergence from the Christian faith.


Not only can we begin to see the picture of a balanced and fair leader, we can also begin to view the origins of the Islamic faith as a cultural other in…. Works Cited: Lane-Poole, S. The Life of Saladin: AD Third Millennium Library. Walker, P. Ancient Greek urban planning dates its glory to Pericles. Temple architecture sourced in a precedent civilization, the Minoan of Crete, is actually reflective of palace architecture from that society's maritime city-state, Knossos de la Croix, H. And Tansey. The Greek civis was largely informed by astronomy; influencing everything from temple design to the order of the public City-State.


This perspective fits with what is known about the star gazing cult practices found in the archaeological record Belmonte. Sacred objects further this theory, and there remain a significant number of votive statuary stored at temple sites. Votive offerings were left by devotees of that particular cult, including weapons, helmets, and even statues. The interior of the temple, known as the cella, was often decorated with columns and most used for…. Works Cited Belmonte, Juan Antonio. From the Atlas to the Caucasus: The Other Side of the Mediterranean Before Islam.


Archaeoastronomy de la Croix, H. And Tansey, R. Gardner's: Art Through the Ages. New York, NY: Harcourt and Brace, Dimock, Wai Chee. The Egyptian Pronoun: Lyric, Novel, the Book of the Dead. New Literary History Maddison, Angus. The Contours of World Development. The World Economy, OECD, Hall, Wings are additionally attributed to "Father Time, the winds and Opportunity, who all pass swiftly. Wings are representative of heavenly beings, gods, or messengers of gods, or beings that are endowed with powers not of the realm of the earth. Wings also are symbols of protection and sheltering and this is particularly true in Egyptian art.


While few studies exist in relation to wings and winged beings in ancient Peru, it is very likely that the representation of these in art symbolism is much akin to artistic representations in other cultures and since ancient Peruvians have been found to be buried with feathered garments it is likely that these individuals viewed wings and winged beings to…. Bibliography Hall, James Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art. Westview Press Curtis, J. And Andre-Salvini, B. University of California Press, MacKenzie, Donald A. No one knows quite when this happened: the first settlers could have arrived anywhere between and B. This first group was the Ubaid culture, which settled in the marshes of southern Mesopotamia—an area that remains marshy today. Historians know little about the Ubaidans, but they seem to have had a fairly sophisticated knowledge of irrigation, or methods of keeping crops watered.


They also knew how to make pots of baked clay, and built their houses of reeds from the nearby marshes. At some point their area was invaded by Semitic tribes from the southwest, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, but the two groups eventually became one through marriage. By about B. The Sumerians in turn established virtually all the essentials of civilization over the next years. One of the most brilliant cities of the ancient world was Babylon. In its legal codes and its sciences, it stood at the furthest advances of human understanding. Its Hanging Gardens were among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.


Founded by the Amorites, a previously nomadic people from Arabia, it existed as early as B. For nearly a thousand years, it remained under the control of Ur and later the Akkadians. But the invasion of Ur in B. was an indication that the Amorites were on the move, and in B. A century after Sumuabu would come the only truly great leader in early Babylonia— and one of the great figures of human history. But it would be a mistake to assume that these groups—Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians—were the only peoples of Mesopotamia. There were of course the Aramaeans, whose one contribution to the culture of the area, their language, was exceedingly important.


There were the other groups that menaced Babylonia, including the Hittites and the Persians. Also there were the peoples at the fringe of Mesopotamia, who either threatened or were threatened by the Babylonians and Assyrians. Principal among these were the Israelites, who became captives of both nations. Finally, there were the smaller groups of earlier times in Mesopotamia, who ultimately became part of larger cultures. Among these were the Akkadians, who became so completely tied to Sumerian culture that it is impossible to talk about the one without the other; and there were city-states such as Mari and Isin, ultimately absorbed in Sumer and Babylonia respectively.


There were also the Hurrians, who entered the region in about B. and established the kingdom of Mitanni, which flourished briefly between and B. Caught between the powerful Hittites to the north and the even more powerful Assyrians to the south, Mitanni survived by making an alliance with Egypt; but eventually the Egyptians lost interest in this relationship, and courted favor with the Assyrians. That was the end of Mitanni, whose two threatening neighbors devoured it. Despite the many names and the many cultures, however, there remained three primary Mesopotamian groups.


But since the Sumerians disappeared from the scene much earlier, Mesoptamian history between about and B. can be characterized as a great competition between two cultures, Babylonia to the south and Assyria to the north. Both had great capital cities along the rivers of Mesopotamia: Babylon on the Euphrates and Nineveh on the Tigris. Both grew out of Amorite groups who absorbed the Sumer-Akkad civilization, and they were similar in language, religion, and other cultural aspects. Perhaps because they were so similar in some ways, they were almost always in conflict, like two family members who cannot resolve their differences. This pattern has repeated itself throughout history, from ancient times to the modern world. As ancient history is full of conflicts between related peoples, the twentieth century has been full of wars and conflicts between neighboring lands.


Africa has been subject to countless struggles among and within nations of similar heritage. The countries that broke off from the nation of Yugoslavia entered a period of incredible struggle following the end of Communism there in Greece and Turkey have often been at odds with one another in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, just as peoples of those two nations fought in the Trojan War more than 3, years before. The two greatest conflicts in history, World War I and World War II — involved, among other issues, an age-old rivalry between Germany and France. In some ways, the Assyrians and Babylonians can be compared with the German and French nations. Like the French, the Babylonians were noted for their splendid culture, which excited both the admiration and the scorn of other countries, who often tended to see them as people devoted to pleasure and high living.


And like the Germans, the Assyrians were known for their talent at making war. For much of the first half of the twentieth century, Germany had an ambition of ruling the world, and it developed one of the most powerful military forces ever known. Similarly, Assyria wanted to rule the known world, and it created an army that terrorized many nations. This is not an entirely accurate comparison from historical perspective, of course, because Germany has produced all manner of cultural achievements in the arts and philosophy and their militaristic period lasted for only about 40 years, and France waged more wars than any other modern nation.


Assyria is likewise remembered for its brilliant architecture. But the greatest talent of the Assyrians was the art of warfare. Babylonia and Assyria fell first to the Persians and later to the Greeks under Alexander. Still later, Mesopotamia briefly became a part of the Roman Empire. In the A. The Muslims gave the area its religion, Islam, which is the faith of modern Mesopotamia. Again like most of the Middle East, it came under the rule of the Turkish or Ottoman Empire for many centuries, which only ended with the defeat of Turkey in World War I.


Britain then took over, and for a time they revived the old name of the region. The Assyrians and Babylonians could not have known that their great gods Ashur and Marduk, along with the other deities they worshiped, would be largely forgotten in modern times; or that the god of the people they defeated, the Israelites, would be worshiped by hundreds of millions of people. Yet thanks to the Israelites and their holy book, the Old Testament, the memory of those two nations was preserved throughout the Middle Ages A.

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