2. What role did the invention and development play
in the development of the first civilization?
Discuss how the invention of writing had an affect
on various parts of civilization.
Talk about how theoretical discoveries and
technological inventions shaped their society.
Discuss their religion
3. Math-they were the first to give a number a place
value and recognize the concept of zero.
They divided time up by 60’s including 60 sec and 60
minutes; Which we still use today.
They divided the circle into 360 degrees and the
circumference of a circle this helped them keep track
of records as well as building projects.
They discovered the number for pi 3.14
5. They divided the year into 12 months.The
month was divided up into 29-30 days and
the days into 2x12 hours.
The calendar was primarily lunar
Their year was about 354 days
6. The Sumerians developed a form of pictographic writing that used word
pictures like bird, fish, ox or grain etc., around 4000 - 3500 BC.
In 3000 BC, it developed into a cursive form of cuneiform style of writing
which was a wedge shaped linear impression on clay tablets
Cuneiform symbols were made by scribes who used a stylus.
Writing was the most significant invention at the time.
Invention of writing become the revolution of information. Storing
information allowed it to travel long distances without relying on
somebody else's memory.
Text also become the information that was available for future
generation.
Writing in fact, helps assure the continuity of civilization, because it
carries a tangible record of the human race from generation to
generation.
7. Writing is important for civilization because it
helped the scribes and artisans conduct their
daily task.
It helped the economy by creating
and recording business transactions.
Writing now created a record of the
laws and gave order to create rules
and regulations.
Writing poetry and fiction passed down stories
in written form instead of by memory.
8. The Mesopotamians recorded
directions on the maps they created.
The invention of maps was
important because it helped people explain and
follow directions.
9. The Mesopotamians used the wheel to make
pottery wheels, before this pottery was made out
of wet clay formed by hand then laid out to dry.
Goods such as tin and copper that where imported
to Mesopotamia could be transported faster.
They used the wheel to make war chariots.
The wheel was used to getting
water for the irrigation system
10. When Mesopotamians first began to make pottery it was
shaped by hand. Pottery was important in every household
in Mesopotamia because it provided cooking utensils, food
storage containers.
Pottery was used for religious
purposes as well. Certain bowls
were used for scaring away
demons.
They made bowls for
flowers which we call vases.
11. The Mesopotamians were
among the first to harness the wind as an
energy source by using the sail.
They used papyrus, a plant that grows
throughout theTigris and Euphrates rivers to
make the sails.
The papyrus reed mats where stretched
between two poles making a simple yet
affective sail.
12. The Mesopotamians used
theTigris and the Euphrates
rivers to create their
irrigation system.
They used the Euphrates
water as the supply,
and theTigris channel
as a drain.
This was because the
Euphrates river was
higher than theTigris.
13. The seeder plow was a major technological
achievement.
It transformed agriculture by carrying out the
tasks of seeding and plowing together.
The Mesopotamians believed that the god
Enlil created the seeder plow and that the
image of the plow could also be seen in the
stars.*This demonstrates how religion/beliefs were a part their everyday lives*
14. The Mesopotamians had hundreds of gods.
Every city had their own patron god or
goddess.
People depended on a relationship with their
own personal god…sort of what we call a
guardian angel.
15. The priest were the upper-
class of society
They were Influential because
of the importance of their
religion and their relationship
with the gods
The priest were considered
the doctors’ of their time
which is also important
because Mesopotamians
were among the first to have
records of medicine and
surgeries
The priest were sometimes
the kings
16. There where greater gods who the Mesopotamians
believed controlled major realms of the universe,
such as the sky, the sun, the air
These gods received attention
as major deities(Idols).
Utu- was the sun god
and the lord of truth and justice
Nanna- was the moon god
Inanna- was the goddess of love and war
Ninhursag- was the goddess of earth
Enki- was the god of fresh water as well as the lord of
wisdom and magic
Anu- was the father of the gods he was the sky god.
Enlil was the god of the air
