Wilbur Cross HigH sCHool MesopotaMian Magazine perforManCe task #1assyria, babylon, HebreWs, MesopotaMia, persia, pHoneCia & suMer
http://misopotamia1.blogspot.com/2013/02/mesopotamia_277.html#!/2013/02/mesopotamia_277.html
NOTE FROM LIBRARIAN: This first performance task was used as an introduction to the type of writing required for the Freshman World History course. This performance task requires students to write one to five - five paragraph article(s) in which they discuss the Location, Economy, Government, Achievements and/or Leaders of either the Sumerian, Persian, Phoenician, Babylonian, Chaldean, Assyrian or Hebrew cultures. Students were required to generate questions that they respond to in their articles, provide pictures and reference their sources. Sources include the student text, at least one print (book or journal), encyclopedia and website. Articles were written in Publisher and published to www.issuu.com. Each class is required to produce one class magazine archiving the work of that class. Individual magazine articles are saved to their student.name@nhps.net accounts for later evaluation for inclusion in their Capstone Portfolio.
Wilbur Cross HigH sCHool MesopotaMian Magazine – perforManCe task #1
Table of Contents 1. World History Performance Task Sheet 2. Universal Planning Tool 3. Task Assignment 4. Initial Information Gathering Graphic Organizer 5. Group Question Samples 6. Websites provided by LMS and Teachers 7. Final Evaluation Rubric 8. Student Work
Contributing Authors:
Assyria – Babylon – Chaldea – Hebrews – Persia – Phoenicia – Sumer-
1 Photo Description, Credit and Source: 1. Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Said to have been destroyed by several earthquakes after the 2nd century BC, they were located in Iraq and contained exotic plants and animals imported from all over the world. Picture: © North Wind Picture Archives / Alamy Lost Wonders of the World. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/9373223/ Lost-wonders-of-theworld.html?image=2. Web.10/30/12 2.
Phoenician Architecture. Tipaza 5th Century B.C. Phoenician Architecture. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1105661. Web. 10/30/12
3. Gate of all Nations: Persepolis To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Parsa, meaning the city of Persians, Persepolis being the Greek interpretation of the name. Gate of All Nations. http://www.flickr.com/photos/morelcreamsauce/969687603/. Web. 10/30/12
CRITICAL THINKING WORKSHEET
Analyzing Information: The Characteristics of Civilization
ACTIVITY 1: Listed below are five characteristics of civilization. In the space provided, explain how the discovery of agriculture led to the development of each characteristic. Use information from your textbook. 1.
People have advanced technical skills. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.
Cities and government exist. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
A division of labor exists. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4.
A form of writing exists. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5.
A calendar exists. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CRITICAL THINKING WORKSHEET
Analyzing Information: The Characteristics of Civilization ACTIVITY 2: Choose one of the five characteristics of civilization and create an illustration that depicts your characteristic.
Checklist Place title of characteristic at top of box. Make an effort in creating your illustration using colored pencils or markers. Show your understanding of the characteristic through examples from your worksheet. Write a paragraph on the back of your illustration explaining why your drawing is a good example of your characteristic.
Ancient Civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent Name
Sumerians
Babylonians
Assyrians
Chaldeans
Location
Economy
Government
Leaders
Achievements
Persians
Phoenicians
Hebrews
World Civilization
Interesting Websites: http://www.42explore2.com/mesopot.htm http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/earlydynastic.ht m http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/people-placeskids/iraq-mesopotamia-kids/ http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org
Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence Project Ideas http://project-history.blogspot.com/2006/10/teaching-ancient-mesopotamia-project.html Geography • •
Write poem about the Tigris & Euphrates and their importance to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia. Write a report comparing and contrasting the geography of ancient Mesopotamia with the geography of the area today.
•
Make travel brochure for a trip back to a city in ancient Mesopotamia.
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Research and write reports about different aspects of the geography of Mesopotamia - the Tigris and/or Euphrates, the Zagros Mountains, the Taurus Mountains, the Persian Gulf, etc…
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Write diary entries about an expedition from the headwaters to the delta of the Tigris or Euphrates.
Roles in Mesopotamian Society •
Write and deliver a speech convincing the citizens of ancient Mesopotamia that they should pay taxes to support government projects such as city walls, irrigation canals, roads, etc…
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Day in the life of a Scribe journal entries – journal/diary entries that describe the daily tasks of a scribe or a scribe student.
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Hall of Fame Mesopotamia – biographical descriptions of important Mesopotamians (Sargon, Hammurabi, Moses, Nebuchadnezzar, etc…). Maybe have the class or groups rank them based on importance and have a debate on who should be in and who should be out.
Mesopotamian Achievements • •
Write an extension story for one of the stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Write and perform a play retelling the Epic of Gilgamesh, or part of it, in a modern way.
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Write a radio, TV, or print ad selling one of the many Mesopotamian inventions.
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Write a proposal to King Hammurabi explaining why you like/dislike certain laws in his code.
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Have a debate on whether or not Hammurabi’s Code was a fair way to govern ancient Babylon.
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Writing in cuneiform. Provide a cuneiform style alphabet (worksheets with these are available from various sites. You can also get a computer font that allows you to type in cuneiform.) Have students decode phrases you make up and have them write/translate back and forth.
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Phoenician alphabet – Have students code phrases in the Phoenician alphabet (many textbooks have the alphabet printed in them). This is a bit easier that with the cuneiform assignment because they actually had an alphabet!
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Phoenician trade log – students make a log of imports/exports to Phoenicia including where they came from or went.
Culminating Mesopotamia Projects •
Mesopotamia Times Newspaper – write articles, want ads, classifieds, editorials, etc and create a newspaper. Maybe require that the articles each cover a news story dealing with a different aspect of Mesopotamian life – government, music, art, religion, etc…
Visual/Spatial Intelligence Project Ideas Geography • •
Compile a list of ancient Mesopotamian cities and the dates they were founded and make a timeline. Maps, maps, maps. Being a visual person myself, maps are always good. I have my students label a map of Mesopotamia and the surrounding area. Coloring maps is also quite satisfying. Also fun is making maps using color to show the different empires that ruled over Mesopotamia.
•
Mesopotamian City Map – have students make an overhead map of what a Mesopotamian city probably looked like. Maybe they can make inset pictures on the map showing close-ups of the ziggurat, market, houses, etc…
Roles in Mesopotamian Society •
Social classes of Mesopotamia Art/Diagram – have students make a graphic organizer showing the various social classes of ancient Mesopotamia. Allow them to get “out there” if they choose and get really creative, metaphorical, and expressive in how they make their diagrams/organizers.
Mesopotamian Achievements •
•
Analysis of the Standard of Ur – have students look at a photo, diagram, drawing, or other representation of the Standard of Ur and have them try to figure out what is says/means. Then discuss what archaeologists/historians/etc think it means. Have students draw a Standard of Y (Y being whatever you want – your school, state, country, the students’ lives, etc..) The standard shows different important events, people, etc., just like the Standard of Ur.
•
Epic of Gilgamesh Comic Book – students tell the story in comic book form including comic-style drawings, dialogue, and/or captions.
•
Hammurabi’s Code Art – Students pick various laws from Hammurabi’s Code and depict them in visual form. As an extension/alternative to the Social Classes Diagram, they could make pictures to show how different social classes would be treated under the law according to Hammurabi.
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Visual Almanac of Mesopotamian Achievements – students draw pictures and write brief informational captions about some of the many achievements/inventions of the Mesopotamians.
•
Draw a picture/diagram of a Phoenician marketplace.
Culminating Projects • •
Mesopotamia Collage - Have students use the computer to find photos (or magazines, if available) to make a collage showing different aspects of Mesopotamian civilization. Make a picture book of Mesopotamian life to include everything from its geography to the rule of Babylon, etc…Making a PowerPoint of this might be fun too.
Bodily/Kinesthetic Project Ideas Geography •
Make a raised relief map model of Mesopotamia.
•
Create a mime or other silent drama presentation dealing with the geography of Mesopotamia. Example: A silent play depicting travel from the headwaters of the Tigris or Euphrates to the delta at the Persian Gulf, perhaps with a side trip to the desert of course.
•
Build a model/diorama of a Mesopotamian city.
Roles in Mesopotamian Society • •
Write and perform a skit showing interaction between the Mesopotamian social classes. A scribe school skit
•
Dance of the Mesopotamian Farmers – showing what must have been the daily routine of Mesopotamian farmer
•
Create and perform a mime showing….Mesopotamian farming, scribing/writing, a priest-king ruling his people, the role of priests/priestesses
Mesopotamian Achievements • •
Build a model or make a diorama of a ziggurat. Build a replica of the Standard of Ur.
•
Make a Mesopotamian-style sculpture.
•
Create a mode/diorama of Mesopotamian farm. A real growing farm with flowing water and a irrigation system would be..HOLY COW, so cool!
•
Build models/dioramas of Mesopotamian inventions (the wheel, chariot, etc…)
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Make a usable clay tablet and stylus.
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Reenact a Mesopotamian battle using figurines or make a fixed, frozen battle scene.
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Make a model/diorama of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
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Make a sculpture of Gilgamesh.
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Mesopotamian religion skit
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Hammurabi’s Code mock trial
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skit depicting Phoenician trade domination
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Create and perform an interpretative dance (with/without music) showing a Mesopotamian myth.
•
dance depicting the events shown on either panel of the Standard of Ur
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Mime a Mesopotamian myth or parts of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
•
Try to make a trade without saying anything (somewhat simulates trading with someone that speaks a different language).
Logical/Mathematical Project Ideas Geography • • •
Use Excel to make graphs like climographs, population density graphs, harvest record graphs, or whatever other statistical data you can find on Mesopotamia. Use a mapping program to create maps using similar data Create a game in which players have to travel through Mesopotamia, facing various geographical hazards, challenges, etc…
Achievements • •
Mesopotamian Math – The Mesopotamians based their math on 60. Here’s some “stuff” including a Mesopotamian math worksheet. Playing with cuneiform and/or the Phoenician alphabet is quite logical/mathematical. Kids tend to really like writing in and/or translating language to and from the ancient languages.
Culminating Projects •
•
Play Empires! – This game from Interact has a lot of math (keeping records) and logic/strategy in it. This game is better if you have a blocked style class with more than just a 50 minute period. 50 minutes is pretty short to do the lessons without rushing and stressing yourself and the students out. Having said that, it does cover most of the content of my Mesopotamia unit in a fun and engaging way. Design and play a Mesopotamia game – I had some students do this a few years ago in another class and on another subject. It was great! They came up with really fun (ingenious, in some cases) games to play with classmates.
•
Design Mesopotamian puzzles – make word searches, crossword puzzles, vocabulary scrambles, etc…Or get pictures from the web, magazines, or other source and actually make a jigsaw puzzle!
•
Make a timeline of Mesopotamian history – you can make these fairly easily on the computer with the right software, such as Inspiration 8.0
Musical Project Ideas Culminating Projects •
National anthems can be a fun way to integrate music into the curriculum. Just have the students write national anthems for each civilization (or even city-states) of ancient Mesopotamia. This reinforces the important characteristics while providing an avenue to explore musical interests. Of course, this could also go with verbal/linguistic.
•
Students these days (boy that makes me sound old) really like making raps. Raps can be about everything from how the rivers made life in Mesopotamia possible to how the Babylonians conquered Mesopotamia, etc, etc…It’s really fun if you let them dress up for their performances.
•
A musical play – your students may or may not be familiar with musical theatre (i.e. The Music Man, The Sound of Music, etc.). This could be a fun way to include music in the history curriculum. Have the class write a play complete with dialogue and songs. Of course this project would require a substantial time investment to be worthwhile. I bet it would be fun though!
Naturalist Project Ideas • •
Research the deserts of Mesopotamia and write a report, make a diorama, etc… Research the marshlands of Mesopotamia and write a report, make a diorama, etc…
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Find out what plant and/or insect species your area and Mesopotamia have in common and collect specimens.
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Examine how the Persian Gulf has receded and land reclaimed by the desert since the time of ancient Mesopotamia. Make a model, write a paper, make a poster, etc…
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Research how nature fit into the religion of the ancient Mesopotamians. Make a booklet, brochure, report, etc…
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Make a monster index of animals/monsters encountered in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Draw pictures and make a little booklet out of it. (or PowerPoint, poster, etc…)
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Make a boy/girl scout handbook of ancient Mesopotamia showing how to survive in that environment.
Interpersonal Project Ideas • •
Basically any project done in a group Different groups with different projects, i.e. a Verbal/Linguistic group, a Visual/Spatial group, etc…
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Skits, skits, skits
Intrapersonal Project Ideas • •
Any project done individually If I were a geographical feature of Mesopotamia, I would be…and why, of course.
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If I could travel to the region of Mesopotamia, where I would go and why.
Name ________________________
Fertile Crescent Magazine Project
Forselius/Gibbons
Assignment: Discover the important aspects of Early Civilizations in the Fertile Crescent.
You will do research to learn about early civilizations in the Fertile Crescent. Where is it located? Who were their leaders? What did they accomplish?
Write down just the important information that you find in the graphic organizer below. Do not just copy the information in full sentences. Write down where you found it next to “Source.�
Find at least one picture or map or chart for each.
Where were the Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia located?
Location:
Picture Source
Picture Source
Who were 3 leaders? What was special about that leader?
Name of the leader #1
Source
Picture Source
Name of the Civilization
What was special about that leader?
What is something interesting about that leader?
#2
Picture Source
Picture Source #3
Picture Source
Picture Source
What were some achievements?
Name of the accomplishment #1
Picture Source
Picture Source
Name of the Civilization
Description
Why was it important?
#2
Picture Source
Picture Source #3
Picture
Source
Picture Source
Name _______________
Look at your research. Choose one of the following: ___ Leaders (Pick one leader: ________________ ) ___ Achievements (Pick one achievement: _______________ ) ___ Location
a) Log onto a computer. b) Click and hold on “Start” then highlight “My computer.” (Another way is to double click on “My Computer.”) c) Double click on “S:” drive. Double click on “World History SC Forselius&Gibbons.” d) Double click on “Mesopotamia.” e) In Microsoft Publisher, click on the save button. f)
Change the “File name” to your name. Click on “Save.” (In the future, just look for your name in the folder.)
1. Delete the words “Your Name.” Type in your full name. 2. Write a title for the one you choose. Delete the word “Title” and type your title. 3. Give a specific example and description. Describe your choice (with at least 2 sentences). Delete the word “Description” and type your answer. 4. How did your choice help Mesopotamia become a great civilization? Explain (with at least 5 sentences). 5. Add an illustration (at least 1). Delete the picture. Paste in your own. 6. Type your sources. 7. Save your work.
Name ________________________
Mesopotamia Project
Forselius/Gibbons
Assignment: Discover the important aspects of Early Civilizations in the Fertile Crescent.
Scoring Rubric:
Possible 1. Notes for “Where were the Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia located?”
Your Score
Actual Score
4 points
2. Notes for “Who were 3 leaders? What was special about that leader?”
18 points
3. Notes for “What were some achievements?”
18 points
4. Citations for the information
10 points
5. Information is accurate
20 points
6. Magazine is organized and creative
10 points
7. Picture is accurate and helpful to the presentation
10 points
8. Presentation is clear and educational to the audience
10 points
TOTAL: ________ / 100
Leaders of the Persian Empire by Maryana Dumalska The ancient Persian Civilization began about 560B.C.E. The Persian Civilization produced King Cyrus, who conquered three Kings: the Median King – Astyges, the King of Lydia – Croesus, and the King of Babylon – Nabonidus. King Cyrus then founded the Persian Empire. He proclaimed himself “King of the world, great King…King of Babylon, King of Summer and Akkad.” Cyrus was considered a benevolent conqueror and a model ruler. He gave permission to the Jews, who were exiled in Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. King Cyrus used Lydian craftsmen to build his new capitol in Pasargadae (which is now modern Iran.) He also used the craftsmen to build a massive tomb in which he was later buried. King Cyrus died in a battle in Central Asia. He ruled the Persian Empire from about 559B.C.E. - 530 B.C.E. During these years King Cyrus was considered the most important ruler in the region. After Cyrus’ death his eldest son, Cambyses, took the throne. Unlike his father, Cambyses had a reputation for being a tyrant. In 525 B.C.E. Cambyses conquered Egypt. After this he also attempted to conquer Ethiopia and Sudan but failed. Both countries were protected by a large desert which the Persian army was unable to cross. Later, in 522 B.C.E. King Cambyses died. Darius became the third King of the Persian Empire in 521 B.C.E. King Darius did not inherit the throne, instead, he came to it through political conspiracy. Darius’ main achievement was organization. Under his rule the Empire was divided into twenty provinces, each of them ruled by a governor called a satrap. Darius gave religious freedom and donated money towards the construction of various temples. He conquered the Indus region and expanded
the Empire all the way to Europe. Kind Darius died 485 B.C.E. Citations Brown Bear Books , . Facts At Your Fingertips Ancient Mesopotamia. Redding, CT: Brown Bear Books Limited, 2009. Print. "Cambyses." Heritage History. Web. 20 Nov 2012. <http://www.heritagehistory.com/www/heritage.php? Dir=characters&FileName=cambyse s.php>. "Cyrus the Great Also Known As Cyrus II of Persian." History Curriculum Homeschool. Heritage History, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.heritagehistory.com/www/heritage.php? Dir=characters>. "Darius the Great Also Known As Darius Hystaspes." History Curriculum Homeschool. Heritage History, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.heritagehistory.com/www/heritage.php? Dir=characters>.
Phoenician Leadership By Taylor Nelson The Phoenicians were conquered by King Cyrus of Persia around 538 B.C.; before then, Phoenician leadership was held by the most powerful city-state at the time. First Byblos ruled until conquered by Ancient Egypt. Following, Sidon ruled and was a very important center of trade. Lastly, Tyre ruled, which eventually broke into two city-states: Old Tyre and New Tyre. Byblos’ name originated from the word “biblion,” which means book. It was founded by the god, El. Byblos was a busy port used for trade. Ships all over the Mediterranean Sea came here to trade local materials and materials that were hard to find. Byblos was believed to be the oldest city-state around. Byblos, were the first ones
to try city planning. A thick wall surrounded their city-state. It was also a main street that branched off into numerous side streets. Kings there, including King Ahiram used the hieroglyphics writing system. In this city-state, the goddess Ishtar was also held there. Sidon was known to be the “fish town” or the “mother city.” Sidon was also the “Iron Age Civilization.” It was founded during the Early Bronze Age by. Sidon was the center port for trade between Assyria, Egypt, Cyprus, and Aegean Sea. Sidon is known for its glass-making and production of purple dyes from the murex shell. Sidon was under Roman domination, like all other Phoenician city-states. Tyre was the last main ruler of Phoenicia. It was the biggest civilization that ruled. They ruled for centuries. The first ruler there was Hiram around 980B.C. for 40 years. Following him his grandson, King Luliya ruled. Tyre was a huge trade civilization. The city was made more like modern cities. It had plazas, and attempts of skyscrapers. There was limited ground space, so buildings were built stories high. Tyre was also known as the queen of the sea during these times. Citations: Websites: http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_ht ml/The_Story_of_the_Greastest_Nations_an d_the_World_Famous_Events_Vol_1/phoen icia_jf.html http://archaeology.about.com/od/shthroughsi terms/qt/sidon.htm http://www.gorp.com/weekendguide/travelto-byblos-arcaeology-hitorysidwcmdev_058291.htm http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/tourism/j beil.html Books: Great Empires of the Past: Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia by: Barbara A. Sorrervill
Sumerian Economy By Danajah Pugh The economy of the Sumerians produced agricultural products such as wheat, barley, peas, onions, turnips and dates. The Sumerian economy included a livestock sector. The livestock sector produced domesticated animals. These domesticated animals included the following: cattle, sheep, and hunted wildfowl. Copper was found in the mountains to east and north. From the raw materials they made weapons, cloth, and more valuable products. Some manufactured pottery. Weaving, leather or metal work Those that lived in the Taurus and Zagros mountains needed wheat and barley. So they would trade, and the mountain people would give Sumerians gold, copper, silver, limestone timber. They traded around the Persian Gulf. Their labor of work was done by slaves. The Sumerians had slave women working as weavers, pressers, millers, and porters. There was also the potters who decorated pots with cedar oil paints.
Babylonians By: Joshua Medina
Achievements in Science and Math The Babylonians had many achievements in science and in math. They were first to divide their day into 24 hours, their hours to 60 minutes, and minutes into 60 seconds. They had algebra, geometry, square roots, cube roots and other
mathematics that we have today. The conclusion for Babylonia mathematics is that we got our modern math from them. Babylonian scientist would observe the planets and stars from above. They would record all the different movements of the stars and planets. With the information of the movement of the planets and starts they would predict events and regulate a calendar. The calendar would help tell them when to celebrate events and when to pay bills. Only the king would be able to add events. These scientists seem to be the first astronomers. They would record all the information they gathered and put it in a library. Later, when they notice something new, they would see what they missed and what mistakes they made. All the information they would find would have to be reported to the king.
The Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel was a ziggurat, a pyramid-shaped temple built to a local god. The most important god of Babylon was Marduk, who outshone all other gods in the Babylonian pantheon. Construction on the Tower of Babel had begun about 1100 B.C.E., and when Nebuchadnezzar finished it, the tower reached a height of According to a tablet left by the king, the tower was made of "baked brick enameled in brilliant blue." The Hanging Gardens King Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for his wife Amyitis, who missed her homeland. Amyitis, daughter of the king of the Medes, was married to Nebuchadnezzar to create an alliance between the two nations. The land she came from, though, was green, rugged and mountainous. The land of Mesopotamia was flat and dry, she found it depressing. Thus the king made her the Hanging Garden of Babylon. http://www.unmuseum.org/hangg.htm
http://www.mesopotiastuff.blogspot.com/20 05/01/babylons-achievements-in-scienceand.html
Persia By Lewis Nelken One of the greatest leaders of the great Persian Empire was named Cyrus II. Cyrus Had many other titles, including Cyrus the great, The great King, King of Persia, King of Ashan, King of Media, King of Babylon, King of Sumer and Akkad, and King of the Four Corners of the World. He got all these titles from the places he conquered in his life time. Cyrus the Great was born 576 B.C., into a very powerful family, each one with some kind of royal high-ship. Rulers like Achaemenes, Teispes, and his grandfather, Cyrus I. Cyrus had his own children, including Cambyses II of Persia, named after his own father. Cyrus lived a high life. He was a phenomenal leader with many achievements. He conquered many empires, each giving a new title, like Media, Sumer, and Ashan. He was given the throne and its powers at the age of sixteen. The reason for this being that god had called him to action, even before he was born. He captured Media's Astyages in a single blow as one of his first commands, it being one of his greatest achievements. Cyrus ruled in a very special way. For every empire he conquered, he let them have their own semiautonomous ruler, also called a satrap. Satraps were like governors. Satraps ruled their part, and reported directly to Cyrus. He was always fair, polite, and just with the places he conquered, forbidding the destroying of their religious figures and allowing them to be free. Living for 46 years, he died honorably in a battle against Massagetae in the year of 530 B.C., meaning he ruled the greatest empire of Persia ever made for 30 years. The first line of his memorial said, "I am the
king of kings", which could be agreed on by many. He really was one of the greatest kings to grace Earth with his presence. Works Cited: World Series History: The Persian Empire Metmuseum.org Ushistory.org
Sumerian Leaders By There were many great rulers in the Sumer civilization. The Sumerian King List was used as a resource to study the Mesopotamian chronology. There are sixteen of the king list and are all written in the Sumer language. Reading the list of kings is a durable task because some of the copies are witten differently than others. According to the Sumerian King List it says, “After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridu. In Eridu, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28,000 years. Alalgar ruled for 36,000 years.” The two kings (Alulim and Alalgar) both ruled for a total of 64,000 years. According to the article I’ve read, it said, “If this is true, then either that means Alulim is a demigod or he just reigned a really long time…” This mysterious king list shows a lot of different kings that ruled, some for a shot amount of time, and others ruled for an irrational amount of time like Alulim and Alalgar. Since there are sixteen copies of this king list, some are obviously different from others, so we don’t know who the very first king of Sumer civilization was. The life the leaders of Sumer were magnificent. They lived in palaces with spacious courtyards with all of their needs met to them. Meanwhile, other people of lower class lived in tiny houses packed in tangled webs of narrow alley ways. The ruler had very important duties to attend to, to keep the people happy and safe. Some of the leader’s tasks were leading their armies in wars, enforce laws, employ scribes as the
government grew more complex, and in each city-state they were responsible for maintaining the city walls and irrigation systems. From my research, I’ve learned that the leaders also had religious duties as well. The Sumer leaders lived very important lives. These leaders are written down in the Sumerian List of King to inform you on how long they ruled and how they came about to ruling over the Sumer civilization. Many of these leaders are suspected to be demigods from the outrageous amount of years they ruled, but other resources say it was just a coincidence of the time. Citations www.thegillfarm.com/Sumer.html www.livius.org/k/kinglist/sumerian.html http://history-world.org/sumeria.htm http://www.ssnm.com/new_page_110.htm
The Assyrians By Maya McFadden The core region of Assyria was a land on the Tigris River, limited by the mountains in the north and east. The earliest cities of Assyria were Ashur, Nineven, and Urbilum. In modern terms, Assyria is largely the region of Kurdish Iraq: Nineven corresponds with Mosul, Urbilum with Irbil. In ancient times, Assyria bordered Urartu to the north, Elam to the east and Babylonia to the south. The western region was largely, Uninhabited, before Ancient Syria. The first traces of the agriculture in this region were around 6500 BCE. People who originated in the northern Tigris River Valley, in the American Mountains’ later conquered much of Mesopotamia, as well as Phoenicia and Egypt. The Assyrians brought to their people great advances in civilization, including several first; Keys and locks, plumbing and flushed toilets, paved roads, and central government; with territorial governments. The Assyrian Empire lasted from about 1350 BC. To 612
BC, when rival armies destroyed Nineven, the Assyrian capital. Their regions are; northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, southeastern Turkey, and Eastern Syria. At first the gradual growth of Assyria did not directly affect Palestine. Tiglath Pileser 1st (114-1076) pushed Assyrian control to the Mediterranean but not southward into Hebrew territory. However in 853 BC, Ahad of Israel began paying heavy tribute to Assyria as it reflected on the black obelisk of Shalmaneser 111 showing its king Jehu, prostrate before Shalmaneser. The obelisk also lists the booty paid to Assyria Israel existed from then on as more or less a vassal of Assyria. The Assyrians then besieged Jerusalem, but the siege failed according to the Bible and Assyrian records. The Bible and Assyrian olive different versions of the siege and Herodotus has yet another version. In the Bible there are two stories about Campaign. In one, the angel of the land comes in the night while the Assyrians are encamped outside the Jerusalem wall and slays 185,000 men. (2 kings 19:35) In the same narrative, but a few verses earlier (2 kings 18:13-16), Hezekiah agrees to pay a tribute in Sennacherib a kind of bribe to make him go away, but they failed. The Assyrians of today are the decedents of the Assyrian people, one of the earliest civilizations emerging in the Middle East and have a history spanning over 6760 years. Works Cited: www.ania.org/brief.html www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/worl d/assyriansdef.htm www.nineven.com/whoarewe.htm www.loklex.com/e.o/assyria.htm www.joesph_berrigan.tripod.com/ancientba bylon/id2l.html
Where on Earth was Ancient Persia? ByLily Roeller Persia was located in what is now modern Iran. It was known as Persia until the year of 1935 A.D. The old Persians were originally nomadic and were constantly shifting territories, in the search for resources. It is because of this that ethnic can also be found in Central Asia and Iraq. Around the year of 1000 B.C., they began to settle in villages and cities mostly in what would become Persia. Persia was located near the Tigris River and the Persian Gulf. The Tigris River is a whopping 1,850 km long. A stretch of the Tigris River, 44 km, is part of the river that is located in Syria. The remaining 1,418 km of the river are entirely within the Persian borders. Iran as you know it is arid, or semi-arid. Persia was part of the desert, so they had to use engineering to transport water to cities with a technique called irrigation. The Tigris River provided a very reliable source of water for them. The irrigation system supplied the dry land with water which allowed them to grow crops; their main staples being wheat and barley. Resources included limestone, iron ore, salt, wood, and stone. At the time though, Persians usually got their resources through trade or conquests of lands that already had the resources because there was not enough surplus. Their refined goods consisted of cloth and ceramics. The Tigris River also provided a way of transportation. So the Persians could travel up and down the river by boat or raft. Works Cited: Wikipedia.org, www.prayway.com, www.mongabay.com
answers.yahoo.com, wiki.answers.com,
The Location of Babylon By:Brenden Watts The Babylonians were located in Babylon in the country Mesopotamia. It is now located in present day Iraq south of Baghdad, in Asia Minor. Babylon was located between two rivers the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Babylon was founded in 1894 BC by an Amorite dynasty the first king was Hammurabi. Babylonians established in this area because it was located between two rivers that help them with growing crops and the rivers allowed them to travel and they established trade. In Babylon they didn’t have four seasons the climate was usually hot and dry. In spring the Euphrates and Tigris rivers would overflow and flood the banks and towns of Babylon. Due to the flooding of the rivers the Babylonians used the flooding to an advantage by watering their soil and fields and let the weather dry it to grow plants and other raw materials. In Babylonia agriculture formed their economy the land provided many raw materials and raw minerals. The ground is very fertile and produces wild barley, chickpea, and sesame. The marshlands produce an edible root that is equal in nutrition to barley. The land is also rich with dates, apples, and other fruit as well as fish and birds. Because of these crops they started farming and began to produce and reproduce their crops and they began to farm and reproduce their animals like cattle and sheep. Due to their agriculture and production of raw materials it set up great trades for the Babylonians. The location of Babylon helped the people with producing crops and the location allowed the Babylonians to establish a huge center of trade since Babylon was located between the Euphrates River and Tigris River. The rivers also allowed them to travel to other cities. The trading allowed them to get items they
couldn’t produce like furniture and meat. The Babylonians developed an irrigation system to use the river to transport water to their crops. The allowed Trading, farming, and travel to the people.
Assyrian Government Backround Information By:Vanessa Ramirez Like many other early governments, the Assyrian government was formed in order of organization and a good source of an irrigation system. By having a wellorganized core, a strong and skilled army and with their development of power, the Assyrians managed to create a strong well organized army and government. The first Assyrian government was formed in 2371 B.C. Sargon of Akkad rose to power, establishing the first Assyrian kingdom in South Mesopotamia. From his base at Akkad, south of Baghdad, Sargon came to control territories stretching north to Ashur and west to the Mediterranean. Sargon reigned from 2334 BC to 2279 BC, creating an empire that united all of Mesopotamia. During his time in power, Sargon came to gain victory, though it was ensured through many battles. Sargon named himself Sharru-kin ("Rightful King") in support of an accession not achieved in an old-established city through hereditary succession. However, historical records are scarce being that there is a complete gap in information relating to this period. Ashurbanipal proved to be one of the last of the mighty Assyrian kings. Assyrian power had spread itself too thin. Also, the cruelty displayed by the Assyrians had earned them many enemies. Shortly after Ashurbanipal’s death, Nineveh fell. Decline and fall in 612 B.C., a combined army of Medes (meedz), Chaldeans (kal•DEE•uhnz), and others burned and leveled Nineveh. However, because the clay writing tablets in
Nineveh’s library had been baked in a pottery oven, many survived the fire. They had a large, varied and sophisticated train of siege equipment, manned by specially trained troops and engineers that enabled them to capture even heavily fortified and well-defended cities. The Assyrians were also the first to use ferocity and terror as deliberate psychological weapons of war and conquest - many peoples and armies were literally scared into defeat or surrender before battle had even begun. The Assyrian’s decided to forego slavery in favor of allowing indigenous power structures to remain intact (with the exception of heavy taxation). The Assyrian’s allowed for diversity of faith when they conquered another group of people, they simply adopted the conquered peoples' gods into their pantheon. Works Cited: http://www.aina.org/brief.html http://www.allempires.com/empires/assyria/ assyria1.htm http://www.aina.org/aol/peter/timeline.htm
Great Achievements in Persian History By: Gabriele Esposito-Wilcock There were tremendous achievements in Persian history. This includes things like the following; music, art, military, government, mathematics, and other things such as transportation and unity. The Persians developed music throughout their time and inspired Asian music, which it derived from and is quite similar to it. The Persians also developed and made new art techniques throughout their time which now mirror in Asian art. The Persians also created instruments that are prototypes of some of the modern instruments today. The mediums they used were pottery, weaving, and painting. What you can see reflected in their
art is customs and feeling of their culture. What you could also see in the painting were scenes of their culture such as hunting and animals. The achievements in math are that the Persians invented algebra around 850 BC which is a basic from of math we still use today. Algebra was invented to solve and formulate equations for missing values. Without the invention of algebra a lot of the things that exist today would not be possible without algebra. In military the Persians developed the first standard navy in 5th century BC which some countries still use today. The navy was created to go to war because Greek and Egyptian forces had ships, but not an actual navy. In government they developed the first bill of rights which was created in the time of Cyrus the Great which is a basis for the modern world. The acheivemnts in unity were that they had a concept of 'One World' and 'Unification of all people' by having this concept they had a system that was able to cater for all different kinds of people whether it was language, race, religion, or culture. The achievements in transportation include building a canal from the nile to the red sea and had an infrastructure of roads and ports. Works Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_art 11/16/2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid_E mpire#Navy 11/15/2012 http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/pr ofiles/d/darius-i.html http://members.ozemail.com.au/~ancientper sia/intro_bar.html http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/unkempt goose/Persian.html http://www.persianempires.com/persianempire-accomplishments-achievementscontributions.html
Babylonians…. By Jericho Buonome The economy of the Babylonians was based on agriculture. The soil was fertilized by floods. It allowed them to grow surplus crops. Therefore, agriculture products were available for trade. Taxation was not allowed unless the kings promoted trade. Since the Babylonians were situated on the river Euphrates, they could trade with people to the north of them like Syria. They also could trade with the people to the south of them which was the citie of Sumer The Babylonians created refined goods such as ceramic bowls, figurines, and bricks for buildings, which was produced by clay. They found this clay throughout the middleeast. They also used bitumen from underground oil, which was used for construction and other things like water proof boats.
The Location of Persia ByLily Roeller Persia was located in what is now modern Iran. It was known as Persia until the year of 1935 A.D. The old Persians were originally nomadic and were constantly shifting territories, in the search for resources. It is because of this that ethnic can also be found in Central Asia and Iraq. Around the year of 1000 B.C., they began to settle in villages and cities mostly in what would become Persia. Persia was located near the Tigris River and the Persian Gulf. The Tigris River is a whopping 1,850 km long. A stretch of the Tigris River, 44 km, is part of the river that is located in Syria. The remaining 1,418 km of the river are entirely within the Persian borders. Iran as you know it is arid, or semi-arid. Persia was part of the desert, so they had to use engineering to transport water to cities with a technique called irrigation. The Tigris
River provided a very reliable source of water for them. The irrigation system supplied the dry land with water which allowed them to grow crops; their main staples being wheat and barley. Resources included limestone, iron ore, salt, wood, and stone. At the time though, Persians usually got their resources through trade or conquests of lands that already had the resources because there was not enough surplus. Their refined goods consisted of cloth and ceramics. The Tigris River also provided a way of transportation. So the Persians could travel up and down the river by boat or raft.
Persian Economy By: Ayslinn Rafferty The economy started failing sometime soon after 500 B.C. It was caused by the death of a king. Like all other times kings died, in the struggle for power the treasury was sapped and tax rates and inflation soared. This was worsened by the wars that were being lost at the time with Greece. Soon dissatisfaction with the empire ran rampart. This was part of the problems that lead to the conquering of Persia by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. In Ancient Persia, many things were valuable. One of the most valuable items was perfume. In ancient times, there wasn’t even a concept of soap, so everyone stank. People knew flowers and certain types of wood smelt good, so they began to distill the parts of flowers that smelt pleasant and mixing them with oils. This process was very expensive back then, and thus only the very richest classes could afford them. Another very sought after item was gold. Gold was used to make jewelry and good luck charms. Some kinds of food were very expensive also, and reserved for the highest castes. As you can see, the lower classes couldn’t afford many luxuries.
In Ancient Persia, things were not traded, but sold. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, they used coins! This was also the first successful use of coins in all ancient history. King Darius, the one who unified Persia, also made roads connecting cities and creating major trade routes. The longest road was over 1600 miles long, from the city of Susa to Sardis. Darius also caused trading ships to become popular, along with international trade. The economy of Persia was at its best during the year 500 B.C. due to many factors. One large factor was the fact that that was the year that Persia had finished unifying that year, and was beginning to conquer the surrounding area. People were in high spirits, and the king was powerful. Soon after 500 B.C. King Darius died, leading to the weakening of the empire. This however, would not show up for another couple of hundred years. Still, Persian trade and strength in battle stayed strong for almost 50 years after Dariusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. In ancient Persia, the class system was relatively simple. In the highest caste were the King and the Royal family. They had many more privileges than all the other castes, including being the head rule makers. The next caste was the religious leaders. They highly influenced the king, and had much power over the other castes. The third caste was the Aristocracy. They were one of the larger castes, and they controlled business, especially in the market. They owned many farms, and lived on large estates. The fourth caste was the military. The Persian army was formidable, mainly due to the fact it was so large and so well trained. In the military, there were 2 subcastes. These were the 10,000 immortals and then the normal military. The traders were the next caste. They ran the market, and worked for the aristocracy. The craftsmen and artist were the next. They made many of the things that were sold in the market,
which they sold to the traders. Peasants were below the craftsmen. They worked the field alongside slaves for little to no pay. Even lower than the peasants were the slaves. Unlike in Europe, slaves were actually warriors that had been taken prisoner. They worked under harsh rules for the rest of their lives. In Early Persia, there was little to no harvesting. The plateaus they lived on were very infertile, making farming next to impossible. For this reason, they turned to herding animals. When they began to conquer different parts of Mesopotamia, they began to farm the more fertile areas, and along with the winnings, they began to become more self-reliant. Once farming became stronger, they began to harvest many things, like tulips, spinach, rice, wheat, apricots, artichokes, and citrus. These were then sold at the market on market days, which the farm owners kept most of, giving little to the workers. Works Cited: "Persia." Travis' Ancient History . Angelfire, N/A. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. <http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/ unkemptgoose/Persian.html>. Brandon, Cory. "The Persians, The Creators Of Economy." Ancient Civilizations. N.p., 2002. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. <http://techcenter.davidson.k12.nc.u s/fall026/persians.htm>. Library of Congress Country Studies , . "Darius." Ancient History. about.com, Dec. 1987. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. <http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/p ersianempir1/a/persiaintro_3.htm>. Dandamayev , Muhammad A. "ECONOMY IN THE ACHAEMENID IRAN ." The Circle of Ancient Iranian
Studies. 2011. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. <http://www.caissoas.com/CAIS/Law/economy_acha emenid.htm>.
Sumerian Achievements By:Angela Valentin-Ares 6000 years ago, a civilization emerged in Mesopotamia known as the Sumerian civilization. The Sumerians overtook the land around 3500 B.C.E. But their civilization crashed when they were taken over by the Assyrians in 900 B.C.E. In the time they were there, they managed to accomplish the following things: The creation of an irrigation system, a form of writing, the wheel, the system of counting, and stored surplus. The reason for the creation of irrigation systems was to control the flow of the Nile River. They dug canals so that the water could flow to specific locations. Their canals were the world’s first working engineering works. The Nile wasn’t the only river that was flooding their land. The Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers also played a big role. These rivers were the reason the Mesopotamian courses changed often. The Sumerian language is the earliest known written language. From inventories to marriages; they documented everything onto clay tablets using a stylus. Some tablets were found with more than one message on it. The clay tablets were re-used until there was no space left on it. It developed from the pictographs and other symbols used to represent trade goods and livestock on clay tablets. Originally the Sumerians made tokens out of clay to represent all of the symbols. But overtime they realized that they didn’t need the tokens anymore because they could just write on the bare clay itself. Eventually the system died off as the civilization fell to the ground.
The Sumerian civilization invented something that was fairly new to their culture, the wheel. The first wheel was made from clay, rock and mud. The Sumerians used the wheel for war, trading, transportation, farming, and moving heavy loads. But most importantly, they used wheels to pull their chariots in their races. But they didn’t only create the wheel for vehicles; they also created the potter’s wheel. The potter’s wheel spins clay around in a circular motion so they shape into bowls and other items. The Sumerians had about 12 different counting systems. Some systems were used to count objects like animals, while other systems where used to count volume and mass. Each system had a collection of signs that represented different quantities. As time went on, these symbols got replaced with cuneiform symbols. Eventually the systems got too complicated for them to handle, so it died off. As a result of all the things the Sumerians accomplished, they were a very advanced city. Even though they got taken over by the Assyrians, they conquered their territory for a long time. They accomplished many things such as; the irrigation system, a form of writing, the wheel, a system of counting, and stored surplus.
The Babylonian Achievements By: Jailene Rivera Here are some of the achievements of the Babylonians, they made the creation of “Base 60”, “Sexigesimal Systems of Mathematics”, and still used to this day “Sixty Seconds Per Minute”. So the reason the Babylonians achieved these achievements “Sexigesimal Systems Of Mathematics” . Was because of people who did not speak Sumerian language, these people are now called Ubaidians. For the village Al-Ubaid where the remains were first uncovered. Even less is known about their mathematics, of the little that is known the Sumerians of the Mesopotamian valley built homes and temples and decorated them with artistic pottery and mosaics in geometric patterns The Ubaidians were the first civilizing force in the region. They drained marshes for agriculture, developed trade and established industries including weaving , leatherwork , metal work , masonry, and pottery. The people called sumerians who’s language prevailed in the territory . Probably came around from anatolia probably arriving in sumer around about 3300 B.C. Also the reason why they achieved the achievements of “ Sixty Seconds Per Minute” is because they knew they could tell what time it was bye just counting sixty seconds per minute. And also to this day we still use that method and we still count our time that way to. Citations - Wiki.answers.com - Waterencylopedia.com - Crystalink.com - Hubpages.com
Hebrew Achievements by Marielys Rivera When referring to the Hebrews, it wasn’t that they invented physical things but rather
introduced completely new concepts into the world soon as; individual rights, universal free education, workers’ rights, humane treatment of animals, a weekly day of rest and the rights of females in inherit. The writings and traditions of the ancient Hebrews have provided the modern world with insights about the workings of the ancient world in that region we wouldn’t have otherwise. The ancient Hebrew tradition of a deity has certainly influenced events of western history, start to finish by setting an example of killing and destroying anything that’s in the path of what is desired and knowing its orders from god to do it. They achieved religion, ethics, morals, and justice. Basically they gave the world a conscience. They composed the Torah, which laid down a set of ground rules for teaching guidance and instructions for many people and peoples thereafter. They expanded and opened these teachings to find new or deeper meanings within them. The Hebrews established and maintained a monotheistic religion which later gave rise to Christianity and Islam. They maintained the writings which constitute the first books of the bible. The three themes of the biblical prophets are: they enforce and apply the Mosaic Law, prophets emphasize god’s eternal covenant with his people, and the prophets include every nation of the world in god’s plan. Works Cited: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/what_are_3_achi evements_of_the-hebrews http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index? qid=20091216155835AATsNoo http://www.chacha.com/ http://www.chacha.com/question/whataccomplishments-did-the-hebrews-make http://wiki.answers.com/Q/what-did-thehebrews-invent.
Location: The Hebrews
SUMERIANS CONQUER ALL By Tammara Vega Achievements, what were the achievements of the Sumerians? According www.scm.rcs.k12.tn.us/.../documents/Sumer ianAchievements.ppt. Sumerians were responsible for the first writing system known as cuneiform. In fact that’s what Sumerians are commonly known for. Using a tool called a Stylus, they would make wedge shaped symbols on clay tablets. Let’s just say Steve Jobs wasn’t the first inventor of the iPad. Cuneiform was used in trading to keep track of business records. The scribe or writer had the responsibility of recording items traded. Furthermore, scribes could be hired to work for the government or in temples. While cuneiforms original purpose was to record business deals, Sumerians later would discover the joy of writing. Sumerians wrote down stories, poetry, and songs usually about the Gods or war. A long poem about a hero is called epic. -
The epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of the legendary Sumerian king. It was written on stone tablets 2,000 B.C. Sumerians were the 1st group of early people to construct carts and wagons using the wheel. The potter’s wheel used in making clay pots was another invention of the magnificent Sumerians. Other inventions such as the plow were used in planting crops. An early clock that used water to measure time was made by the Sumerians as well. Bronze was used to make stronger weapons and tools. Sumerians even made their own jewelry. As you can see Sumerians achieved a lot over time, the first creators of things we use every day. The iPad , jewelry, and tools. What can you create?
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By Genesis Ayala A Hebrew is a member of an ancient person living in what is now Israel and Palestine. They became a nation in the land of Canaan. This was also known as Israel. Israel is located on the continent of Asia, but Israel is considered a country. Hebrews began in Mesopotamia, in the cities of UR in the south and Horan in the north. Mesopotamia was a rich agricultural are, with two rivers the Tigris and the Euphrates. Hebrews also went to Egypt. They had water and soil carried by the Nile River. The Hebrews also centered on the Palestine. This was the land that they would migrate to out of Egypt. In this land they would set up kingdoms, and empires. The Palestine had a land bridge that armed goods between areas. It was also a highway in which armies would travel. The Hebrews also settled in the central hill country. This land had mountains running down the Jordan River valley. It was dry and rocky. The Hebrews traveled by foot and rode on animals. They lived in Egypt for 430 years (Ex 12:40) and left after 430 years. According to the biblical scholars this was around 1270 B.C.E. They left Canaan because of the drought; they didn’t have any water or food. They went to Egypt because, Egypt’s land is very fertile because of the river that’s close to it is the Nile River. Then they arrived to Mt Sinai. This was where God gave laws to them (Israelites). As you can see the Hebrew were not stationary they did lots of traveling. Written by: Genesis M. Gonzalez Ayala 12/5/12 http://www.ancientgreece.coom http://www.google.com http://www.ancient-history.com
Ancient Hebrew Civilization By:Luis E. Tapia According to Biblical tradition, the Hebrews are peoples descended from Shem, one of Noah's sons, through Eber, the eponymous ancestor, and Abraham. Gen. 7:22 f., reports that the flood destroyed all life except that in Noah's ark; consequently, the whole human family descended from Noah and his sons: Japheth, Ham and Shem. The word Hebrew means “people from the other bank of the river”, that is of the Euphrates, and it may well be that Abraham’s tribe was only one small portion of the many Semites from the Euphrates who drifted into Canaan.
“By the Roman era , Greek Hebraios could refer to the Jews in general, as Strong's Hebrew Dictionary puts it "any of the Jewish Nation"[2] and at other times more specifically to the Jews living in Judea. In Early Christianity, the Greek term Εβραία (feminine) Εβραίες (plural) Εβραί (masculine) refers to Christianizing Jews, as opposed to the gentile Christians and Christian Judaizers (Acts 6:1 among others). Ιουδαία is the province where the temple was located.” http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/geral d_larue/otll/chap8.html http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_ht ml/The_Story_of_the_Greatest_Nations_and _the_Worlds_Famous_Events_Vol_1/ancien th_ja.html http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/
Achievements of the Persian Empire By: Kayla Ewing
The Hanging Gardens The Hanging Gardens are an architectural master piece. Closely resembling a large roof top garden; it’s still considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This garden was massive, stretching fifty-six miles long and reaching three hundred twenty feet high. The garden held an elaborate eco system of exotic plants, trees, fountains, waterfalls, and steams. Built in a pyramid-like shape, whoever was tending to the garden would just water the top and the rest of the water would trickle down watering the rest of the plants. King Nebuchadazzar built this massive garden for his wife. She was terribly homesick and longed for her home in the Zagros Mountains. So his wife would be happier, he had this amazing garden built. This achievement was very significant. The hanging gardens were complex and difficult to make. This garden was massive and was built without advanced technology. It’s amazing how with nothing but simple tools they could create this extravagant garden. They didn’t have electricity and yet they were able to build and maintain this architectural piece.
Science, Medicine, Math Persians were highly advanced in medicine. They were the first people to have a hospital. They would prescribe patients medicine with detailed descriptions of ways to cure whichever illness they have. The head ache is a common illness. The Persians came up with multiple different ways to cure a simple ailment. Without their advances in the medical field doctors and people who were, at the time, considered “qualified” to care for the sick, wouldn’t have had a basis for medicines and cures to many illnesses.
Most people don’t appreciate algebra; especially through the middle and high school years. However without the Persian’s discovery and use of it, many modern day inventions would not be possible. Mathematician Khwarizini “invented” this new kind of math. Persians came up with ideas that we use in modern day. They developed a paper from of money, they had a bill of rights, and they were the first nation to allow religious freedom. These achievements allowed other nations to follow their example. Religious freedom was a very controversial topic at the time. Most nations only allowed people to practice a certain religion. They couldn’t choose which faith to practice; the nations wanted them to believe a certain religion to make sure that the person running the nation stayed in power. Therefore this was a huge advance in history. People had freedoms that were not allowed anywhere else. Persians were also advanced in combat. The Persians were the first people to use chemical warfare against their enemies. They ignited sulfur crystals to produce a poisonous gas. This achievement put them ahead of the people they were battling. Works Cited: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/historyhomework-help/88772-persian-empireachievemnta/ http://heritageinstsitute.com/zoroastrianism/ garden/indexhtm#babylon http://www.iranreview.org/content/documen ts/persia_cardle-of-science_tecnology.htm http://www.persianempires.com/persianemoire-accomplishments-achievemntscontributations.html http://www.ehow.com/about_6640091_histo ry-hanging-gardens.html
Ancient Sumerian Government By: Danae Rivers Until 3000 BCE Kings were only elected for temporary ruling. They were
only needed in times of a crisis ; which in this time period is war. These temporary Kings were probably elected because they where the strong war leaders. Then after 3000 BCE the position of Kings where no longer elected office, they were hereditary. They became hereditary because the leader at the time became to old to rule. Sumer was divided into city-states. Each city-state had its own King & goddess. In the Kingdom of Sumer, the Kings ruled the city-states for the gods. The rulers collected taxes; they kept records of goods, led armies into battle and the organized religious ceremonies to please their gods. Along the way priest and scribes assisted the Kings. The priest collected taxes, designed and supervised the building of irrigation canals, and they decided cases of justice. The scribes measured the Sumer land into square units, decided that people should pay taxes, and the kept records of foreign goods. Due to the development of citystates; Sumer was divided into classes. The highest class included the Kings and priest. The next classes were the less powerful priest, scribes, merchants, and artist. The peasant farmers were the third class, and the lowest class was the slaves. The Sumerians where known for the first set if written laws which were known as the Ur-Nammu. They were written on a recorded writing tablet. In 2400 B.C. those laws became common. The laws were written to protect the weak, poor, widows and orphan; against the rich. One law talks about legal consequences. So if you where a member of the amela (the highest order of class) and you committed a crime; you would get a stiffer penalty than a lower class who committed a similar crime.
Ur-Nammu was the founder and the first king of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur. He was known as a builder of many water canals, and he established many ziggurats. So the code of Ur- Nammu was to divide the society into two classes, free people and slaves. The slave worked as servants and craftsman. Masters owned them; but they were considered free. They were considered free because they can marry whomever, own property and they could contribute evidence in court. The code put in place was also to punish the sexual offences, authorize soldiers’ relationships, & it dealt with bodily harm issues. The years in which Ur- Nammu established these codes were called “ Year Ur-Nammu made justice in the land”. Works Cited: • www.ancientsumer.blogspot.com • www.sarissa.org/sumer/sumer-s.php • www.skirk.com • www.ancientmesopotaniawetpaint.com/ page/government
SUMERIAN LEADERS: WHO WERE THEY? By: Sam Smith The first Sumerian ruler of historical record, Etana, king of Kish, was described in a document written centuries later as the "man who stabilized all the lands." Shortly after his reign ended, a king named Meskiaggasher founded a rival dynasty at Erech (Uruk), far to the south of Kish. Meskiaggasher won control of the region extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Zagros Mountains and was later succeeded by his son Enmerkar. Enmerkar was succeeded by Lugalbanda, one of his military leaders. The exploits and conquests of Enmerkar and Lugalbanda form the subject of a cycle of epic tales constituting the most important source of information on early Sumerian history.
At the end of Lugalbanda’s reign, Enmebaragesi, a king of the Etana dynasty at Kish, became the new leading ruler of Sumer. Enmebaragesi was responsible for the construction at Nippur of the Temple of Enlil, the leading deity of the Sumerian pantheon. Nippur gradually became the spiritual and cultural center of Sumer. Enmebaragesi’s son Agga, the last ruler of the Etana dynasty, was defeated by Mesanepada, king of Ur, who founded the so-called 1st Dynasty of Ur and made Ur the capital of Sumer. Soon after the death of Mesanepada, the city of Erech achieved a position of political prominence under the leadership of Gilgamesh, whose deeds are celebrated in stories and legends. Sometime before the 25th century bc the Sumerian Empire, under the leadership of Lugalanemundu of Adab, was extended from the Zagros to the Taurus mountains and from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. After Lugalanemundu the empire was ruled by Mesilim, king of Kish. Eannatum, one of the rulers of Lagash, succeeded in extending his rule throughout Sumer and some of the neighboring lands. His success, however, was short-lived. The last of his successors, Uruinimgina, who was noteworthy for instituting many social reforms, was defeated by Lugalzagesi, the governor of the neighboring city-state of Umma. Thereafter, for about 20 years, Lugalzagesi was the most powerful ruler in the Middle East. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumerian_King _List How did the Assyrians die out? By:Tai Le The Assyrian Empire weakened when Ashurbanipal died in 627BC. This nation was in several prolonged and brutal series of wars. Ashur-etil-ilani came to the throne in 620 BC after 4 years of bitter fighting with
an Assyrian Sin-shumu-lisher. During this time an Assyrian leader, named Sin-shumulisher, was able to occupy and claim the throne of Babylon. In order to free their people, the Babylonians and Medes joined forces with the Scythians and Cimmerians to the north, attacked Assyria in 616 BC, attacking the city of Kalhu, the ancient Assyrian city located south on the Tigris River. After four years of war and bitter conflict, Nineveh finally fell in 612 BC, after a prolonged siege. Sin-shar-ishkun, one of the last kings of the Assyrian empire, was killed while trying to defend his capital. Despite the loss of its major cities, Assyrian resistance continued. Ashur-uballit II took the throne and occupied a new capital, Harran, and stayed there from 612 BC until 608 BC when he was overrun by the Babylonians and Medes. Egypt came to Assyria trying to help them since they were a former Assyrian colony. Ashur-uballit II failed to recapture 608 BC, some people say that he was killed during this time of battle, and some say that he was not. In 605 BC, the Babylonians and Medes defeated the Egyptians and Assyrians at Rarchemish, bringing an end to Assyria as an independent political entity, in other words they were defeated. Works Cited: http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/fall_of_ assyria.htm http://www.worldology.com/Iraq/assyrian_e mpire.htm https://sites.google.com/a/jeffcoschools.us/r egan-assyrian-empire/fall-of-the-assyrianempire
The Location of Assyria By: Maya McFadden The core region of Assyria was a land on the Tigris River, limited by the mountains in the north and east. The earliest cities of Assyria were Ashur, Nineven, and
Urbilum. In modern terms, Assyria is largely the region of Kurdish Iraq: Nineven corresponds with Mosul, Urbilum with Irbil. In ancient times, Assyria bordered Urartu to the north, Elam to the east and Babylonia to the south. The western region was largely, Uninhabited, before Ancient Syria. The first traces of the agriculture in this region were around 6500 BCE. People who originated in the northern Tigris River Valley, in the American Mountainsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; later conquered much of Mesopotamia, as well as Phoenicia and Egypt. The Assyrians brought to their people great advances in civilization, including several first; Keys and locks, plumbing and flushed toilets, paved roads, and central government; with territorial governments. The Assyrian Empire lasted from about 1350 BC. To 612 BC, when rival armies destroyed Nineven, the Assyrian capital. Their regions are; northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, southeastern Turkey, and Eastern Syria. At first the gradual growth of Assyria did not directly affect Palestine. Tiglath Pileser 1st (114-1076) pushed Assyrian control to the Mediterranean but not southward into Hebrew territory. However in 853 BC, Ahad of Israel began paying heavy tribute to Assyria as it reflected on the black obelisk of Shalmaneser 111 showing its king Jehu, prostrate before Shalmaneser. The obelisk also lists the booty paid to Assyria Israel existed from then on as more or less a vassal of Assyria. The Assyrians then besieged Jerusalem, but the siege failed according to the Bible and Assyrian records. The Bible and Assyrian olive different versions of the siege and Herodotus has yet another version. In the Bible there are two stories about Campaign. In one, the angel of the land comes in the night while the Assyrians are encamped outside the Jerusalem wall and slays 185,000 men. (2 kings 19:35) In the
same narrative, but a few verses earlier (2 kings 18:13-16), Hezekiah agrees to pay a tribute in Sennacherib a kind of bribe to make him go away, but they failed. The Assyrians of today are the decedents of the Assyrian people, one of the earliest civilizations emerging in the Middle East and have a history spanning over 6760 years.
Bibliography: www.ania.org/brief.html www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/worl d/assyriansdef.htm www.nineven.com/whoarewe.htm www.loklex.com/e.o/assyria.htm www.joesph_berrigan.tripod.com/ancientba bylon/id2l.html