Baked bricks were used for constructing buildings. It also led to the emergence of struggle or clashes between them. by Tim Sexton. They were groomed to become scholars who were responsible for building upon the past achievements of their predecessors. Where is Nimrod? (iv) How many texts were in Ashurbanipals library? Besides these four deities, each town had its own deity who was considered to be the protector of the respective town. These were: Question 8. (ii) What do you know about Abu Salabikh? Here in Uruk the war prisoner had to do compulsory labour either for the ruler or for construction of temple. Only a tablet of wet clay was useful to write on since dry clay would break into pieces. Answer: started developing as people could write on moist tablets with a sharp obliquely cut reed. Class 11 History NCERT Solutions for Chapter 2 2023 Gilgamesh accepted this challenge and jumped into the sea to bring the said plant. The writing tradition of Mesopotamia helped bridge city life and trade as most transactions in urban Mesopotamia were recorded on clay tablets by hard-working and intelligent scribes. Moreover, few archaeologists have the funds to employ large teams of excavators. Cuneiform is a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia c. 3500-3000 BCE. Hammurabi had issued a special order to construct cities according to a definite plan. Unacademy is Indias largest online learning platform. Question 18. Answer: This city was also made the capital of his empire by another ruler Asur-Narispal in 880 BCE. Seals were used by merchants to send their goods from one place to another. He did know trade, and had to depend on trades or other people who rendered this services to him. Answer: Thus, the wedge shaped symbols which represent the syllable and sound of a word is called cuneiform. Under Asvrian rulers Sennacharets, Nineveh made tremendous progress. The people of this class were served by several men and women slaves. Which was the earliest language known to Mesopotamian? They also sacrificed ox, sheep, goat, etc. Why were mobile animal herders not necessarily a threat to town life? These were: (iii) The Warka Head sculpture is world famous because it was admired for its delicate modelling of womans mouth, chin and cheeks. Devdasi system was also prevalent in society but was not considered inimical to healthy social value. PDF writing in early mesopotamia project - University of Chicago It is believed that the written language was evoked by temple priests, who were assigned to look after temples independently by the king. To secure the peace of Nineveh, he constructed the wall around the city. The people living here were agriculturists and pastoralists. Despite this he did his best to become immortal. When rolled on a letter written on a clay tablet, it became a mark of authenticity. Mesopotamia is situated between the land of two rivers, i.e. Mesopotamia: The Development of Written Language. So they began to paint the items donated to the temples on clay tablet. Question 2. This area increased to about 400 hectares. : Religion was an important part of their life and people worshiped many gods and goddesses. Write in brief about the importance of southern and north-east regions of Mesopotamia. He got many canals constructed which provided water for irrigation. It was Akkad ruler, Sargon, who ruled from 2370 to 2315 BCE. Explain in detail. Question 1. Because they found the teeth of very young pigs on the streets, archaeologists concluded that pigs must have roamed freely here as in any other Mesopotamian town. Excavation was carried out on a large scale during 1920s and 1930s, under the supervision of Sir Leonard Woollsey. They believed that the first door that did not open towards another house was good and praiseworthy. This followed writing hundreds of syllables as the cuneiform writing did not include single consonants or vowels to simplify writing. Grades 9 - 12+ encyclopedic entry domestication Date-palm provided fruit in summer. Thus he began his search to attain immortality, but no one could ever become immortal. None of this would be possible without an organized, consistent system of math, which was organized around a base 60 system, similar to our mathematical system of base 10. There was no paper to write on, and Mesopotamians used clay as a medium. The Mesopotamians developed a writing system known today as cuneiform. Answer: It flows almost through the entire region of Mesopotamia. Nimrod was a famous town in Mesopotamia. It considers early Mesopotamian royal inscriptions and year-names from the Sargonic 'empire' (2334-2113) and the Third Dynasty of Ur (2112-2004). It was first excavated by British excavator J.E. Or Mesopotamian inventions include many items taken for granted today, most of which were created during the Early Dynastic Period (2900-2334 BCE) or developed from achievements of the Uruk Period (4100-2900 BCE). Fish was also available in plenty. It is evident from the fact that until the end of the first millennium BCE, cylindrical stone seals were prevalent in society. Efficient transport network, trade, crafts, services, etc. It was a well-known commercial centre and a port was destroyed by Elemites around 2200 BCE. The people who were engaged in compulsory labor were paid grains in lieu of their services. This epic is about the achievements of Gilgamesh. Moreover, a tablet could not be written on after it dried. It also led to clashes between them. 17 Jul 2023. He sent his scribes south to find old tablets. It was 3000 BCE old. What did Mesopotamian tablets contain? published on 07 February 2017. This followed writing hundreds of syllables as the cuneiform writing did not include single consonants or vowels to simplify writing. The Sumerians and Mesopotamia (article) (i) Where was the womans head sculpture discovered? The writing tradition of Mesopotamia started developing as people could write on moist tablets with a sharp obliquely cut reed. Irrespective of the fact that there had originated a script in Mesopotamia, still the rate of literacy was very low. Video. Name some famous temples constructed by the people of early cities. Along with this courtyard rooms were constructed. Answer: This town was first excavated by Herry Austen Layard in 1845. Now, it became easier to remember the things. The system of writing on moist clay was extremely complex and painstaking. This website claims no authorship of this content; we are republishing it for educational purposes. J.E. The writing tradition of Mesopotamia contributed significantly to the. The dead bodies of the upper class people were buried along with precious items such as gold vessels, oyster shell, lapis lazuli, etc. Question 1: Why do we say that it was not natural fertility and high levels of food production that were the causes of early urbanisation? Why were there often clashes between the animal herders and farmers of Mari? The uses of writing in Mesopotamia enabled people to live in cities and facilitated day-to-day transactions. Answers: The common people were engaged in the extraction of stones, making mud-bricks, etc. The Cuneiform Writing System in Ancient Mesopotamia: Emergence and He took keen interest in the development of literature and established a massive library in the temple of Nabu at Nineveh. (c) the lack of metal and stone Answer: Class 11 History Notes Chapter 2 Writing and City Life (iii) The presence of pig bones along with burial indicates that the dead person must have been given some pork for his nourishment. Many minor kings from north Syria came to see it, carrying with him a letter of introduction from royal friends of the king of Mari. These religious beliefs and practices form a single stream of tradition. while the lower class consisted of peasants, laborers and slaves. The scribe had to learn a huge gamut of the wedge-like symbols. The Development of writing in Mesopotamia Get all the important information related to the UPSC Civil Services Exam including the process of application, important calendar dates, eligibility criteria, exam centers etc. Mesopotamian southern region is desert, but the rivers Euphrates and Tigris support the city life here. A myriad of tablets had to be used for writing a large number of transactions. 1. In the iron age, the Assyrians of the north created an empire, at its height between 720 and 610 BCE, that stretched as far west as Egypt. The Legacy of Writing. It is situated between two world-famous rivers; Euphrates and Tigris. The Development Of Writing. Once they were done, they would let the clay harden and they had a permanent record. People belonging to upper classes led a life full of comforts and luxury and enjoyed special privileges. Debt traped persons (Persons who were not able to pay back their loan). Question 9. Archaeological discoveries also depict that Europeans had a keen interest in this region. Temples served as center of imparting education, where the priests used to serve as teachers. What do you know about ancient Mesopotamian town Kish? the Bible, the flood was meant to destroy all forms of life on the earth. Uruk was the earliest temple town of Egypt. This city was founded by Mesapnanda about 2670 BCE. Discuss the essential values of Mesopotamians town planning. In this region, animal herders reside who provides better livelihood than agriculture. Take the small town at Abu Salabikh, about 10 hectares in area in 2500 BCE with a population less than 10,000. The History of Writing; Tracing the Development of expressing Language What do you know about Gilgamesh? Question 32. The excavation work here was carried out by French archaeologist, between 1912 to 1914 CE. Question 33. These types of cities came into prominence in Mesopotamian civilization. (b) Who helped Ashurbanipal to collect huge tablets of different literary texts and how? Answer: This palace was the hub of administration and a centre of production of beautiful ornaments. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Explain with an example. Answer: Question 10. He writes that the God of Ur came to him in a dream and ordered him to appoint a priestess to take charge of the cult in that ancient town in the deep south. At that time, it covered an area of more than 850 hectares. The Mesopotamian script was pictographic. Name any two French archaeologists who carried art excavation at Lagish. Who built a beautiful palace at Mari? Which type of family system was prevalent in Mesopotamian society? He also constructed here the temple of a well-known goddess Inanna. Or What was it called? They wore expensive clothes and used to eat sumptuous foods. Answer: Answer: Answers: Justify this statement in context to Mesopotamia. Writing is vital for the development of urban life, which involves a variety of transactions, important communications, and records. On the map given below mark and locate the following Hall carried out excavation work at Ur. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Answers: The transfer of such valuable knowledge would never have been possible in the absence of the. A nuclear family system was prevalent in Mesopotamian society. In this way, the pictographic script came into prominence. Question 14. The scribe had to learn a huge gamut of the wedge-like symbols. In animation, this video describes the development of cuneiform script, the importance of documenting, the occupation of scribes and a brief description of a few myths (including the Epic of Gilgamesh), all pertinent to Sumerian culture in Mesopotamia. Who founded Nimrod? Mesopotamia boasted of an impressive tradition of schooling. The. He constructed many beautiful temples and buildings. This town reached its zenith of prosperity during the period from 2800 to 2300 BCE. Class 11 History Notes Chapter 2 Writing and City Life A great civilization flourished in Mesopotamia around 5000 BCE. The video and its description text are provided by Youtube. Class 11 History Chapter 2 Very Short Answer Type Questions. The people offered grains, curd, dates, etc. MODULE-I Mesopotamia and its Geography A great civilization flourished in Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C.E. Which type of cities came into prominence in Mesopotamian civilization? They both performed several commendable works and decided to kill a demon of Elam known as Humbaba. Ur was re-established under Ur-Nammu in 2100 BCE. Mesopotamian Education and Schools - History Question 1. When and where Mesopotamian script was discovered? The main temples constructed by the people of early cities were the following. There was also well adequate provision for roads in towns. Answer: The first woman ruler of the Kish was Ku-baba, who ascended the throne, in 2450 BCE. Sexton, Tim. Mesopotamians kept records of solar and lunar eclipses. Answer: The invention of writing methods by Mesopotamians involved a cuneiform system of writing symbols that could represent syllables and words. A few houses that were discovered were excavated. Mesopotamia and its Geography 2. Because of the complexity of language and the intricacies of writing on wet tablets by remembering a huge assortment of wedge-like symbols, literacy was very low in Mesopotamia. This chapter discusses the development of historical writing in early Mesopotamia. Why was literacy rate so slow in Mesopotamia? The inscribed sign describes the authenticity of the seal. The shepherds (animal herders) used to invade the inhabitants of the villages by farming communities and indulged into lost and plunder. Jun 10, 2021 1h 7m 23 views. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Theme 2. Writing and City Life (Ancient Mesopotamia) (Lesson Notes) The Sumerians were characteristically inventive, and are likely to have been responsible for the development of the first writing. Geographical diversity existed in Iraq. Hence, the land lying or situated between two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates) is called Mesopotamia. Answer: Question 11. History of Mesopotamia | Definition, Civilization, Summary, Agriculture There Ziggurates, a temple and extensive palaces were excavated here by archaeologists. It was founded in 2670 BCE. He observed the clothing and the jewelry that was depicted. In this Course, Anjali Yadav will explain the development of writing in Mesopotamia.