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Eight Features of Civilization (Mesopotamia) - Coggle Diagram
Eight Features of Civilization (Mesopotamia)
Central Government
Earliest governments were controlled by priests. Farmers believed that the success of their crops depended on the blessings of the gods, and priests were messengers of the gods.
Not only is the ziggurat a place of worship, it also acted like a city hall. From the ziggurat, the priests managed the irrigation system, and collected crops as taxes from the farmers.
At a time of war, the people of a city would elect a strong fighter to command the city's soldiers. But when war started being more frequent, Sumerians eventually gave commanders permanent control over the city.
Record Keeping
Job/Labor Specialization
The vast majority if Sumerians were farmers who worked in the fields all day to cultivate crops. There were also slaves. You could work as a merchant farmer or artisan.
Historians believe that Sumerians were the ones to invent the wheel, the sail, and the plow. They were also one of the first civilizations to use bronze.
Cities
Sumerians built cities by 3000 B.C., each surrounded by fields of wheat and barley.
Cities had similar cultures, but each had developed their own governments with their own rulers, forming city states.
Examples of city states are Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma, and Ur.
Complex Religion
Sumerian had a polytheistic religion, which means that they believed in many gods. They believed that the gods controlled the forces of nature.
Sumerians believed that their gods did many things that humans do as well, like falling in love and having children. They also believed that their gods were immortal and all-powerful, and they thought that humans were just servants to the gods.
Sumerians believed that their gods could destroy their civilization at any time they wanted, so to keep the god happy, they built ziggurats to worship the gods and offer them sacrifices. Sumerians believed that when you died, your soul went to the point of no return.
Public Works
Social Classes
The social hierarchy goes from king, then landholders, then priests, then wealthy merchants, then farmers/workers, and finally slaves.
Art & Architecture
