Ancient Mesopotamia

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 Ancient Mesopotamia Facts

Mesopotamia is a name for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river

system, corresponding to modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, the
northeastern section of Syria, and to a much lesser extent
southeastern Turkey and smaller parts of southwestern Iran.
GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

❖ Most of Ancient Mesopotamia was located in what today is the

country of Iraq. Mesopotamia was known as the land between
two rivers. The Tigris River ran along the north and the
Euphrates River ran along the south. These rivers flow into the
Persian Gulf. The area is also known as “The Fertile Crescent”.
Mesopotamia was approximately 300 miles long and 150 miles
wide.
❖ The land of Ancient Mesopotamia experienced many floods, but
today the area is mostly desert. The flooding was a challenge to
the farmers. They had to learn to control and work with it.
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Ancient Mesopotamia Facts
❖ The invention of irrigation was extremely important, because it
allowed the people to plant during the hot, dry season. The
fertile land produced crops such as many fruits, vegetables,
flax, barley, wheat, and sesame. Sheep, cattle, goats, and pigs
were being raised by the farmers. The seeder plow, invented by
the Mesopotamians, was a major achievement. It allowed
farmers to plow their land and seed it at the same time.
❖ Ancient Mesopotamia is where the world’s first cities appeared
between 4000 – 3500 BC. Before this time, most people lived
on farms in the country. City life allowed the people to work
together for the common good. It is believed an ancient site,
called Eridu, was the first city that was ever created.

WAY OF LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS

❖ Ancient Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization,

because the people of this culture developed many things such
as government, written language, religion, agriculture, and cities.
The Ancient Mesopotamians developed sanitation techniques,
the Pythagorean theorem, and glass.
❖ They revolutionized transportation around 3500 BC by inventing
the wheel and were among the first to harness the wind as an
energy source by using the sail.
❖ The Sumerians of Ancient Mesopotamia are credited with
inventing the earliest form of writing. The writings on tablets were
of simple pictures, or pictograms, which represented an object or
an idea.

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Ancient Mesopotamia Facts
❖ Clay was a difficult material to draw on, so the Mesopotamians
eventually reduced pictograms into a series of wedge-shaped
signs that they pressed into clay with a stylus. This
wedge-shaped writing is called cuneiform. This invention of
writing was a huge advancement, because it allowed
information to be carried from place to place accurately.
❖ The Ancient Mesopotamians developed the arch and column.
They were masters of construction using bricks made of mud.
Brick-making was a major Mesopotamian industry, especially in
the south, where wood was in short supply and there was no
stone. Over the centuries, rains and shifting sands destroyed
much of southern Mesopotamia’s mud-brick architecture. Only
crumbled mounds remain as evidence of the great cities that
once stood in the deserts of southern Iraq.
❖ The Ancient Mesopotamians worshipped hundreds of gods.
Ordinary people depended on a relationship with their own
personal god – like a guardian angel – who protected them and
talked to the other gods on their behalf. Every city had its own
god or goddess. There were also gods that were connected to
different professions. The major gods were:
➢ Anu was the father of the gods and the god of the sky
➢ Enlil was the god of the air
➢ 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

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Ancient Mesopotamia Facts
❖ The Mesopotamian woman’s role was strictly defined. Most
girls were trained from childhood for the traditional roles of wife,
mother, and housekeeper. They learned how to grind grain,
how to cook and make beverages, especially beer, and how to
spin and weave cloth for clothing. At around twelve years of
age, a young girl was considered ready for marriage.
❖ During the earliest years of recorded history, the Ancient
Mesopotamians were experimenting with ways to count,
measure, and solve mathematical problems. They were the first
to give a number a place value and to recognize the concept of
zero. The ancient Mesopotamians did not use money, so they
developed a system of weights to buy and sell things. They
used barley as a measure. Other standard units of weight were
the shekel, the mina, and the talent or load. Eventually, silver
replaced barley as the medium of exchange.
❖ The Ancient Mesopotamians discovered that by observing the
movements of the moon, sun, and stars, they could measure
time, which was important for planting crops and for holding
religious festivals.

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Name: ________________________________

The Fertile Crescent

The fertile crescent located West of Asia was the
home of the earliest civilizations in history. It was
known as the cradle of civilization due to
advancements and innovations which emerged
from here.

Do the tasks at hand regarding the Fertile Crescent. Use available

resources online as necessary.

TASK 1
In your opinion, how
significant was the
location to the
emersion of such
civilization?
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Identify the countries which are part of the fertile crescent.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM

 The Fertile Crescent
ANSWER KEY

Do the tasks at hand regarding the Fertile Crescent. Use available

resources online as necessary.

TASK 1
In your opinion, how
significant was the
location to the
emersion of such
civilization?
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Identify the countries which are part of the fertile crescent.

EGYPT JORDAN LEBANON ISRAEL SYRIA

TURKEY IRAN IRAQ PALESTINE CYPRUS

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA WORKSHEETS KIDSKONNECT.COM
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