...way early humans developed their culture and society led to the marked distinctions that define their civilization. Intellectual, cultural and material developments are the driving factors behind the formation of the Mesopotamian civilization. Civilization in the West states that the Mesopotamians had survival in mind when they began forming a civilization ; however, I believe that they envisioned a greater existence in forming a civilization. The Minoan civilization was destined to remain isolated on the island of Crete. In contrast, the Mesopotamians' option of migrating anywhere in the Middle East proves conclusively that they sought a better life for themselves through the formation of a centralized civilization. Mesopotamia is considered the first civilization ever created and it was no accident that it formed. One could say that the people of Mesopotamia came together to fight the powers of Mother Nature. It was obvious that Mother Nature was not on their side, whether it be the thin soil in the north or the lack of rain in the south. Mesopotamians that once settled in scattered towns and villages came together to form small settlements and towns that they used to build irrigation systems. In centralizing their population, they benefited from the additional manpower that was necessary to carry on the irrigation systems that gave them a better day to day life. Organization of an agriculture system was one of the first signs that Mesopotamia formed a civilization. Incorporating...
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...there were more female figurines than male found. In these designs plants and animals were shown as powerful leading to believe these people saw living beings as equally important unlike the previous cultures who worshipped gods. In the large city Harappa there is evidence of public baths and larger homes with rare silver and gold ornaments, which researchers believe was evidence of a class system or elites with more resources available to them however unlike all previous cultures before there is no evidence of a king. one of the material evidence of how this society lived is the big basin...
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...Michael Yost B. Berry History 140 07 Nov 2004 Egypt and Mesopotamia; the comparison and contrast of the ancient societies As we take a look at the Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies, there are several similarities. Although, each of the societies had some differences within them, they both borrowed technologies from other societies and were successful during their period in history. Evolving from the Paleolithic times where the people were in small tribes, they lived in whatever shelter that was found. There became a transition to a more stable style of living, known as the Neolithic time or New Stone age. It was a period of history where agriculture started to take hold. Both Egypt and Mesopotamia began to farm the land and settle into an area. Neolithic people began to settle around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; as well as, the Nile River roughly 8,000 B.C. River water provided the necessary irrigation needed to grow crops and a fertile land for farming. These people started to develop science of agriculture. By using agriculture, the Neolithic people move away from the traditional life as a nomad. These people were not always on the move to hunt or gather the food needed to survive. This was the first time for people to enjoy the benefits of not moving around all the time and to develop a large society in one area. Around 4000 B.C., the Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures began to develop and flourish. With large groups of people within one area, they...
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...Kelly 1 Kwanesha Kelly Emily Bailey HUM 2211-CRN 20606 7/7/14 Influences of Mesopotamia The land between the two rivers known as, “Mesopotamia" contained many civilizations that were successful and on the other hand, not so well. Around 3500 B.C.E the first of Mesopotamia's civilization, "Sumer" rose and had quite many contributions and advancements that would affect the modern world today. Mesopotamia had many first creations that we now use today such as wheeled vehicles, plows, potter's wheel, the mathematic system, and an advanced writing system. Another aspect of influence were the rulers of Mesopotamia and its governing system. Also how the social order was set up which contributed of how the modern day government handles situation. The last influence that I believe to be heavily pressured is Mesopotamia's religion, which is the oldest religion recorded. All in all, many of these contributions of Mesopotamia made the world of what it is today. Mesopotamia had a variety of inventions that were created such as, "wheeled vehicles". The earliest form of wheels were placed underneath heavy objects to get to places in a quicker way. This was the beginning of vehicles which we use today and are much more advanced. Clay, being the most abundant material during this time set off many creations of sculpture. Kelly 2 Sumer being the first culture to use art, were also capable of using pottery wheels. This is beneficial by being able to have the skills to create cups...
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... 3 Identification and examination of angle being used 4 Case Analysis (Application of negotiating skills concepts) 5 Conclusion 10 Bibliography 12 Executive Summary The organisation structure determines the manner and extent to which roles, power and responsibilities are delegated, controlled and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management. "Cultural Implications" is the connection that culture has on organisation. Implications are essentially consequences from a particular event at a cultural level.. Culture influences the structures as well as the behaviour of the different stakeholders. The understanding of the cultural context from which an employee or customer originates is imperative to the overall success of any business. This has created an extensive increase in demand for training and understanding, particularly within the area of decision making. Mesopotamia Brewery ltd initially seeks to facilitate training within the context of “Industrialisation by Invitation” i.e. the contractual agreement with the expatriate brewers to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills. However, very little is mentioned about training at the managerial level. The issues evolving from this case shows serious managerial pitfalls throughout. Analysing this case within the context of “cultural implications” seek to address the cultural variables found in the organisation...
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...Brandon Gordon Professor J. Gonzales HIST 100 21 February 2014 The Factors Enabling Civilization to First Appear in Mesopotamia History shows us that Mesopotamia had many key factors that played a significant role in allowing the first civilization to develop there. Despite the word being highly debated by subject matter experts worldwide, most would agree that “a civilization is a culture capable of sustaining a great number of specialists to furnish the economic, social, political and religious needs of a large social unit” (Edgar, Hackett, Jewsbury, Molony, Gordon 10). From the beginning to the end, key advancements have set it apart and made it a widely studied world area. Due to Mesopotamia’s geographical advantages in farming capability and advancement in technology, language and laws, it sustained long enough and in a matter to be regarded as the world’s first civilization. After the Neolithic period and Agricultural revolution, people migrated southeast from the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. These people, mostly farmers, settled on the plain between where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers almost connect and modern day Iraq is. The name Mesopotamia is Greek meaning “between the rivers”. Rainfall was inadequate for farming however and these new settlers, out of necessity, developed irrigation techniques that would then allow the rivers to help water their planted crops. This required much teamwork and cooperation from these people though in order to use...
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...The Significance of Agriculture in Early Human Civilization Over the course of human evolution, there has been no greater single development with as profound and far reaching effects as that of the development of agriculture. Sustainable agriculture drove human civilization from a hunter-gatherer society to the settled and centralized society we know today. The advent of modern agriculture techniques enabled early man to settle in one area and develop their own food and raw material needed for survival and sustainment. Such developments eliminated the need for small bands of hunters and gatherers to forage for food. Hunter-gatherer societies were constantly on the move in search for food and shelter. Constant movement and migration precluded any significant societal and technological development and made population expansion all but impossible. The sedentary lifestyle and social structures we know today would be impossible without the development of efficient cultivation techniques. For early humans, almost all time and energy was devoted to gathering plants for food and hunting animals. Once agriculture became the primary method for cultivating food, societies and governments began to form and the modern notion of the nation state (or city state in some cases) began. The development of agriculture also had a heavy hand in influencing early religions. Religion would go on to become one of the most dominant forces throughout human history; influencing everything from...
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...advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions, record keeping and improved technology. (Text book. p.30) Much like the American form of government, the Sumerians built several city states, where the people had many things in common such as culture. These city – states...
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...Pyramids and ziggurats both provide archeologists with a great deal of information about the ancient cultures that constructed them. When comparing The Great Pyramids of Egypt with The Ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the differences between them are more apparent than the similarities that they share. The two structures actually only appear to be similar. Both have the general form of a pyramid. Some other similarities shared by these two types of structures can be interpreted from the context of the religions of those who had them erected and what role they served for the society. Among the differences are their intended usage, how they were decorated, their designs, and the materials used in their construction. In order to clearly describe how different these two structures are, I have summarized some information about their designs and the materials used to build them. Contrasts in the decorations of the two types of structures are then discussed. The intended uses of these structures then introduces some similarities in relation to the religious symbolism of the structures. Considered to be among the greatest wonders of the known world, The Pyramids of Egypt were built with exacting precision from granite blocks. The pyramids of the early dynasties were of a more stepped pyramid form, similar in appearance to the ziggurats of Mesopotamia. Advancements in available technologies and construction techniques in the later dynasties of ancient Egypt allowed for pyramids to be constructed...
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...A. Justify your choice of the two most significant environmental/geographic factors that contributed to the development or expansion of the United States. I am choosing the Gold Rush and the Dust Bowl as my two significant factors that have contributed to the development or expansion of the US. The Dust Bowl. In the middle of the 19th century many people were traveling across the US looking for land to farm and make homes on. When they reach the Midwest they thought they had found paradise. The grass was tall and rich all the way from Canada to Texas. Men started to clear the land and started planting crops of wheat. The most ideal was the Southern Plains. The only down side was once the trees and grass was removed the top soil had nothing to hold it into place. The water from the ground that would have gone to the roots of the trees and grass flowed into nearby water ways, such as creeks and rivers. The southern plains were the place to be in the 1930’s. They grew wheat which the government was paying top dollar for because of World War I. The wheat and corn was used to help feed the soldiers and other countries as well as many Americans. In the summer of 1931 a great drought hit the southern plains, turning the once fertile ground into dry brittle dirt. But the lack of water was not the only reason the ground was so dry. The farming practices at that time were depleting the soil of all the nutrients needed to help crops grow. The drought did not stop...
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...Task 1: Geography Kayla Woerdeman Part A The Tigris and Euphrates River system was a significant physical geographic factor that contributed to the development of Mesopotamia. The fertile lands and water supply from the rivers permitted the development of many cities along the rivers. For example, the land was very fertile from the water supply, so inhabitants of the river occupied areas in groups (creating cities) and were able to plant and harvest crops. The crops included “barley, emmer (a kind of wheat), beans, olives, grapes, and flax” (Hollar, 2011). The waters were also used for travel, communication, and trade. Goods could be transported down the rivers by the use of boats, which allowed for trade and commerce. According to Hollar (2011), settlers in the plain created a civilization by tilling the fertile soil to plant crops, building their own houses, and creating irrigation systems, draining canals, dikes, and ditches to keep the land from flooding. The irrigations systems that were created allowed cities to successfully develop, thrive, and prosper along the banks of the rivers. Part B The creation of the chariot is an example of diffusion between civilizations. Plubins (2013) claims “the invention of the chariot in the steppe [Mesopotamia]—perhaps originally meant as an improved tool for...
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...first civilization and founder of the many methods and ideas we hold today, now lay in ruins under the desert sands of present day Iraq. Mesopotamia is home to the invention of writing, our twelve month lunar based calendar, the wheel, the division of minutes to seconds, and the opening of the first routes to import and export trade. The Sumerians of Mesopotamia were enveloped by environmental conditions that constantly tested their skills and intellect for survival. This need for survival served as the basis that called forth the invention of methods and ideas that overtime increased and spiraled into the creation of a higher human society. Nature threatened the Sumerians with the very essentials needed to help sustain life. They were shadowed by the constant challenge of floods, droughts, winds, and heat. Faced with these hardships, they took the sources that made them vulnerable and invented ingenious methods and strategies to overcome their complex situation. The construction of canals, reservoirs, dams, and the wheel made it possible to control and deviate the rivers into selected areas. In result, such things as wheat and millet became abundant and a stable food supply was soon possible. Prosperity increased and groups began to colonize along the rivers and the population grew, gradually expanding their habitable land. Mesopotamia is a Greek word meaning 'between the rivers'. The rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates which flow through modern day Iraq. Thousands of years...
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...northwestern portion of India. This civilization has been dated c. 2600-1900 BCE but was not discovered by historians until the 1860s. The textbook depicts Mohenjo-daro, which is in Pakistan, with an aerial shot which was excavated in the 1920s with little to no attention until Sir John Marshall focused on this city as well as a second city, Harappa. The culture has now been compared to that of Mesopotamia and Egypt with numerous structures and subsidiary structures that have been seen to be organized politically and socially. The Great Bath is also seen on page 20 of the textbook which was found during the excavation of Mohenjo-daro with an extremely complex drainage system that is believed to be used by wealthier citizens for bathing. As most major cities in ancient civilizations, the region fed off a major river, the Indus River, which made the soil fertile and allowed the people to trade with nearby Mesopotamia. One of the strangest aspects of the city of Mohenjo-daro is the lack of a temple or monument that gives the city a clear center controlling person or government. The city was filled with rich materials and artifacts such as ivory, lapis, gold, and pottery. Many of the structures were made from baked-brick which also surrounded the Great Bath. The city was one of the largest in the Indus Civilization with approximately 250 acres. The most common belief is that this city and region ended with the changing of the Indus River to a different direction which limited...
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...alcohol vary around the world from adoration to proscription of drink, but there are few cultures [1]that completely ignore alcohol (Mandelbaum 1965: 281). Distillation of hard spirits happened only in recent times and for much of human history, wine and beer[2] were the only alcoholic beverages available for common consumption (if a bar or tavern was present in a particular culture). Archeological evidence shows that while during the last 10,000 years alcohol consumption was common, it was also uniquely culturally contextual. Dutch archeologist Marijke Van der Veen claims that “[studying] the production, preparation, consumption, and disposal can help identify the social context of food” (Van der Veen 2006: 407). A more traditional archeological approach focuses less on the production of food due to its “transient nature”.[3] Ethnographic research can provide more information about consumption practices as can historic sources, but we need more information from actual artifacts found at sites around the world. With artifacts, we can provide a more conclusive picture of how different cultures produced, consumed, valued or tabooed, alcohol. Analysis of residues on ceramics provides valuable knowledge about food production practices and trade. However, it is important not to neglect other links in the chain of human food and drink use, most notably consumption itself, the facet of culture we know the least about. ALCOHOL IN PREHISTORIC SOCIETIES: There is...
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...the Old Testament. His synopsis of comparative Old Testament studies begins with the resurgence of Egyptian and Mesopotamian archaeological studies during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.[1] He then moves on to discuss the impact of Friedrich Delitzsch’s lectures concerning how the writers of the Old Testament borrowed from extrabiblical sources set the stage for many secular ideologies removing the special revelation aspect from the Bible. This allowed two things to take place. First, it brought out the comparative study of the Bible into a critical realm; and second, it made Assyriology, Egyptology, and Hittitology serious academic disciplines which have greatly enhanced modern man’s understanding of these ancient cultures. While Walton discusses several forms of Old Testament study, his opinion favors comparative studies. He starts with explaining the reasoning for sound methodological comparative study and moves on to answer the “why” it should be performed over other studies. In his view, it expands the student’s understanding of four culturally significant areas: language and literature, literary genre, religious practice, and theology. His conclusion provides ten specific principles which, in his opinion are the foundational matters of comparative studies. He ends this chapter with four goals for each student in order to have a cognitive foundation for understanding the conceptual world...
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