Ancient Mesopotamia was located in Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and is the region called "The Fertile Crescent." Ancient Mesopotamia covered a large area of land that is known today as the country's of Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, some of Kuwait, and Syria. The Tigris and Euphrates sometimes had unpredictable seasonal floods, so the farmers built dams, channels, and ditches that brought water to their fields. Farmers were in the middle of Mesopotamia's social classes. Above them were the kings, priests, warriors, and government officials. The lowest class was made up of enslaved people and prisoners of war. The people of Mesopotamia were called Sumerians.
One of the greatest achievements of Mesopotamia was Hammurabi's code of laws. The laws taught people that violence, stealing, and other bad behaviors were unacceptable. They stabilized the society and government. Another accomplishment of Mesopotamia was the invention of Cuneiform, a writing system. The society also had a very important buildings called ziggurats in the middle of every city. It was built to honor the chief God. People would leave food on the doorstep of the ziggurat that they believed the God would enjoy.
In Mesopotamia, all of the people in a society had different jobs. This is called specialization of labor. This let people get better at their jobs and let the economy grow. Some of the jobs people had were scribes, merchants, and potters. The Sumerian's government covered their basic needs, allowing them to focus more on their jobs and become more skilled. The job you had depended on what social class you were in.
One of the greatest achievements of Mesopotamia was Hammurabi's code of laws. The laws taught people that violence, stealing, and other bad behaviors were unacceptable. They stabilized the society and government. Another accomplishment of Mesopotamia was the invention of Cuneiform, a writing system. The society also had a very important buildings called ziggurats in the middle of every city. It was built to honor the chief God. People would leave food on the doorstep of the ziggurat that they believed the God would enjoy.
In Mesopotamia, all of the people in a society had different jobs. This is called specialization of labor. This let people get better at their jobs and let the economy grow. Some of the jobs people had were scribes, merchants, and potters. The Sumerian's government covered their basic needs, allowing them to focus more on their jobs and become more skilled. The job you had depended on what social class you were in.