Ancient Mesopotamia: Slavery and Economy

Slavery in Mesopotamia

• Slaves were used to repay debts and were employed in households for maintaining and managing estates.
• They were also used for tutoring the children of their masters.
• Some slaves were engaged in other activities like accounting, arts, and crafts if their masters believed they had the talent.

Occupation and Agriculture

• The people of Mesopotamia were primarily engaged in agriculture.
• They developed an excellent system of irrigation to ensure a continuous supply of water.
• Reservoirs were built to control floods from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
• They used cattle to draw the plough and wheeled carts.
• They cultivated wheat, barley, fruits, and pulses.
• They also domesticated animals like cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys.

Eco-Friendliness of Occupations

• The occupations of the people of Mesopotamia were largely eco-friendly, relying on natural resources and traditional farming practices.

Arts and Crafts

• The people of Mesopotamia were skilled in art and craft, as evident from the vast collection of metal objects found from the royal burial ground at Ur.
• They acquired specialized skills in pottery-making, weaving, and metal work.
• They were skilled in bleaching, dyeing, preparation of paints, cosmetics, and perfumes.
• The discovery of seals, metal objects, gold and silver ornaments, statues, and pottery are all reminders of the Mesopotamian expertise in art and craft.

Trade and Commerce

• Trade and commerce flourished in Mesopotamia, making it a prosperous civilization.
• The chief exports were food grains and finished products.
• The chief imports were stone, timber, and metal ores.
• They traded with the Mediterranean countries and Egypt.
• They had trade relations with the Indus Valley Civilization, as evidence of Mesopotamian seals had been uncovered at some Indus Valley sites.
• They invented coins, weights, and measures to encourage trade and commerce.
• They were also the first people in the world to issue receipts and bills in business transactions.

Architecture and Technology

• The Mesopotamians introduced the use of arches, columns, and domes in their constructions.
• The Ziggurats and the Hanging Gardens represent the best example of Mesopotamian architecture.
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world and were built by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife.
• A ziggurat is a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia.
• Reservoirs were large natural or artificial lakes used as a source of water supply.

themselves into slavery to repay a debt, were kept in households for maintaining and managing estates and for tutoring the children of their masters. Sometimes, slaves were engaged in other activities like accounting or various arts and crafts if their masters felt that they had the talent for

Occupation

Figure Out

The people of Mesopotamia were primarily engaged in agriculture. They developed an excellent system of irrigation to ensure the continuous supply of water. Reservoirs were built to control flood from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. They made use of cattle to draw the plough and wheeled carts. They cultivated wheat, barley, fruits and pulses. Apart from agriculture, they domesticated animals like cows, goats, sheep and donkey

Are the occupations of the people from this civilization eco-friendly

Arts and crafts

The people of Mesopotamia were good at art and craft. This is evident from the vast collection of metal objects found from the royal burial ground at Ur. The people acquired specialized skills in pottery-making, weaving and metal work. Bleaching, dyeing, preparation of paints, cosmetics and perfumes were also carried out by the people. The discovery of seals, metal objects, gold and silver ornaments, statues and pottery are all reminders of the Mesopotamian expertise in art and craft.

Sumerian Statue

Trade and commerce

Trade and commerce flourished in Mesopotamia, making it a prosperous civilization. The chief exports were food grains and finished products. The chief imports were stone, timber and metal ores. They traded with the Mediterranean countries and Egypt. It is believed that they had trade relations with the Indus Valley Civilization, a civilization which existed in India during the same period, as evidence of Mesopotamian seals had been uncovered at some Indus Valley sites. To encourage trade and commerce, the people of Mesopotamia invented coins, weights and measures They were also the first people in the world to issue receipts and bills in business transactions.

Architecture and technology

The uses of arches, columns and domes in the buildings were introduced by the Mesopotamians in their constructions. The Ziggurats and the Hanging Gardens represent the best example of Mesopotamian architecture. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world and were built by King

Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife. Hanging Gardens of Babylon reservoirs: large natural or artificial lakes used as a source of water supply; ziggurat: a type of massive structure buil ancient Mesopotamia.