Mesopotamia on the Internet

NAME______

Step 1: Log on and type the following address in to the address bar exactly as you see it here -

Step 2: Go to the different sections of the web page as directed and answer the questions for each section as completely as possible.

From the main page select Geography

  1. Describe Northern Mesopotamia
  1. Describe Southern Mesopotamia
  • Select Story on the Geography page. Read about Gilgamesh.
  1. Even though the ancient story about Gilgamesh is a work of fiction, it is still a primary source because it was created in ancient Mesopotamia. What can historians learn about Mesopotamia from the story? (Hint – what is the lesson of the story? What does that tell us about what Mesopotamians valued?)
  • Select Explore from the Geography page and take a look at the different maps available.
  1. Describe how the location of civilization in Mesopotamia changed from 3000 B.C. to 500 B.C. (From the pull down menu choose “Civilizations over time”. Another pull down menu will appear below the map and you can choose maps from various years.)

Go back to the main page. Select Gods, Goddesses, Demons, & Monsters.Select Explore from the Gods, Goddesses, Demons, & Monsters page.

  1. As you look at the table of Sumerian gods, goddesses, demons, and monsters – what do you notice?
  • Select Story from the Gods, Goddesses, Demons, & Monsters page.
  1. According to a Mesopotamian myth, how and why did humans come to exist?
  1. What else can be learned about Mesopotamia from the story of human creation?

Go back to the main page. Select Writing

Select Story

a)Use the story of the script for barely to describe how cuneiform evolved and changed over time.

Select Explore.

  1. Briefly describe the role of a scribe in Mesopotamia.
  1. Explore the world of a scribe. What kinds of artifacts are shown on this page?

Go back to the main page. Select Sumer, then select Ziggurats, then select Explore.

The ziggurat at Ur (a Mesopotamian city-state) was a pyramid-like temple. Ziggurat means “mountain of god.” Study the various features on this part of the site.

  1. Describe the functions of ziggurats
  1. Describe the relationship between the king and the Sumerian Religion

Go back to the main page. Select Babylonia: Trade and Transport

a)Why was it so important the Babylonians trade?

Select Explore.

a)What were some of the most commonly traded items in Babylonia?