ANTH 2820 Chapter Lec. 10: Reading Notes - Lecture 10
3 Apr 2017
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Beginning of historical records in ancient mesopotamia. ~ 2900 bc standardized writing cuneiform: used for the next 3k years. Ended with conquests of sargon, and the establishment of the akkadian empire. Single writing system and single pantheon of major deities: but its population was diverse. At least two dozen major cities on the alluvial plains: each had a major temple to its main god and was surrounded by a brick wall. Southern mesopotamia divided n to s: south = sumer, north = akkad, Nippur: near modern baghdad; near where sumer and akkad met, most important religious center, controlling it was a big element in politics. If you wanted power over your neighbors, you had to first control this city. Most important god = enlil: nippur = sumerian city; enlil = sumerian god. Background: one of the major ethnic groups of early mesopotamia own language and cultural identity, dominant force in ur and uruk, first historical ruling dynasties, influence spread far.
