Calliope articles from October 2006

Calliope archives from October 2006

5 little-known facts about the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... 1 The Tigris River is 1,150 miles long. The Euphrates River is 1,725 miles long. At its widest point, the Tigris is 1,300 feet, and the Euphrates is 750 feet. 2 The Sumerians knew the Tigris as the Idigna, which may be translated "the...

Take away your sword, and may the gods help you.(MUSINGS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... --Babylonian proverb TODAY, the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys are considered one of the world's "cradles of civilization." This area, which encompasses the land now known as southern Iraq and southeastern Syria, was called Mesopotamia...

Glossary.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Akkad refers to the area where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are closest to each other. Babylonia includes the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from the point where the rivers come the closest to one another, near Babylon,...

What's new in Sumer?
October 1, 2006... THE LAND OF FIRSTS IS HOW HISTORY OFTEN REFERS TO SUMER AND ITS CITY-STATES. LET'S CHECK OUT A FEW OF THE FIRSTS: Writing In the ancient Middle East, around 3500 B.C., a system of writing using symbols to represent objects gradually...

Fabulous Ur.
October 1, 2006... Five to six thousand years ago, in the part of Mesopotamia called Sumer, one of the world's earliest cities developed. Located on the Euphrates River in what is now southern Iraq, Ur is believed to represent a typical early Mesopotamian city....

Ancient Mesopotamian cities.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... URUK, the biblical Erech, was one of Sumer's greatest cities. Tradition held that its brick walls, measuring about six miles in circumference, had been built by the epic hero Gilgamesh (see pages 12-15). ERIDU was, according to the...

Write in cuneiform.(ACTIVITY)
October 1, 2006... The earliest known complete alphabet system is the Ugaritic alphabet, dating to the 14th century B.C. Its 30 symbols are shown below. Notice that some letters have several symbols, each representing a different use or sound. Carefully...

Gilgamesh and the quest for immortality.(Excerpt)
October 1, 2006... He ordered built the walls of Uruk of the Sheepfold The walls of holy Eanna, stainless sanctuary. Observe its walls, whose upper hem is like bronze; Behold its inner wall, which no work can equal......

Ancient name match-up.(ACTIVITY)
October 1, 2006... See how well you know the epic Gilgamesh by matching each clue in the list on the left with the correct answer on the right. 1 Scorpion-men guarded gates here 2. God of wisdom 3. Boatman who ferried Gilgamesh to the underworld ...

Early farming.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The rich plains and fertile valleys of the "land between the rivers" was once the richest farmland in the Middle East. Here, in the so-called Fertile Crescent, farming began around 5500 B.C. The steppe separating irrigated areas of Babylonia...

The Akkadians.
October 1, 2006... Between 2800 and 2350 B.C., various settlements in southern Mesopotamia grew into larger city-states ruled by a central authority. The people who lived in these settlements, the Sumerians, built protective walls around their cities. To ensure a...

Enheduanna: En-priestess of Ur.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The first known poet in history was Enheduanna, daughter of King Sargon of Akkad. After Sargon conquered the city of Ur, he appointed Enheduanna to be the high priestess, or En-priestess, of the moon god, Nanna. This position was the highest...

Assyrian expansion.
October 1, 2006... In ancient Mesopotamia, city-states in and around the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys benefited economically from the trade routes crisscrossing them. But peace was a prized commodity. Neighboring states took advantage of any ruler who...

Cylinder seals.(ACTIVITY)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... To mark personal property and to validate legal documents, the Sumerians used cylinder seals, thousands of which have been uncovered in excavations. To make a seal, the Sumerians carved or engraved mythological scenes or figures of their heroes...

The great restorer.(Nebuchadnezzer II)
October 1, 2006... Today among the ruins of Babylon, thousands of bricks can be found that bear the inscription: "I am Nebuchadnezar, king of Babylon, rebuilder of Esagila and Etemenanki, elder son of Nabopolassar." These dusty fragments offer tantalizing hints...

The hand of Hammurabi.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... In 1792 B.C., nearly 1,200 years before Nebuchadnezzar II ascended the throne, a 25-year-old warrior-king began a remarkable reign. Under the hand of Hammurabi, Babylon entered a Golden Age of culture, wealth, and power. Hammurabi promptly...

Tales from Mesopotamia.
October 1, 2006... NOTE: This version of the creation tale is from Hammurabi's time (c. 1 750 B.C.), when Marduk was worshiped as the chief god. It was found on the Seven Tablets of Creation, large portions of which are preserved in London's British Museum. As...

Mixed-up tales.(ACTIVITY)
October 1, 2006... Unscramble the terms below, then put the numbered letters on the corresponding blanks to discover the Babylonian who survived the great flood. 1. The name of this Sumerian goddess of love and fertility means "lady of the sky." ...

Fun with words.
October 1, 2006... WORD ORIGINS Cane Kanu, meaning "a reed," was a term commonly used by the ancient Akkadians. The Greeks adopted the term and adapted it to kanna, which the Romans changed to canna. Sometime during the 14th century A.D, the term was...

War in the first cities.
October 1, 2006... What would you do if your enemies planned to attack you? If you had lived in ancient Mesopotamia (within the borders of present-day Iraq and Syria), you would have had several options. You and your fellow countrymen could move away, leaving...

A-maze-ing canals.(ACTIVITY)
October 1, 2006... When the city of Aqua was attacked by the neighboring city of Arid, the canals were changed to flood Aqua. Can you figure out which canal you need to dam to keep Aqua from flooding? Canal #4

Condiment clash.(ACTIVITY)
October 1, 2006... It was a heated battle for dominance of the hamburger. Ketchup, Relish, and Mustard were put on the burger, but only one covered the most terrain. Can you figure out which condiment won the battle? Use the clues below to figure out the order in...

Digging up history.
October 1, 2006... Through the centuries, wind and water swept across the plains bordering the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and caused irreparable damage to the ancient buildings of Mesopotamia. Contributing to their ruin was the fact that the structures had been...

Time line.(Chronology)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... TIME LINE 3500 Pictographic system of writing develops in Middle East; Sumerians invent the wheel; Sumerians form city-states--all around 3500. 2800 Sumerians form larger city-states, around 2800-2350. ...

Ask Calliope.
October 1, 2006... ? Why is the Roman Cincinnatus compared to George Washington? --Irene, 11, Web post ! The comparison actually began in Washington's time. Washington, like Cincinnatus, owned a farm and loved the land. Yet, when duty and necessity...

Ancient Mesopotamia: The Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians.(BOOKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Ancient Mesopotamia: The Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians by Virginia Schomp (Franklin Watts, 2005, www.wattspublishing.co.uk) offers a good overview of the government, daily life, commerce, literature, and legacy of these peoples,...

Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East.(BOOKS)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East by Michael Roaf (Facts On File, 2000, www.factsonfile.com) enhances its retelling of the history of the area with clear, detailed maps; special features about historic sites; and such...

Mesopotamia.(BOOKS)(Book review)(Brief review)
October 1, 2006... Mesopotamia by Gwendolyn Leick (Penguin, 2003, www.penguin.com) uses uncovered artifacts from 10 ancient city sites--including Eridu, Ur, and Babylon--to paint an intriguing picture of daily life at the time.

Cobblestone resources.(OFF THE SHELF)
October 1, 2006... Materials that complement this theme's topic, "Mesopotamia--The Land of Firsts" and are available from Cobblestone Publishing include: The Babylonians (CAL00111) Sumer and Its City-States (CAL0309) The Assyrians (CAL0304) ...

On the net.(Website list)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... For a great interactive guide on Mesopotamia, with special sections on Assyria, Babylonia, and Sumer, go to: www.mesopotamia.co.uk/ For a site with a wealth of information--clicking icons such as "geography," "the ziggurat," and...

From Mesopotamia to Iraq.(FROM PAST TO PRESENT)
October 1, 2006... From the time when the Sumerians first ruled in the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys to present-day Iraq, the land divisions in the Middle East have changed frequently. Only in the marshes of southern Iraq, at the mouth of the Tigris and...

When past meets present.(THEN AND NOW)(Ziggurat)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A ZIGGURAT was an important feature of major temples in ancient Mesopotamia. The Babylonians called it the Etemenanki, "the house that is the foundation between heaven and earth," and it was here that they believed the gods descended from...