Middle East Teaching Modules

U.S. Department of Education Title VI Project: "The Middle East and Cross-Cultural Connections"

Hallmarks of a Civilization: A Case Study of Ancient Mesopotamia and Indus Valley

Lakshmi Gudipati/lgudipati@ccp.edu
Community College of Philadelphia

Module Title: Hallmarks of a Civilization: A Case Study of Ancient Mesopotamia and Indus Valley

Courses for infusion:
Humanities 101: A survey of humanities topics from antiquity to Early Modern Period,
English 101: Freshman Composition
Humanities 101 & English 101: An Honors block that links instruction in the humanities and composition and English 101 & 108: A linked writing and academic reading course for students who are in the process of strengthening academic reading and writing skills in preparation for college courses across the curricula

Target Audience: Most students who take Humanities 101 are freshmen level students taking the course either in their first or second semesters. A few might take it in their second year. English 101 is a freshman composition class. Humanities 101 and English 101 is a six-credit course in the Honors Program. English 101 & 108 is a linked reading and writing course wherein 108 is the reading and study skills course. The module can effectively be used in all these courses with slight modifications keeping in mind the time constraints and the student ability levels.

Nature of the Courses: Introduction to Humanities (HUM 101) is an interdisciplinary course aimed at providing students with a broad overview of humanities topics and methodologies. It is a survey course in which we start with antiquity and move towards successive eras. It is also a General Education course aimed at developing required academic skills, i.e., critical thinking, academic reading and writing. In order to fulfill the set goals instructors need to provide intellectually challenging learning tasks, enhance student involvement in the materials of study, and use topics and materials that promote an interdisciplinary understanding of the issues

The Honors block of English 101 and Humanities 101 incorporates the topics of humanities and the pedagogic objectives of freshman composition course into one unified course. In addition, the blocked course is designed to introduce students to advanced academic tasks such as seminar discussions, and reading and interpretation of primary texts by applying scholarly models to address current controversies.

English 101 is a standard composition course where skills such as summary, paraphrase, and quotation must be introduced. In addition, textual interpretation and analytical skills such as deductive and inductive reasoning must be introduced as well.

English 101 and English 108 is a composition and reading and study skills course wherein the activities that are used in both English 101 and Humanities 101 may be used effectively, given the number of contact hours.

Introduction to Material: For some one like me, trained in the discipline of English literature and linguistics but teaching an interdisciplinary humanities course, using a textbook, wherein all the necessary ingredients of learning about a topic or theme are neatly encapsulated, would be the most convenient way to teach the course both for the sake of efficiency of knowledge transmission and assessment. However, recent developments in technology and the professional development seminars offered through Title VI and /or NEH grants at our institution had made me venture beyond the textbook to other media through which students are exposed to both primary and secondary texts in the humanities fields. I am glad that I was able to tap into these avenues for several reasons. Most important of them is that I am able to create activities and assignments that better promote critical thinking, reading and writing. Each time I use these materials, I notice that students show heightened curiosity and interest in studying the materials

How does use of primary texts and scholarly works cater to meeting the General Education goals?

By reading primary texts, students see how texts' are rooted in their historical context and the cultural milieu. By having to read, take notes, and write responses to questions using information drawn from multiple texts, students learn how to engage in hierarchic and recursive thinking processes, both of which are known as necessary steps in tasks that demand use of complex problem solving heuristics. When the instruction is designed in the way described in this module, students learn how to maintain a sustained and critically engaged involvement because the texts and the questions invite students to arrive at their own interpretations freshly even if others may have already derived such conclusions. Perhaps, they will also feel ownership of the knowledge they make by being on the information-processing end and not on the receiving end that most textbook contents often tend to place students in. I believe, reinforcement of this cognitive process for students is important.

Scholarly texts offer a thick and insitu description of the evidence. In doing so, these texts make transparent both their methodological tools and conceptual models. For example, in the essay, "The Royal Cemetery of Ur", Richard Zettler, of the University of Pennsylvania discusses the discovery of the royal cemetery by Woolley the archeologist. In the article, Zetler discusses and evaluates the methods that Woolley had used to analyze the data as well as the rationale he had used to interpret the data. Zetler also surveys the on-going and differing analyses and interpretation of the same artifactual data by historians across the spectrum. An accompanying essay by Steve Tinney does comparative analyses of the royal burial ceremonies described in the cuneiform literary texts with the data recorded on the transactional texts for record keeping purposes. He then does a comparative analyses of the several interpretations made by historians. Both Zetler's and Tinney's texts offer opportunities for instructors to weave in instruction of writing skills such as summary and paraphrase as students read each for gathering information on the burial rituals practiced in early Mesopotamia. Moreover, students see a model of how deductive and inductive reasoning are used to interpret hard data. In addition, students obtain the opportunity to encounter academic conversation in action; they get a first-hand look at how evidence is gathered and knowledge is made and extended, and they witness how academics formulate their views and postulate their opinions.

Materials
Note: Depending on the time one could dedicate to the study unit and the student abilities the extent of skills introduced and reinforced might slightly very in each of these courses. Instructors should choose the materials and activities as suits their students' needs and abilities.
1. Gilgamesh, Trans. N.K. Sanders, Penguin
2. Excerpts from Enuma Elish (Mesopotamian creation myth), and The Genesis from the Bible
3. Course packet: A compilation of Primary and Secondary Sources, and some on-line lectures.
4. On-line websites
Course Packet - Table of Contents
Title Source of origin Pages

1. What is Civilization The History Guide, World Wide Web Intro 1-2
2. Mesopotamian Time Line The History Guide, World Wide Web Intro 3-5
3. Map: Southwest Asia Treasures from the Royal Tombs of UR Intro 6
4. Map: Early Mesopotamian Treasures from the Royal Tombs of UR
City-States Intro 7
5. Ancient western Asia and the
Civilization of Mesopotamia The History Guide, World Wide Web 1-8
6. Map of Mesopotamia Treasures from the Royal Tombs of UR 10
7. The City of UR, 2100-1900 B.C.
(The time of Abraham!) Treasures from the Royal Tombs of UR 11
8. Early Dynastic Mesopotamia Richard Zettler, Tr. From the Royal Tombs of UR 12-19
9. Sumerian Inscription dkoeller@northpark.edu 20-21
10. The Royal Cemetery of UR Richard Zettler, Tr. From the Royal Tombs of UR 22-26
11. Deaths and Burial in Early
Mesopotamia: The View from the Texts Steve Tinney, Tr. From the Royal Tombs of UR 27-31
12. The Burials of a King and Queen Richard Zettler, Tr. From the Royal Tombs of UR 33-38
13. The Old Babylonian Period Joan Oates, Babylon with 137 Illustrations 39-52
14. The First "Noah" Samuel Noah Kramer, History Begins at Sumer 53-55
15. A Sumero-Akadian Prayer Trans. Ferris J. Stephens, World Wide Web 56-58
16. The Great Hymn to Shamash http://alexm.here.ru/mirrors/www.enteract.com 59-62
17. Advice of an Akkadian father to His Son,
c. 2200 BCE Ancient History Sourcebook, World Wide Web 63-64
18. Some Babylonian Proverbs Ancient History Sourcebook, World Wide Web 65-66
19. The Ludlul Bel Nimeqi, c. 1700 BCE
(Sumerian JOB) Ancient History Sourcebook, World Wide Web 67-72
20. Mesopotamian Mathematics Ancient History Sourcebook, World Wide Web 73-78
21. Cunieform Tablet http://www.theplumber.com/cuniefor.html 79
22. Medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia http://www.Indiana.edu 80-83
23. Code of Hammurabi http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/hammurabi.htm 84-93
24. Some Neo-Babylonain Legal Decisions,
c. 555-427 BCE ancient History Sourcebook, World Wide Web 94-96
25. Cunieform Law and the History of Civilization E. A. Speiser, Proceedings of the Am. Phil. Soc.,
V. 107, # 6, 1963 97-113
26. Indus Valley - Essay and Slide Tour http://www.harappa.com 114-122
27. Indus: Clues to an Ancient Civilization National Geographic, June 2000 115-143

Art websites/Artifacts - Primary Texts

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/department.asp?dep=3 (My MET gallery)

http://www.dia.org/collections/ancient/mesopotamia/50.32.html)

http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/UR/Archaeology.html (U Penn gallery)

http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/viewOne.asp?dep=3&viewmode=0&item=47%2E100%2E80 (Akkadian king)

deity http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A7119-20.html
http://www.dia.org/collections/ancient/mesopotamia/47.181.html

ritual(http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A12417_72dpi.html)
http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A30553.html (foundation figure)

statuette http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A12332.html
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/viewOne.asp?dep=3&viewMode=0&item=40%2E156 (male worshipper)

figurine http://www.harappa.com/indus/49.html

seal http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A17917.html (seal or amulet)
http://www.harappa.com/indus/64.html (seal or amulet)
http://www.harappa.com/indus/87.html (mask/amulet)

seals and tablets http://www.harappa.com/indus/30.html (Indus)
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/gallery.asp (Mesopotamia administrative tablet)
cylinder-seal (http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A11878_72dpi.html) http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A27903.html

inscription http://www.harappa.com/indus/29.html

stele http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/viewOne.asp?dep=3&viewMode=0&item=58%2E29

architecture- http://almashriq.hiof.no/ddc/projects/infirmary/hamadeh/babylon- gate-ishtar.html
http://www.belteshazzar.com/imageview.php?id=20 (reconstruction of Ishtar Gate)

Timeline
Course: Humanities 101 & English 101
Unit -1 Earliest Civilizations
Weeks 1- 3 JAN 20, 27, FEB 3
Lecture Topics: Introduction to the study of Humanities
The makings of a civilization
What is Archeology?
Texts: Course Packet 1: Mesopotamia and Indus, & Mesopotamian and Hebrew creation myths
View on-line slides
Assignment/s: reading quizzes, answer sample study questions, in-class interpretive exercises
Exam # 1 (10% of final Grade)
Week 1 Jan 20

Lecture Topics: What is civilization?
Archeology and ancient civilizations
Mesopotamian civilization
Activities: The activities will introduce students to the key concepts and methods in the study of antiquity along with the required content to understand the subject at a greater depth;
They also introduce the concept of primary and secondary source texts - Artifacts accompanied by scholarly notations.

Websites
Students will have the terms listed below with them as we skim the texts and Websites. In preparation to their self-study, students take a quick in-class guided tour of the web-sites by viewing some on-line slides of statuettes, figurines, cuneiform tablets, amulets, Ziggurat, etc. An ongoing self-paced activity, which requires students to engage in simultaneous reading and note-taking/writing process continues through the three-week period; I normally ask students to submit a few sample definitions or do one or two sample definitions in class which then will be used as models to do the rest. Definitions such as these are normally found in the glossary at the end of the textbook. Having students do these on their own serves as a useful learning tool.

Important Terms
Antiquity, prehistory, archeology, excavation, artifact, carbon dating, stratification, cross dating,
relative dating

Civilization

urbanization, mass production, specialization of labor, organized religion, trade & economy, social strata, monumental architecture, centralized administration

Mesopotamia
fertile crescent, Tigris and Euphrates, Ubaidians, Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Neo-Babylonians, Elamites, Hebrews, Hittites, Persians

City-state, monarchy, priest/king cult, statue, ritual, ziggurat, cuneiform, scribe,
seal, tablet, inscription, cylinder seal, stele, irrigation, astronomy, divination

Anu annunaki Ishtar/Inanna Enlil Ea Shamash Marduk Puabi Hammurabi

awilum mushkenum wardum marualim puhrum shibutum alum ashipu asu

Begin reading Gilgamesh (in-class).

Homework:
Finish reading Gilgamesh. Receive study and discussion questions

Writing Assignment 1
Note: Students will be asked to read textbook like materials and answer the given questions - This preliminary exercise helps students acquire the needed basic background knowledge, so that they can enter the ongoing academic conversation on the topic when they read the scholarly and primary texts.

Write full-length answers to these questions. You will be asked to share your responses with your fellow students in class. To answer questions 1 & 2, read the pages marked as Intro1- 4.

1. What are the major features of a civilization according to experts as discussed in Lecture 1 titled, "What is Civilization"?

2. Study the events listed in the Timeline and write three comments on the material aspects or processes of life that historians use to reconstruct the past. What evidence do they use and how do they use it?

Read pages 1-8 and answer the following questions

3. What geographical features and/or historical forces contributed to the development of the Mesopotamian civilization?

4. What is cuneiform? What are the several societal functions that the cuneiform served? Describe.

5. Describe the relationship between the city-state and the ziggurat or the Mesopotamian temple.

6. Describe the way the Mesopotamians described their gods and their relationship with gods. How did their concept of the Divine shape their view of themselves in relation to the gods?

7. How would you characterize the Code of Hammurabi? Explain. Use words such as fair, harsh, severe, unfair, etc.

Note: Student also receive study and discussion questions on the epic Gilgamesh so they can begin reading the text prior to in-class lecture and group-discussion

Study and Discussion Questions: The Epic of Gilgamesh

Prologue

1. Who is the speaker in the prologue? List all the qualities that are celebrated of the hero Gilgamesh. Would these qualities be cause for celebration in the present day? How did these qualities make him a civilized man in the eyes of the Mesopotamians?

1. The Coming of Enkidu

2. What were the faults that made Gilgamesh a problem for the people of Uruk? Who helped them with a remedy to the problem?

3. What was the remedy for Gilgamesh's misconduct? Discuss the thinking behind it.

4. Part of the remedy is to use a temple-maiden/courtesan to entice Enkidu, the savage, into the civilized world. What does it tell you of sexuality in the Mesopotamian world-view?

5. On P. 65 you read, "Enkidu was grown weak, for wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a man were in his heart. What in your view is this wisdom? How is this different from that animal nature?

6. Read the conversation between Gilgamesh and his mother Ninsun about Gilgamesh's dreams. How are his dreams considered? (Note: Keep track of several forthcoming dream sequences and events to understand the power and status attributed to dreams in Mesopotamian culture.)

7. A great deal is made in chapter 1 of the friendship to be built between the two equals Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Make a list of the key phrases that are used to describe the nature and power of this friendship.

2. The Forest Journey

8. In the opening parts of the chapter, we learn that Enkidu is sad. He is "oppressed by idleness". Is this trait common of humanity? Explain.

9. You have two different translations of the opening part of (tablet III by Robert Temple/Chapter 2 by N.K. Sanders) the text. Look at the order in which the lines of Gilgamesh and Enkidu are arranged. Comment on the different possible interpretations based on the arrangement of the order of the dialogue.

10. What makes Humbaba an evil creature? What do you make of the fact that he was a created and appointed by gods for the protection of Cedar Forest? Why do gods redistribute the seven splendors of Humbaba into elements of Nature instead of giving at least some of that power to Gilgamesh the conqueror?

11. In felling the Cedar trees and in subduing Humbaba, there seem to be several motives. Identify and comment.

12. Enkidu is referred to as the servant of Gilgamesh and he is entrusted with watching the back of his master even though he is equal to Gilgamesh in strength. Why is it acceptable for him and the others in the Mesopotamian society to consider one master and the other a servant?

13. Enkidu and Gilgamesh go back forth vacillating between fear and courage through out their journey. They resort to different avenues to draw strength. Explain what they are and how does each help them?

14. What does the cutting of Cedar to make the door signify? Why does Gilgamesh want to build a temple for Shamash in the Cedar Forest, which no one has attempted before?

3. Ishtar and Gilgamesh and the Death of Enkidu

15. Why does Gilgamesh reject Ishtar? What does this tell us about the view of Mesopotamians about their relationship with gods?

16. Read paragraphs 2 & 3 on P.87. What can you surmise on the attitude of gods towards humans?

17. In Pp. 89-93, Enkidu laments his actions when he realizes that his death is imminent. What do you learn about the values of the Mesopotamians from the contents of his laments?

18. Enkidu curses the harlot Shamhat for enticing him into the civilized world but he immediately recants it as well. What do the contents of the curse and recantation tell you about the society's views on the role of such women? Also, what can you surmise on the power that is attributed to the acts of cursing?

19. What is the final sorrow of Enkidu? Why does he think he is "dying in shame?"

20. Upon the death of Enkidu, a detailed description of the lamentations and the mourning ritual that were set up in his honor. What do these tell us about the worldview of the Mesopotamians about life and life after death?

4. The Search for Everlasting Life

21. Through out the journey, even as the various creatures, including god Shamash, discourage Gilgamesh from undertaking his journey, they do not forcibly stop him. Why?

22. N.K. Sanders the narrator of the epic says, "The encounter of Gilgamesh with Utnapishtim 'the Faraway' begins with one of those set pieces of 'Wisdom', all of which like Siduri's exhortation to a life of carefree pleasure, while having a pessimistic tone . . . are intended to reconcile man to his lot on earth." Summarize what transpires between Gilgamesh and the various creatures he encounters. What specific wisdom do they impart? Is there a sustained thread to these encounters that Gilgamesh finally brought home to give to the mankind?

5. The Story of Flood
23. What does the story of Flood reveal about the Mesopotamian vision of the divine world? What is the one positive outcome of the first flood for mankind?
6. The Return
24. Gilgamesh returns as a disappointed man. He exclaims to Urshanabi, his boatman, "Was it for this that I toiled with my hands" when he looses the youth rejuvenating plant. What counsel should Urshanabi have offered him?

25. Describe the death rituals observed in honor of Gilgamesh. Relate them to the findings in the royal tombs of UR.
Week 2 -- Jan 27

Activitiy 1: Class will begin with a brief lecture on the genre of epic and the major motifs in Gilgamesh. Students then will be divided into small groups and asked to discuss Gilgamesh by responding to study questions. Each group will be asked to respond to questions on a chapter. One group member will take notes while all of them contribute to the responses. After thirty minutes, the groups share their responses with the class and the whole class, including the instructor, can add to the group's responses.

Note: At the end of the discussion, students in English 101 class will receive the essay assignment based on Gilgamesh. In the Humanities class I do not make them write an essay because they will be doing several short essays in the exam. In the blocked course, however, both the essay and the exam will be assigned.

Essay Assignment: Gilgamesh

1. After a long and dramatic series of events, Gilgamesh is transformed in the course of his journey and adventures. Trace his development. How has he changed by the epic story's end? What has he learned?
2. Contemplate the symbolism of journey of man into the Cedar Forest. Gilgamesh and Enkidu face not only an external giant/monster Humbaba but also overcome several inner psychological and spiritual monsters. Discuss with details the inner and outer transformation the journey triggers in the two characters.
3. What civilizational themes do Gilgamesh's desire and the actual journey to the land of the immortal ancestor Utnapishtim explore?
4. "In celebrating Gilgamesh as a hero, we celebrate that which makes us human," says Arthur Brown, a Gilgamesh scholar. What are the human qualities that the story invites the reader to celebrate?

5. As in the other classic epic stories, the hero Gilgamesh receives much help and counsel from others, both human and divine; yet he stands out as the hero in the Mesopotamian mind. What makes him a hero?

Activity 2(at-home followed by in-class discussion) - Reading Scholarly Texts and artifacts
Text: Early Dynastic Mesopotamia by Richard Zettler, University of Pennsylvania]
Read pp. 13-19 and answer the following questions.

1. Identify as many differences as you can between the structure and contents of this text and the structure and contents of the text included in Lecture2, pp. 1-8. Do you find that you have to read each text differently? Explain.

2. Paraphrase the following passage from Paragraph 20 on Page 17:
In official ideology, the city was the property of its principal deity. The deities nurtured and chose the city's ruler, variously called lugal (literally "big man" or king) or ensi or en ("governor," the form depending on the city).

3. Using the descriptive summary format, describe the characteristics of the city-state and the kinds of relationships it had with the other city-states in the Early Dynastic Mesopotamia.
(Note: In your first line, mention the title of the article and the authorial information and other pertinent facts such as where the evidence used by the author was obtained.)

[Sumerian Inscription, pp. 20-21]

1. Based on the contents of the inscription determine what conclusions may be drawn on the issue of how religion intersected with the king's material/real world pursuits?
http://www.dia.org/collections/ancient/mesopotamia/82.64A.html {art]

Activity 3: Analysis and Interpretation
Hand Out Study and Discussion Questions (cover the materials assigned over the entire unit)
A sample set of questions from the list would be discussed and students would be asked to submit a sample set of answers to get feedback. The goals are to get students to do a sustained amount of close and goal-oriented reading and focused writing.

"Early Dynastic Mesopotamia" (Pp. 13-19)

1. What do the stone tablets found in the "Tablet House" site as well as those in Fara, Abu Salabikh and Tello reveal?

2. On What basis have the archeologists determined the presence of ethnically diverse people in the early dynastic Mesopotamian city-state?

3. Detail the Mesopotamian trade networks and the goods it traded.

4. Describe the power of the Temple and the priest in the life of the city-state in Early Dynastic Mesopotamia?

5. What are the main causes of conflicts and wars between city-states? Describe.

"The Royal Cemetery of Ur" (Pp. 22-26) & "The Burials of a King and Queen"(Pp. 33-38)

6. Write a brief essay describing the Early Dynastic Mesopotamian royal cemetery.

http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/UR/Archaeology.html (U Penn gallery)
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/viewOne.asp?dep=3&viewMode=0&item=33%2E35%2E3 (puabi's jewelry)
http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/UR/Ur029x.html (Queen Puabi's headdress)
http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/UR/Slideshow.html (great lyre from the king's grave)

7. Write a descriptive summary of the article by Steve Tinney, " Death and Burial in Early Mesopotamia: The View from the Texts" (Pp. 27-30).

"The Old Babylonian Period" (Pp. 40-51)

8. What does the correspondence between Shamshi-Adad and his indolent son, Yasmah -Adad reveal about the prevailing views on good rulership?

9. Describe the public administration systems of the Old Babylonian period.

10. Read the section under the subheading "Babylonian Law on Pp. 47-48. What do the authors of the chapter conclude about the role played by the famous "Codes of Hammurabi"? What evidence do they provide to make such conclusions?

11. Describe the Old Babylonian city.

Prayer Hymns
12. What do the two hymns on Pp. 56-62 reveal of the Mesopotamian religious beliefs and conduct?

13. What do the documents, "The Advice of an Akkadian Father to His Son" and "some Babylonian Proverbs . . ." (Pp. 63-66) reveal of the wisdom of the Mesopotamians?

14. What is the subtext of the father's advice to the son?

"Medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia" (Pp. 80-83)
15. Read the article and discuss how religion intersects with medical science in the treatment of disease.
http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/HIGH/OIM_A25413.html

"Code of Hammurabi" and "Some Neo-Babylonian Legal Decisions" (Pp 84-96)

16. The Code of Hammurabi is lauded as the most important of Mesopotamian contribution to the world. Going over the various law codes, you will see that many of the codes resemble the laws and principles that we follow today in our legal systems. In your Course-packet, in the translated version of the "Code", related laws are grouped together under a category or principle. Identify the guiding principle that relates them together and state it in a sentence or two.
Example: "Laws on Judicial procedure"
Codes 1-4: The burden of proving the accused wrongdoing falls on the accuser.
Code 5: Judges must be responsible and fair in the execution of their duty. They must be held fully accountable for their actions by law.
Codes 6-8: Theft or purchase of stolen public or private property incurs severe penalties.
Now write a short paragraph on the spirit of these judicial codes.

17. What might be concluded with regard to the influence of Hammurabi's law codes on "Neo-Babylonian Legal Decisions"?

Activity 4: Sample summary exercise (See question # 7 in the discussion questions list)
Text: "Death and Burial in early Mesopotamia" by Steve Tinney
Students may begin the work in class and finish it at home.

Homework: 1. Do the first draft of the essay on Gilgamesh ( Note: English 101 and linked courses only)
2. Respond to questions 1, 11, 12 and 16 in a paragraph each from the study and discussion questions on the readings in the course-packet. You will get a mock grade on your responses so that you can get a good sense of how to respond to exam questions to get the best score possible.

Week 3 - Feb. 3

Activity 1: Discuss "Medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia" and "The codes of Hammurabi " Students can again be asked to do small-group discussion for thirty minutes and then respond to the questions and the text as a whole group. If time permits, I also ask them to do a short interpretive writing in response to one of the questions.

Activity 2: Creation myths from the Mesopotamian, Hebrew, and Greek mythical lore will be discussed. This also helps make a smooth segue into the epic age wherein myth and legend intermingle in the texts.

Students receive the take-home examination. I go over each question explaining my expectations. Students will be encouraged to seek clarifications over confusing or vague wording, if any.

Humanities 101 Gudipati
Take-Home Exam - Unit 1: Ancient Civilizations Due date: FEB16/17
Total points: 100
Student Name: Date:

General Reminder: You need to consult several texts, be they Xeroxed readings from your course packet, lecture notes or on-line slides, to answer the questions effectively.

Section I - Definitions
Define 5 of the following terms in about 50-75 words each. (In addition to giving a formal definition- NOT A DICTIONARY DEFINITION-give at least one example from the unit you have studied to define the terms) 20 points

pastoral and agricultural economies prehistoric artifact urbanization ritual polytheistic religion seal ritual stele ashipu city-state

Section II - Mesopotamia
Answer the following questions in NO LESS THAN 200 words each. 10 points each

1.a. What important functions did Writing, Art and Architecture serve in building the political, religious and scientific institutions in Mesopotamia? Explain with examples.
OR
1.b. Read the article, "Medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia" (Pp. 80-83, Course Packet) and discuss in detail how religion intersects with medical science in the Mesopotamians' approach to the treatment of disease.
(Helpful questions to ask to arrive at sound interpretation: What role did the ashipu (sorcerer) and his acts play in healing the diseases? Despite the advanced state of surgical and non-surgical treatments for it's times, why does asu (physician) play a less powerful role than ashipu?)

2. What conclusions may be drawn from the legal codes of Hammurabi about the Mesopotamian views on law and justice? In other words, is the primary focus on maintaining law and order or providing equal justice for all? For example, what do the codes tell about their treatment of women? Was the society patriarchal or matriarchal? Other aspects such as individual rights and responsibilities, social classes and property ownership are also worthy of analysis. Respond to the question by commenting on several codes. In your response quote or cite specific codes to support your interpretation.

3.a. What does the correspondence between Shamshi-Adad and his indolent son, Yasmah -Adad, as well as other correspondence discussed in Pp. 41-42 reveal about the prevailing views on good rulership? What insights do you gain into the power struggles among various kingdoms as the process of building the Babylonian Empire was gaining momentum under Hammurabi?

3. b. Read the section titled "Administration" (Pp. 45-47). Briefly describe the various activities of the local and the imperial administrators. Then in a paragraph, discuss the insights you gained into the following aspects: 1) political and economic strongholds of this society, and 2) in the ability of the administrative offices in protecting the common man against exploitation and abuse.

Section III - Indus Valley

I. Answer the following questions in150-200 words 10 points each

1. Describe the city planning, public utilities and the arrangement of bead making factories and residential quarters of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. What conclusions can you draw from these details about the societal organization of the cities?
Note: In addition to the lecture notes, the National Geographic article in your course-packet, read the www.harappa.com (Ancient Indus Tour and essay, especially section V. "Urban Character of the Indus Valley Civilization".

2. Based on the evidence you are presented, do you think the Indus people had organized religion? If so describe its structure, forms of expression and the specific function it may have served. How is it similar to or different from the religion of Mesopotamia?
Note: In addition to lecture notes, the national Geographic article in your Course Packet, read the www.harappa.com (Ancient Indus Tour Slide Tour and essay, especially section VII. "Harappan Religion and Belief Systems".

Section IV - Creation Myths

Answer the following question in 100-150 words 10 points
How do the creation myths from the three cultures you have studied reflect the way each culture viewed the power and function of God and religion in helping shape their society and its worldview? Give examples to support your reasoning

Section V - General Essay

In an essay of 250-300 words answer ONE of the questions 20 points

1. It is fair to say that achieving societal harmony and material well-being are two primary civilizational goals. How did the Mesopotamians utilize their religious and social systems as well as scientific knowledge in achieving these goals? Illustrate with examples.

2. Archeologists have concluded that Indus Valley people did not establish a monarchy, maintain an army and build architectural monuments such as temples and palaces. Would that disqualify the Indus people from being considered civilization builders? Explain why or why not.

Co-Curricular Activities

The Metropolitan Museum at New York and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology have wonderful collections from Ancient Mesopotamia. Students would truly get a feel for the votive statuettes, the seals and other everyday utensils used by these ancient people. The recovered and reconstructed artifacts, the lyre, the Ram in the Thicket, and Queen Puabi's jewelry, of course, are high lights of the visit. It is true that slides with notes are available on all these artifacts in the Museum Websites, but if time permits, students should be taken on an actual tour!

Related Sources and Bibliography

There are any number of primary texts, translations of cuneiform tablets, and slides of artifacts available on-line. Students can easily access them by using a key word search or select site search. Many sites I have found are listed in the previous pages. Good sources to look for scholarly work: Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Journal of Archeology, Journal of Oriental Studies, and such.

List of useful texts that have not been cited earlier:

1. -------------------. Treasures from the Royal Tombs of UR. Eds. Richard Zettler and Lee
Horne. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1998.
2. Joan Oates. Babylon. Thames and Hudson. 1979.
3. -----------------------. "Indus: Clues to an Ancient Civilization," in National Geographic.
Vol 197, No. 6. June 2000
4. Padma Manian. "Harappans and Aryans: old and new perspectives of Ancient History,"
in The History Teacher Vo. 32, No. 1 Pp. 17-32.
5. Walter A. Fairservis. "G.L. Possehi's and M.H. Raval's Harappan Civilization and Rojdi," in Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 111, Issue 1 (Jan - Mar., 1991).
6. Deo prakash Sharma. Harappan Terracottas. National museum, New Delhi. 2003.
7. Jonathan Mark Kenoyer. "Early Developments of Art, Symbol and Technology in the Indus Valley Tradition." Retrieved on 2.5.05 from http://www.harappa.com/indus3/e1.html
8. R.H. Meadow and J.M.Kenoyer. "Recent Discoveries and Highlights from Excavations at Harappa: 1998 - 2000." Retrieved on 2/5/05 from http://www.harappa.com/indus4/print.html