bACKGROUND: the first cities
For the ancient Mesopotamian's, cities were their centers of life. Ancient Mesopotamia is where the world's first cities started, the cradle of civilization.
From around 2.5 million years BC through 14,000 BC humans lived in open-air campsites and in small natural caves. They hunted wild animals and fished, gathered wild plants, and wandered over a large area of land.
Between 14,000 BC and 9000 BC, humans lived in round or half circle homes called pit houses. These houses often had fire places and floors and sometimes several fire pits were joined together to form different rooms.
Plants and animals were kept in the home in the Near East somewhere between 11,000 and 6500 BC. By 9000 BC, humans were living in settled towns and cities throughout the Near East. The city of Jarmo dates from between 9000 and 7000 BC. It is believed that around150-200 people lived in Jarmo. They lived in 20-30 homes.
Eridu was the first Mesopotamian city, founded 5400 BC, close to the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Euphrates River, which allowed for farming and trade.
No one knows why cities began in Mesopotamia. Not enough rain might have been the reason for people to organize themselves in a effort to build canals to help the farmlands. Another reason might have been that they needed protection on the open plain from wild animals, which could have prompted people to gather together to create houses. This was the first time in history that humans had built a city.
All the people in Mesopotamia loved to eat! Poorer families almost never had meat, but rich families ate lots of it! Beef, lamb, pork, goat, ducks, and geese, any meat! They had lots of fish, turtles, and shellfish in the rivers and canals. Barley and wheat were also good foods. Grain was crushed and cooked like porridge or ground into flour and baked as a type of bread. Fruits, oils, juices, and honey were added and as a result, there were more then 300 different types bread and 300 different words for them all! Barley was also used to make beer. Locust swarms were destroying crops, but they were skewered, roasted, and enjoyed as a delicacy! Make sure to try some when you are there!
From around 2.5 million years BC through 14,000 BC humans lived in open-air campsites and in small natural caves. They hunted wild animals and fished, gathered wild plants, and wandered over a large area of land.
Between 14,000 BC and 9000 BC, humans lived in round or half circle homes called pit houses. These houses often had fire places and floors and sometimes several fire pits were joined together to form different rooms.
Plants and animals were kept in the home in the Near East somewhere between 11,000 and 6500 BC. By 9000 BC, humans were living in settled towns and cities throughout the Near East. The city of Jarmo dates from between 9000 and 7000 BC. It is believed that around150-200 people lived in Jarmo. They lived in 20-30 homes.
Eridu was the first Mesopotamian city, founded 5400 BC, close to the Persian Gulf near the mouth of the Euphrates River, which allowed for farming and trade.
No one knows why cities began in Mesopotamia. Not enough rain might have been the reason for people to organize themselves in a effort to build canals to help the farmlands. Another reason might have been that they needed protection on the open plain from wild animals, which could have prompted people to gather together to create houses. This was the first time in history that humans had built a city.
All the people in Mesopotamia loved to eat! Poorer families almost never had meat, but rich families ate lots of it! Beef, lamb, pork, goat, ducks, and geese, any meat! They had lots of fish, turtles, and shellfish in the rivers and canals. Barley and wheat were also good foods. Grain was crushed and cooked like porridge or ground into flour and baked as a type of bread. Fruits, oils, juices, and honey were added and as a result, there were more then 300 different types bread and 300 different words for them all! Barley was also used to make beer. Locust swarms were destroying crops, but they were skewered, roasted, and enjoyed as a delicacy! Make sure to try some when you are there!