Epic of Gilgamesh

Epic of Gilgamesh - Page Text Content

BC: Postgate, J N. Early Mesopotamia. Taylor & Francis, 1992. Google Book Search. Google. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://books.google.com/books?id=u50OAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA157&lpg=PA157&dq=types+of+mesopotamian+livestock&source=bl&ots=tAFr6M2j38&sig=uhUxZHSLAvpltcwymDlLkV89k3c&hl=en&ei=jLftScDKGsLHtgf4kLnODw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#PPA162,M1>. | "Food of Mesopotamia." 21 Apr. 2009 <http://library.thinkquest.org/C005446/text_version/English/mesopotamia.html>. | Works Cited | Google Image Search. Google. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.google.com/imghp>. | Love, Anthony M. Sumerian Society. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.sarissa.org/sumer/sumer_s.php>.

FC: Epic of Gilgamesh By: Jennifer, Jennifer, Chris, and Max

1: The author is anonymous. The poem is written in the Akkadian language. There were eleven tablets with a fragmented appendix on a twelfh tablet. | General Information

2: Although the poem's author remains unknown, the main character is a non-fictional king. | Background Information

3: The poem's main character is Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk. | The setting of the poem takes place in Mesopotamia.

4: Mesopotamia | The story takes place in Mesopotamia; it is said to be located somewhere close to modern day Iraq. | The Mesopotamians were also known as Sumerians.

5: Mesopotamia was an abundant land full of fertile soil thanks to the two rivers feeding it year-round. | These rivers were the Tigris and the Euphrates which ran straight through the country.

6: Sumerian Society: The Mesopotamian People | Religion: | The religion of Mesopotamia was an intricate part of the daily life of a citizen of Sumer.

7: The | The most important structure in the Sumerian city was the temple, known as the ziggurat. | The people worshipped a number of dieties who either had spots in the main temple or had smaller temples dedicated to them.

8: The Sumerians also operated granaries, mills, and bakeries inside the temples. | Even more suprisingly, the temples served as an educational facility for math and scribing. | Sumerian teachers were called ummia.

9: Sumerian Daily Life | Mesopotamia's income was mainly based off of the agriculture that grew off of its replete lands. | The farmers raised all sorts of livestock and grew many types of vegetation which depended on the time of year.

10: Types of Crops and Livestock | The types of crops grown in Mesopotamia included flax, leeks, onions, spices, herbs, grapes, and other fruits. | The domestic animals of Mesopotamia included cattle, oxen, sheep, and goats.

11: The Family | A typical Sumerian family consisted of a father, a mother, and children. | The Sumerian society was considered a patriarchy, meaning that the father held the power. | The husbands were allowed to choose a second wife if the first wife was barren. The father could also give up his children as slaves to pay off a debt.

12: The People, Their Culture, and Their Occupations | Doctors were known as a-zus. | Doctors used magic, surgery, and medicine. | Doctors used the environment as their pharmacy. They utilized both plant and animal.

13: As said before, most of the people were farmers. | But some other occupations were: government officials, professional military, priests, shopkeepers, farmers, merchants, hired laborers, and slaves. | The three social classes existed as a caste system and they were the amelu, the mishkinu, and the slaves.

14: The Military Force And Gods | Although the military protected the community, the people only trusted the gods with their safety. | The various gods fulfilled all of the people's needs, and the communitie's strong faith is what the book is based upon.

15: The book is strictly legend but contains non-fictional characters. Although the truth is extended on these particular people. | The various gods do not just provide solace for the people, but make for an exciting story as well.