Download Religion in Mesopotamia Packet - Hewlett

Name: _________________________ Pd: ____
Date: __________________
Essential Questions:
What was the religion of Mesopotamia?
Why were ziggurats such important buildings in Mesopotamia?
Vocabulary
Ziggurat:
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Polytheism:
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First, we will be exploring an interactive model of a ziggurat in partners. As you click through the
model, answer the following questions:
http://eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/igraphics/AC_03_093_ziggurat/AC_03_093_ziggurat.
html
1. The largest and most important building was the
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2. Why were ziggurats built to look like a mountain?
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3. The ziggurats were considered to be
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4. Were ziggurats a place of public worship?
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5. Who were the only people allowed to enter the ziggurat?
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Next, read the short article on the Sumerian ziggurat and answer the questions with a partner.
The Sumerian Ziggurat
Sumerians lived in city-states around 3000 B.C.E. Each city-state had its own god to honor.
Since religion was the center of Sumerian life, it was appropriate that the center of each Sumerian
city-state contained a temple which was located in the center of the city. This temple, called a
ziggurat, was shaped like a pyramid with a large number of steps. It was made of white washed mud
bricks. At the very top of the ziggurat was a shrine to the main god of the city-state. The shrine
contained a statue of the god. The only people allowed to enter the shrine were priests and
priestesses. Ziggurats were often used as storage and distribution centers for surplus crops. This was
convenient for religious leaders, who often controlled the crops of the city-state. These storehouses
allowed the religious leaders the opportunity to feed poor people as well as the many people who
specialized in areas other than farming, such as craft workers.
Each city in Mesopotamia had a primary god. For example, Murdock, Enlil, and Shamash were
gods of various cities within Mesopotamia. People believed that they had control over parts of life,
such as the sun and water. The ziggurat in each city-state was usually dedicated to a god to show
their appreciation for all that they did for their civilization.
1. Describe the architecture of the ziggurat
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2. What activities took place at the ziggurat?
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3. Why do you think the ziggurat was typically built at the center of the city?
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4. Was Mesopotamian society polytheistic? How do you know?
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5. How is a ziggurat and Mesopotamian religion similar to and different from temples, churches,
and other places of worship with which you are familiar?
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If you have extra time, click on to the British Museum website to explore archaeologists and evidence
that they found to learn more about ziggurats in Mesopotamia.
Click on three interesting pictures or photographs about the ziggurat of Ur
 Picture one:
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 Picture two:
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 Picture three:
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Essential Questions:
What was the religion of Mesopotamia?
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Why was the ziggurat such an important building in Mesopotamia?
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Name: _________________________ Pd: _____
Date: __________________________
C. Leonard Woolley: Archaeologist of the Ziggurat of Ur
In September 1922, C. Leonard Woolley packed his bags and with his team of assistants,
boarded a steamship. He was on his way to Basrah in southern Iraq to lead the excavations at the
ancient site of Ur.
Woolley arrived at Ur on November 2, 1922 and explored the local landscape. By 1923 he had
decided which places to excavate and dug the first trenches near the ruined ziggurat.
Woolley’s men dug two large trenches. Within a week they had found many objects. In Trench
A, the team found evidence of burials and jewelry made of gold and precious stones. They called
this the “gold trench”. In Trench B, the workers found evidence of a large wall, and the ruins of
several ancient buildings. While everyone was excited by the finds from Trench A, Woolley knew that
they did not yet have enough experience to excavate burials.
It must have been disappointing for the workers when Woolley told them that trench A would have to
wait until everybody was more experienced at digging burials. However, they turned all their efforts
to trench B where they had discovered a temple called E-nun-mah. Close by they also found part of
a massive wall. The season in early spring as the temperature became too hot to dig and Woolley
returned to England. After all his exciting discoveries he was keen to return in the autumn.
In the autumn of 1923, the excavations continued. Most of the team began to clear away the
rubble around the ziggurat. However, Woolley had decided to explore a site not far from Ur called
Tell al-Ubaid. Although part of it had been excavated, Woolley believed there was still much to
discover. His finds were amazing!
Back at Ur they uncovered a courtyard surrounded by rooms.
It was not long before they
began to uncover buildings called 'E-dub-lal-mah' and 'E-gi-par'. The first had been built on the orders
of a king and the other was where the high priestess lived. In the spring of 1925 they stopped work
and Woolley headed home. He spent the next few months writing up his notes from the third season.
The fourth season began in November. The next project was to excavate another temple
building called E-hur-sag to the east of the ziggurat. Woolley also turned his attention to buildings
outside the temple area. He revealed a large number of houses and discovered a great deal about
everyday life in Ur. By now, he and his team had discovered so many objects that much of their time
was spent on recording. This continued when the season ended in March 1926. In the middle of the
season, they returned to the 'gold trench'. At last they were experienced enough.
They dug two new trenches near trench A. Nothing was found in one trench. However, in the
other, they began to find burials. Alongside the bodies were stone and clay pots, combs, weapons
and some jewelry.
By the end of the season, Woolley's team had found over six hundred burials. In mid-February,
digging stopped and Woolley returned to England to study the exciting finds.
In autumn 1927 Woolley's team continued excavating the burial ground. Two months later they
began to find astonishing things. Another three hundred graves were revealed but four were very
different from the rest. These were not just pits but tombs, often with several rooms. There were many
bodies buried in them surrounded by spectacular objects. Woolley called these the 'Royal tombs'.
Woolley's discovery made headlines all over the world. It was the first time that so many objects
like this had been found in Mesopotamia. The discoveries changed the public view of Mesopotamian
archaeology and culture.
Describe three artifacts that Woolley and his team found at the ziggurat of Ur.
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Artifact #1:
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What does this artifact tell us about life in Mesopotamia? Why is it important?
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Artifact #2:
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What does this artifact tell us about life in Mesopotamia? Why is it important?
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Artifact #3:
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What does this artifact tell us about life in Mesopotamia? Why is it important?
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