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Station #1-The INVENTION of the
first WRITING SYSTEM
The First System of Writing
The Sumerians were the first people to develop a system of writing. The Sumerian writing system,
called cuneiform, was developed around 3300 BCE, at about the same time the Egyptians were
developing hieroglyphs. Unlike Egyptian hieroglyphs, which used symbols to represent sounds as
well as entire words, the cuneiform symbols were only used to represent sounds. Although it looks
nothing like most modern systems of writing, cuneiform is considered the first alphabet.
Sumerians wrote on clay tablets. They pressed a stylus carved from the triangular stem of a reed into
soft clay, creating wedge-shaped impressions. Cuneiform means "wedge writing." When the writer,
called a scribe, was done, the clay was allowed to dry. The hardened tablets were not easy to
transport, but they were very strong—strong enough to last for over 3,000 years! Archaeologists have
found thousands of these tablets, many of them in surprisingly good shape.
The Impact of Writing
The development of writing impacted all aspects of Sumerian life. Farmers could record which crops
they grew each year and record plans for future planting. Merchants were able to keep detailed
records of their transactions. Laws could be written down and standardized across large areas.
Records of legal disputes and the resulting settlements could also be kept.
Reading and writing cuneiform was difficult. Children had to go to school to learn it. Schools were
usually located in temples. Teachers would write a passage on one half of a clay tablet, and then the
student would copy the teacher's symbols onto the other half.
The Sumerians used cuneiform writing in almost every aspect of their daily lives. They kept lengthy
and careful records of every item they bought, from land and livestock to shoes. They used it to write
letters, epic stories about gods and heroes, and prayers to the gods. They even created dictionaries,
as well as essays about math and science. Because they did so much writing, and because so much
of it has survived, we know a lot about who the Sumerians were and how they lived.
Directions: Complete questions and activity in your Interactive Notebook. You do not have to write the
questions but you MUST answer in COMPLETE sentences.
Label the top of the page: Station #1 Questions and Activity
The First Writing System
1. Who were the first to create a writing system?
2. What was the writing system called?
3. What was cuneiform considered to be?
4. What did Sumerian write on?
5. What would a stylus be like us using today?
6. How long have the tablets lasted for?
The Impact of Writing
1. How did farmers use writing?
2. How did merchants use writing?
3. How was writing used for law?
4. What did students do at school?
5. List 5 things that Sumerians wrote down?
6. What happed because of the Sumerian
using writing?
Station #1- Writing Activity
Name: _______________________
Block: ______________
Date:__________________
Write Your Name in Cuneiform!
Directions: Cuneiform is the world’s first system of writing. Looking at the chart below, you are
going to write your first, middle, and last name using cuneiform. You can then write your age in
cuneiform as well. Make it colorful and creative!
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1. My name is:
2. I am ________________________ Years old.
3. What would it be like to complete assignments in school using cuneiform?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Station #2-The INVENTION of LAW
The Law of the Land
In the winter of 1901 to 1902, French archaeologists digging in Susa, Iraq, made an incredible
discovery: a huge block of stone engraved with the earliest complete legal code in human history.
This code would come to be known as the Code of Hammurabi.
Hammurabi was a Babylonian king who is believed to have reigned in the 1700s BCE. Not only was
he a powerful military leader who greatly expanded the size of his kingdom, but he was also a shrewd
and "hands-on" ruler. Hammurabi built a strong central government and personally supervised tasks
such as building, irrigation, and tax collection. However, he is most well known for the code of law he
created.
Mesopotamians believed that the Code of Hammurabi was not created by the king, but rather that it
was given to him by Shamash, god of the sun, who was associated with justice.
Many historians believe that Hammurabi’s Code was created by recording a number of the legal
decisions he had made throughout his reign. His decisions were based on old Sumerian laws that
had existed for centuries. No written record of those laws has been found.
It is believed that the copies of the law code were placed in important locations throughout Babylon,
so that people would know the law and be aware of their rights. Most aspects of life were covered by
parts of the code.
Clear Rules, Clear Punishment
Hammurabi's Code lays out a clear and specific structure of laws and punishments. These laws not
only protected innocent people who had been harmed, but they also prevented criminals from being
given a punishment that did not fit their crime. For instance, under the code, a thief might have his
own property taken away instead of being put to death. The idea of having the punishment match the
crime, both in type of punishment and severity, is known today as the principle of "an eye for an eye."
Even though the code standardized laws throughout the land, a person’s social status made a
difference in how the laws were applied. For example, there was a greater penalty for striking a man
of a higher social class than there was for striking a man who was equal to you.
Directions: Complete questions and activity in your Interactive Notebook. You do not have to write the
questions but you MUST answer in COMPLETE sentences.
Label the top of the page: Station #2 Questions and Activity
The Law of the Land
1. What was discovered in 1901 or 1902?
2. Who was Hammurabi?
3. What is he known for creating?
4. Who do Mesopotamians believe gave
Hammurabi the code?
5. Why was the code placed in important
locations?
Clear Rules Clear Punishment
1. What does the code lay out?
2. How does the code protect criminals?
3. What is an example of “an eye for an eye”?
4. What made a difference on how laws applied?
5. Is it fair to have law apply different to you
because of your status in the community?
Station #2- Law Activity
Crime Committed
1. What should be done to
the builder who builds a
house that falls and kills the
owner?
2. What should be done
about a wife who ignores her
duties and put downs her
husband?
3. What should be done to a
man who keeps food for
himself instead of sacrificing
it to the gods?
4. What should be done to
the man who does not keep
his word?
5. What happens if a man is
unable to pay his debts?
6. What should happen to a
boy who slaps his father?
7. What should happen when
one man accuses another
man of committing a crime
and it is found that the man
really did not commit the
crime he is accused of?
Hammurabi Code Punishment
2013 Punishment
Station #3 – The Invention of the
Wheel
The Wheel as a Tool
The wheel was invented in ancient Mesopotamia by the Sumerians. However, it did not
come into existence overnight. The wheel most likely evolved as a way to move large
items from one place to another. The first stage in the development of the wheel was
the roller. A roller was made by cutting down a tree trunk and then placing a large
object underneath the object made it easier to roll on the trunk. These planks, or
runners, made grooves into the roller, allowing the object to ride the roller longer before
falling off it. The runner allowed more time between having to change roller, and this
saved the Sumerians physical effort and time. Eventually, perhaps to make the cart
lighter, much of the wood between the two runners was cut away, leaving two end
wheels connected by a narrow beam. This was the first axle. An axle is a rod that
passes through the center of a wheel. It allows the wheel to spin freely. Later, the axle
was separated from the roller ends, now independent wheels, and independently
attached through the middle of each wheel.
Think of how the wheel altered the lives of the people living in Mesopotamia. In
developing the wheel, Sumerians also invented the first cart. A sled was hooked onto
the axle, and the cart was born. Carts allowed more grain to be transported from one
place to another. People could also go farther in a shorter amount of time by riding in
carts or chariots. Also, if a person or tribe had to move because of flood or war, they
could bring more possessions than before, as well as food and water.