Post by SysConfig on Sept 7, 2020 14:19:53 GMT
Great site..bookmark it as it has great stuff on those Greeks Romans and Egyptians..
Messed up things that happened in ancient Mesopotamia
If humor equals tragedy plus time, then few places in history were funnier than ancient Mesopotamia. Or should we say Messed-up-otamia? (Here, tragedy plus time equals dad joke.) This wasn't just any old place, but the birthplace of civilization, situated in the Tigris and Euphrates river system where present-day Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq now reside, per History. This pivotal region gave us Gilgamesh, massive marvels of architecture, and a major legal philosophy. Ancient Mesopotamia might also give you nightmares about brutal rulers, apocalyptic disasters, and unsurvivable diseases. You know — comedy fodder.
For those of you longing to explore the dark side of early civilization, this article can help fulfill that need. Sadly, it won't be very comedic, but at least you know the sadness will eventually be hilarious. In the meantime, while you won't find any gut-busting punchlines, you might get hit with some facts that make your stomach feel funny. Here are some of the messed up things that took place in ancient Mesopotamia.
Ur's death pit
Sumerian carving Shutterstock
If ancient Mesopotamia was the birthplace of civilization, then Sumer (located in present-day Kuwait and southern Iraq) was where civilization learned to walk, write, and ride a bike. Admittedly, bikes didn't exist yet, but according to History, the Sumerians likely invented the world's first two-wheeled chariot, the first writing system, mass-produced bricks, the foundations of mathematics, metallurgy, and other world-changing inventions. Sumer is also where Earth's first cities were likely built, per the Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Sumer's capital was Ur, which some believe was home to the biblical patriarch Abraham before he resettled in Canaan. It was also home to patriarchal kings who linked themselves to gods and superhuman figures like Gilgamesh and likened their subjects to children. Ur's royalty commanded so much devotion and obedience that when monarchs died, the members of their court were forced to die, too, in what an anthropologist Dr. Janet Monge compared to "mass murder."
These royal corpses received elaborate burials, the largest example of which was the "Great Death Pit," according to the Ancient History Encyclopedia. Some experts have argued that the guards and servants who were killed on behalf of dead monarchs died "serenely" after drinking poison. But that still sounds awful, and more importantly, there's evidence that these victims were stabbed in the head with a spike, which sounds the opposite of serene.
Babylon's bloodthirsty judges and unequal justice
Babylon's Ishtar Gate Shutterstock
National Geographic called Babylon the "jewel of the ancient world." The city boasted stunning structures such as the Hanging Gardens, which were so unreal that they likely never existed. Located 60 miles south of present-day Baghdad, Babylon overtook Ur as the most powerful city in southern Mesopotamia during the second millennium B.C. It would be sought and conquered by some of history's greatest rulers, including Alexander the Great. Babylon's first batch of kings came from nomadic clans known as the Amorites, the greatest of which was Hammurabi.
Hammurabi has become synonymous with the expression "an eye for an eye," known more formally as "lex talionis," the law of retributive justice, according to History. That tit-for-tat philosophy was embodied in the Code of Hammurabi, the first legal code ever written. In principle it sounds simple: blind two people, and you'll somehow have four of your eyes gouged out. In practice it was horrific. Penn State University observed that Babylonian judges "were particularly enthusiastic" about handing out severe punishments, which included hacking off hands, cutting off noses, and ripping out hearts.
Despite the "eye for an eye" mindset, justice wasn't blind. The level of retribution an offender faced depended on the social status of the criminal. A doctor who killed a wealthy patient might have a hand chopped off, but if the deceased was a slave, the doctor only owed monetary compensation.
The poisoned fields of Mashkan-shapir
![Ancient https://img4.grunge.com/img/gallery/messed-up-things-that-happened-in-ancient-mesopotamia/the-poisoned-fields-of-mashkan-shapir-1565986741.jpg]()
Mesopotamian carving Shutterstock
Mashkan-shapir doesn't have the same name recognition as a historical juggernaut like Babylon. But as the New York Times detailed, this ancient Iraqi city once rivaled Babylon in importance. Lying 90 miles southeast of modern-day Baghdad, Mashkan-shapir was technically controlled by the city-state Lasara but emerged as a militarily strategic location and a bustling hub of trade of manufacturing. Its economic heyday started around 2050 BC and lasted for about three centuries. But Mashkan-shapir lost its rivalry with Babylon and became a lost city in general.
The place went out in a blaze, but not a glorious one. One of the contributors to Mashkan-shapir's demise was the very irrigation system that helped it thrive. As outlined in The Triangle of Trade: In the Cradle of Civilization, "irrigation [had] a Catch-22 characteristic." Irrigation waters left to settle in the fields evaporated, resulting in a salty residue that poisoned plants. But attempting to drain the water would have caused erosion.
The death blow to Mashkan-shapir was arguably dealt by death itself. The city fell into Babylonian hands in the 18th century B.C. Babylonian emperor Hammurabi died in 1750, inciting insurrections throughout the region, according to UPI. "Dikes and dams were destroyed and cities, including Mashkan-shapir, were burned."
Ancient Mesopotamia's child sacrifices and infanticide
Mesopotamian site in Turkey Shutterstock
Life in ancient Mesopotamia was cruel from cradle to grave. For babies born with deformities, the cradle and the grave were pretty much synonymous. Per the Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Ancient Mesopotamia, infants with missing limbs, conjoined twins, and intersex children were usually assumed to be cursed and thus thrown into the river. According to the Encyclopedia of Death and Human Experience, Babylonian babies with abnormalities "were thought to be the offspring of witches and animals and were left to die by the side of the road."
Children and teenagers also died in apparent ritual homicides. Live Science reported that in 2014, archaeologists made a macabre discovery at Basur Höyük in southeastern Turkey: a Bronze Age tomb containing the carefully buried bodies of two 12-year-olds surrounded by ornaments and what looked like eight human sacrifices. These bodies "were buried between 3100 and 2800 BC," according to the Natural History Museum. Six of the sacrifices died exceedingly young by modern standards, their ages ranging from 11- to 20-years-old. An 11th body was also found but might have been an earlier burial.
The evidence pointed to death by stabbing in at least two instances, but the precise purpose of these slayings was unclear. Dr Brenna Hassett, who led the excavation of the site, theorized that such sacrifices served as a means of population control.
The Akkadian Empire of ancient Mesopotamia died a dry death
Head of an Akkadian ruler Shutterstock
Before the Akkadians came along, the world had no empires. Their unprecedented society would bloom in "the lush valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Syria and Iraq," per the LA Times. The Akkadian Empire enjoyed a hundred-year run, which kicked off with Sargon of Akkad around 4,300 years ago. The Ancient History Encyclopedia noted that the Akkadians created the first successful large-scale government bureaucracy. Under their rule, roads were built and Mesopotamia saw advancements in trade and irrigation. But after a century of success fate rained on their parade — or rather, it stopped raining.
According to Newsweek, the Akkadian Empire stretched across territories with different climates. Over time, Akkadia's southern populations became reliant on agricultural activity in the north, which proved ruinous when a crippling drought hit northern farmers. Famine and fighting ensued as the desperate farmers who once fed the south headed there for help, only to be faced with fierce, violent resistance. The southerners built walls to keep out migrants from their own empire.
According to some experts, these drought-driven conflict precipitated the downfall of the Akkadians, but the theory has been met with resistance over the years. However, a 2019 study published in PNAS showed that the drought argument (ironically) holds water. The Akkadian collapse coincided with a sudden drought that lasted 290 years.
Read More: www.grunge.com/162587/messed-up-things-that-happened-in-ancient-mesopotamia/?utm_campaign=clip
If humor equals tragedy plus time, then few places in history were funnier than ancient Mesopotamia. Or should we say Messed-up-otamia? (Here, tragedy plus time equals dad joke.) This wasn't just any old place, but the birthplace of civilization, situated in the Tigris and Euphrates river system where present-day Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq now reside, per History. This pivotal region gave us Gilgamesh, massive marvels of architecture, and a major legal philosophy. Ancient Mesopotamia might also give you nightmares about brutal rulers, apocalyptic disasters, and unsurvivable diseases. You know — comedy fodder.
For those of you longing to explore the dark side of early civilization, this article can help fulfill that need. Sadly, it won't be very comedic, but at least you know the sadness will eventually be hilarious. In the meantime, while you won't find any gut-busting punchlines, you might get hit with some facts that make your stomach feel funny. Here are some of the messed up things that took place in ancient Mesopotamia.
Ur's death pit
Sumerian carving Shutterstock
If ancient Mesopotamia was the birthplace of civilization, then Sumer (located in present-day Kuwait and southern Iraq) was where civilization learned to walk, write, and ride a bike. Admittedly, bikes didn't exist yet, but according to History, the Sumerians likely invented the world's first two-wheeled chariot, the first writing system, mass-produced bricks, the foundations of mathematics, metallurgy, and other world-changing inventions. Sumer is also where Earth's first cities were likely built, per the Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Sumer's capital was Ur, which some believe was home to the biblical patriarch Abraham before he resettled in Canaan. It was also home to patriarchal kings who linked themselves to gods and superhuman figures like Gilgamesh and likened their subjects to children. Ur's royalty commanded so much devotion and obedience that when monarchs died, the members of their court were forced to die, too, in what an anthropologist Dr. Janet Monge compared to "mass murder."
These royal corpses received elaborate burials, the largest example of which was the "Great Death Pit," according to the Ancient History Encyclopedia. Some experts have argued that the guards and servants who were killed on behalf of dead monarchs died "serenely" after drinking poison. But that still sounds awful, and more importantly, there's evidence that these victims were stabbed in the head with a spike, which sounds the opposite of serene.
Babylon's bloodthirsty judges and unequal justice
Babylon's Ishtar Gate Shutterstock
National Geographic called Babylon the "jewel of the ancient world." The city boasted stunning structures such as the Hanging Gardens, which were so unreal that they likely never existed. Located 60 miles south of present-day Baghdad, Babylon overtook Ur as the most powerful city in southern Mesopotamia during the second millennium B.C. It would be sought and conquered by some of history's greatest rulers, including Alexander the Great. Babylon's first batch of kings came from nomadic clans known as the Amorites, the greatest of which was Hammurabi.
Hammurabi has become synonymous with the expression "an eye for an eye," known more formally as "lex talionis," the law of retributive justice, according to History. That tit-for-tat philosophy was embodied in the Code of Hammurabi, the first legal code ever written. In principle it sounds simple: blind two people, and you'll somehow have four of your eyes gouged out. In practice it was horrific. Penn State University observed that Babylonian judges "were particularly enthusiastic" about handing out severe punishments, which included hacking off hands, cutting off noses, and ripping out hearts.
Despite the "eye for an eye" mindset, justice wasn't blind. The level of retribution an offender faced depended on the social status of the criminal. A doctor who killed a wealthy patient might have a hand chopped off, but if the deceased was a slave, the doctor only owed monetary compensation.
The poisoned fields of Mashkan-shapir
Mesopotamian carving Shutterstock
Mashkan-shapir doesn't have the same name recognition as a historical juggernaut like Babylon. But as the New York Times detailed, this ancient Iraqi city once rivaled Babylon in importance. Lying 90 miles southeast of modern-day Baghdad, Mashkan-shapir was technically controlled by the city-state Lasara but emerged as a militarily strategic location and a bustling hub of trade of manufacturing. Its economic heyday started around 2050 BC and lasted for about three centuries. But Mashkan-shapir lost its rivalry with Babylon and became a lost city in general.
The place went out in a blaze, but not a glorious one. One of the contributors to Mashkan-shapir's demise was the very irrigation system that helped it thrive. As outlined in The Triangle of Trade: In the Cradle of Civilization, "irrigation [had] a Catch-22 characteristic." Irrigation waters left to settle in the fields evaporated, resulting in a salty residue that poisoned plants. But attempting to drain the water would have caused erosion.
The death blow to Mashkan-shapir was arguably dealt by death itself. The city fell into Babylonian hands in the 18th century B.C. Babylonian emperor Hammurabi died in 1750, inciting insurrections throughout the region, according to UPI. "Dikes and dams were destroyed and cities, including Mashkan-shapir, were burned."
Ancient Mesopotamia's child sacrifices and infanticide
Mesopotamian site in Turkey Shutterstock
Life in ancient Mesopotamia was cruel from cradle to grave. For babies born with deformities, the cradle and the grave were pretty much synonymous. Per the Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Ancient Mesopotamia, infants with missing limbs, conjoined twins, and intersex children were usually assumed to be cursed and thus thrown into the river. According to the Encyclopedia of Death and Human Experience, Babylonian babies with abnormalities "were thought to be the offspring of witches and animals and were left to die by the side of the road."
Children and teenagers also died in apparent ritual homicides. Live Science reported that in 2014, archaeologists made a macabre discovery at Basur Höyük in southeastern Turkey: a Bronze Age tomb containing the carefully buried bodies of two 12-year-olds surrounded by ornaments and what looked like eight human sacrifices. These bodies "were buried between 3100 and 2800 BC," according to the Natural History Museum. Six of the sacrifices died exceedingly young by modern standards, their ages ranging from 11- to 20-years-old. An 11th body was also found but might have been an earlier burial.
The evidence pointed to death by stabbing in at least two instances, but the precise purpose of these slayings was unclear. Dr Brenna Hassett, who led the excavation of the site, theorized that such sacrifices served as a means of population control.
The Akkadian Empire of ancient Mesopotamia died a dry death
Head of an Akkadian ruler Shutterstock
Before the Akkadians came along, the world had no empires. Their unprecedented society would bloom in "the lush valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Syria and Iraq," per the LA Times. The Akkadian Empire enjoyed a hundred-year run, which kicked off with Sargon of Akkad around 4,300 years ago. The Ancient History Encyclopedia noted that the Akkadians created the first successful large-scale government bureaucracy. Under their rule, roads were built and Mesopotamia saw advancements in trade and irrigation. But after a century of success fate rained on their parade — or rather, it stopped raining.
According to Newsweek, the Akkadian Empire stretched across territories with different climates. Over time, Akkadia's southern populations became reliant on agricultural activity in the north, which proved ruinous when a crippling drought hit northern farmers. Famine and fighting ensued as the desperate farmers who once fed the south headed there for help, only to be faced with fierce, violent resistance. The southerners built walls to keep out migrants from their own empire.
According to some experts, these drought-driven conflict precipitated the downfall of the Akkadians, but the theory has been met with resistance over the years. However, a 2019 study published in PNAS showed that the drought argument (ironically) holds water. The Akkadian collapse coincided with a sudden drought that lasted 290 years.
Read More: www.grunge.com/162587/messed-up-things-that-happened-in-ancient-mesopotamia/?utm_campaign=clip