Society in Ancient Mesopotamia
Ancient Mesopotamia was an incredibly advanced civilization for its time. There were many aspects of society that were well structured and highly developed, as seen from the artefacts. The tablets themselves were remarkable, as the written language - Cuneiform - was the first of its kind. In addition, there were structures and hierarchies made in areas such as medicine and education. Tablets detailed illnesses, causes, and treatments for study, and included clear distinctions between those learning and those who were experienced, as only the experienced healers could treat human adults. Schooling existed as well, with written Cuneiform being taught in schools through proverbs. Marriage of state was also an aspect of Mesopotamian society that contributed to its prosperity, dating back to 1350 BCE. Overall, its success in creating a well structured civilisation is evident through the artefacts and the stories they tell about the past.
Amarna Letter of Marriage Negotiation
This is one tablet of the collection known as the "Amarna Letters", which depicted the negotiation which took place between King of Mitanni, Tushratta, and the Egyptian Pharaoh, Amenhotep III, negotiating for the marriage between the Pharaoh and Tushratta's daughter. The marriage was negotiated to improve relations between Egypt and Mitanni, of which the latter was a state in Northern Mesopotamia.
Tablet Displaying Medicinal Teachings
This tablet displays a short amount of text on both sides of the tablet which was inscribed by a school teacher and their student. The text translates to: "In the town of the Vagrants, the lame is a courier." Scholars believe that the school teacher had written down the text, which was a popular proverb, then told the student to copy it on the other side of the tablet. This artefact shows the resources available that were put into education in Ancient Mesopotamia.
Education in Ancient Mesopotamia
This tablet displays a short amount of text on both sides of the tablet which was inscribed by a school teacher and their student. The text translates to: "In the town of the Vagrants, the lame is a courier." Scholars believe that the school teacher had written down the text, which was a popular proverb, then told the student to copy it on the other side of the tablet. This artefact shows the resources available that were put into education in Ancient Mesopotamia.
Description of Rules for the Royal Game of Ur
This tablet shows the rules for a board game called the Royal Game of Ur. These are the oldest rules for a board game ever recorded in human history. The game consists of twenty tiles drawn in a particular fashion, with the objective being to get one’s pieces to the other side of the board. The Royal Game of Ur is also shown to have been used in gambling in addition to casual entertainment. Undoubtedly, Mesopotamian society was innovative and had leisure time for citizens to create and play games as they pleased.