The History of the World in Six Glasses: Book Review In the book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, by Tom Standage, it explains world history through the six most popular and influential drinks dating back from approximately 3400 BCE to present day. Throughout human history, these six drinks have done more than just quench thirst; they have influenced the course of history from humankind’s adoption of agriculture to the advent of globalization.
It is important because the Sumerians started to irrigate their crops which improved their harvest tremendously. This made more people come to their land such as the Semitic peoples and also helped form the first cities, creating trade. 3. Semitic peoples- Nomadic herders
Sumerian DBQ Surprisingly ancient civilizations have influenced this modern world starting at 3500 BC in what now day middle east ,the first of ancient civilizations began. Ancient Mesopotamia influenced in our world today in many ways. Two contributions from the Mesopotamian civilization were the inventions of cuneiform and Hammurabi’s Code.
Ancient civilizations all developed near a source of water, where producing crops was not a concern. Since people did not need to move place to place for food, they could settle down and form civilizations. Geography was a major reason the ancient civilizations and the people living there
As the Epic of Gilgamesh reached its conclusion an alternative ending from the account of Utnapishtim who is a Mesopotamian version of the later biblical Noah tells the story of the gods becoming angry because humans are breeding wildly and sleep is no longer possible due to the “babel”. Therefore the gods agree to exterminate mankind. The Sumerian Enki who is the god of the waters warns Gilgamesh in a dream to ‘tear down your house and build a boat, abandon possessions and look for life, despise worldly goods and save your soul alive. Tear down your house, I say, and build a boat. “ Gilgamesh did exactly that and endured the world flooding for 6 days.
River valleys were very critical to the Mesopotamian society to sustain their survival, and they also provided help and made life easier. Civilizations, known as "complex societies" had requirements for it to be called a "civilization." Those requirements consist of cities, organized government, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system. People had to find food to eat and something to drink to stay alive. They notice that the rivers valleys were filled with fish and water to drink so they could stay alive.
The first successful efforts to control the flow of water were made in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and The Levant. Their urban populations thrived because of their water management skills and the respect they had for water. While they worked by trial and error, they made revolutionary discoveries in water and agriculture sustainability. The Egyptians used their knowledge of the Niles flood plains to keep their land fertile, while Mesopotamia used elaborate canal and irrigation systems.
An example of this would be like when a shaman can send his spirit to the other world and speak to the dead. Fluidity and permeability were both present during Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. An example would be that both cultures had stories that include Fluidity and Permeability. An example of Permeability in Ancient Egypt is when they die. When Egyptians die they must cross the Nile and be Judged by the god Osiris.
Because 90 percent of the populations were farmers it was a breakthrough when farmers begin to cultivate crops along the floodplains of the river system. The sediments carried by these rivers left a deposit of nutrients in the soil which allowed a more reliable harvest. The spread of river valley agriculture in various parts of Asia and Africa was a decisive factor in the rise of civilization. The efforts to control the flow of water for irrigation and cultivated areas protected the inhabitants from hostile outsiders therefore the transformation of government was developed.
In ancient times, you were unable to control the river, so if it flooded, people went along with it. Now Egyptians had the Nile. It flooded annually at about the same time of year, and was very predictable. It covered the land in silt. Ancient Sumerians, however, were located in between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
The city states of mesopotamia decided to set up civilizations near water because it provided drinking water, easier transportation, fertile soil, and a thriving eco system that invited animals that
By The Waters of Babylon” written by Stephen Vincent Benet, explores the innate behaviors of human beings and describes the aftermath of a nuclear war. In the beginning of the story, the narrator, John, introduced a tribal taboo that is abided amongst “The Hill People.” This indigenous law states that it is forbidden to cross the great river and to look upon the Place of the Gods, for it was greatly populated with spirits and demons. As a manifestation of John’s step towards adulthood or priesthood, John embarked on his curiosity voyage to the Place of the Gods, defying the well established rule within their tribe. Upon his arrival, he stumbled on an elusive and isolated setting with advanced technologies, which he deemed as magic.
Although the Mesopotamians and Egyptians of 3500 to 1500 B.C.E. were similar due to social hierarchy and power roles, nevertheless, the differences between Mesopotamians and Egyptians are evident with politics. This is because of the way Egyptians saw opposing countries as enemies and how Mesopotamians saw other countries as trading partners. The Mesopotamians viewed their priests as extremely powerful people, believing that priests were connected spiritually to the gods and worked hard to appease the gods. The priests would use this to their advantage. For example, selling amulets to citizens to ‘ward off evil spirits’ was just a business move for the priests to make more money and keep their power.
Many Civilizations started along Rivers or Deltas. Rivers have became the main building blocks for the civilizations. Rivers have brought many advantages and disadvantages to these civilizations. That is the one common factor of these civilizations.
One important resource that all early societies relied on was water. Water is not only necessary for human survival; it also was an important resource. It was vital in agriculture, providing fertile land and essential for plants. Many ancient civilizations created villages and cities around accessible sources of water. As populations grew, villagers came up with new and inventive ways on transporting water to different areas.
