Was Mesopotamia a patriarchal society?

Mesopotamia was a strongly patriarchal society at the time, with men being the heads of households in their society. Although women did not have it nearly as hard under Sumerian rule, they were still second-class citizens behind their male counterparts.

Is Mesopotamia a complex society?

The presence of these rivers had a lot to do with why Mesopotamia developed complex societies and innovations such as writing, elaborate architecture, and government bureaucracies. The regular flooding along the Tigris and Euphrates made the land around them particularly fertile and ideal for growing crops for food.

What was the Mesopotamian culture?

The cultures of Mesopotamia are considered civilizations because their people: had writing, had settled communities in the form of villages, planted their own food, had domesticated animals, and had different orders of workers.

How was Mesopotamian society divided?

The population of these cities was divided into social classes that, like societies in every civilization throughout history, were hierarchical. These classes were: the King and the Nobility, the Priests and Priestesses, the Upper Class, the Lower Class and the Slaves.

Why is society a complex whole?

Each of the social dimensions (socio-economic, cultural, institutions and human nature) is itself a complex entity formed by the combination and interdependence of more fundamental aspects. Society is a complex whole that cannot be reduced to a single essence or aspect.

What defines a complex society?

A complex society is characterized by features such as: State with a large population, where its economy is structured according to specialization and a division of labor. These economic features give birth to a bureaucratic class and institutionalize inequality.

What was the culture and society of ancient Mesopotamia?

Culture and Society in Ancient Mesopotamia. "The Walls of Babylon and the Temple of Bel (or Babel)," by 19th-century illustrator William Simpson. Influenced by early archaeological investigations. From Wikimedia. Mesopotamia was an ancient area in the Middle East. Today, most of it is located in the country of Iraq.

What kind of society did the Sumerians have?

Divisions in society. Over time, ancient Sumerian society was divided into social classes or groups with different levels of importance. The highest social class in Sumer consisted of the king, priests and other important leaders and their families. Only a few of Sumer's people were leaders and priests.

What was the nobility in ancient Mesopotamia?

The noble class included priests and priest-kings. It was believed that the priest-kings were representatives of the cities' patron god or goddess. They lived in temples and were the city's tax collectors.

Who are the free people of ancient Mesopotamia?

The free class was a combination of a modern middle and lower class. The middle class consisted of merchants, artisans and anyone involved in trade. The middle class men lived in the city. Farmers, fishermen, shepherds and hunters made up the lower class.