Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean is a retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh, making ancient history and mythology accessible for homeschooling. The story explores themes of friendship, mortality, and wisdom through the journey of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. This book serves as an excellent resource for Mesopotamia studies and discussion.
Category: History – Ancient Mesopotamia
Build Your Own Shaduf: DIY STEM Project
The post discusses the shaduf, an ancient irrigation tool used in Egypt and Mesopotamia to lift water. It explains its components, how it works as a simple machine, cultural significance, and historical context. The post includes instructions to build a shaduf as a hands-on STEM project, promoting learning through creativity.
Treasures from Bible Times: Exploring Biblical Archaeology
Treasures from Bible Time by Alan R. Millard is a foundational work in biblical archaeology that explores key archaeological findings related to the Bible. Despite its 1985 publication date and dated content, it remains a valuable resource thanks to its accessible writing and rich illustrations, appealing to both casual readers and serious scholars.
Dig This! by Michael Avi-Yonah {Book Review}
Dig This! How Archaeologists Uncover Our Past by Michael Avi-Yonah is an introductory, youth-oriented title that explains the methods of archaeology and the history behind key discoveries. Published in 1993, the book is part of the Buried Worlds series and is considered a solid, foundational resource for students aged between 9 and 14. Overall Impressions of Dig This!…
Treasures Under the Sand by Alan Honour {Book Review}
Treasures Under the Sand: Leonard Woolley's Finds at Ur by Alan Honour is a classic Young Adult (YA) biography of the pioneering archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley. Published in 1968, the book focuses on Woolley's famous excavations at Ur, highlighting his contributions to turning archaeology from a "haphazard treasure hunt" into a scientific discipline. This is a…
Ancient Mesopotamia by Virginia Schomp {Book Review}
Ancient Mesopotamia by Virginia Schomp is a thorough introduction to the topic, specifically aimed at 11-18 year olds. It is a clear and accessible resource, especially for homeschoolers and younger students who might find the history of the region confusing. For me, it was an excellent overview. Alongside, the Eyewitness Ancient Mesopotamia book, it makes a fabulous…
Printable Mesopotamia Luggage Stickers
These printable Mesopotamia luggage stickers are a perfect addition to a homeschool ancient Mesopotamia unit study! Do check out my MEGA Mesopotamia Unit Study post to find out just where Proto-cuneiform fit into the history of Mesopotamia. This huge post has lots of printable, videos, science experiments and, as always, stacks of suggestions for easy hands on…
Mesopotamia Tickets and Luggage Labels {Mesopotamia Unit}
As part of my Mesopotamia Unit Study, I have made some fun extras to help get your children in the mood such as some Mesopotamia tickets and luggage labels. I have also made some passports and luggage stickers which I will share in another post in the future. These are all great additions to your…
The Seven Great Cities of Mesopotamia {Book Review}
The Seven Great Cities of Mesopotamia is a great addition to your homeschool Mesopotamia unit study, and is especially aimed at younger students. Do check out my MEGA Mesopotamia Unit Study post to find out just where the seven cities fit into the history of Mesopotamia. This huge post has lots of printable, videos and science experiments.…
Cone Mosaics of Urek
The cone mosaics of Urek are thought to be some of the earliest examples of mosaic art in the world. This post will cover what they are, how they were produced and why. It will culminate in a video showing you how to make your own from polymer clay. Pin this post to bookmark it…
Curating a Mesopotamia Unit Study
For the past couple of years, I've been working on curating a unit study on Mesopotamia. It's been a bit of a labour of love. I've created a six week planner, project books for a variety of projects, as well as individual lessons and videos. I've also made notepages, science experiments and art studies. Most…
Cylinder Seals {Mesopotamia Unit Study}
Cylinder seals are one of the most fascinating artefacts to come out of Mesopotamia. In fact, Mesopotamia is known for these small, cylindrical stamps, which are considered to be its unparalleled artistic accomplishment. Read more: This lesson on Mesopotamian stamp seals gives you lots of information about the cylinder seal's earlier cousin Also, do check…
The Golden Bull {Book Review}
The Golden bull is a staple in our house, with it being read aloud (or read alone) each time we study Mesopotamia. There is very little good fiction set in Ancient Mesopotamia. And to be honest, not much has changed over the last decade or so. It's a shame because we love to learn about…
Proto-cuneiform Homeschool Lesson
Proto-cuneiform was a pictographic communication which grew from the accounting tokens we learnt about last week. The Mesopotamians began to denote certain information using, first, stamps and then accounting tokens which finally developed into proto-cuneiform tags and pictographic tablets. Pin this post to bookmark it for later! Read More: The Ubaid culture created beautiful artwork and…
Accounting Tokens Homeschool Lesson {Mesopotamia Unit Study}
Humans have been attempting to communicate their thoughts since almost the beginning of their time on earth. In fact, over 24,000 years ago, cave walls were drawn upon, leaving their mark for present day man to enjoy. It was around 20,000 years ago that tally marks began to appear...on cave walls, on sticks and on…