As the title suggests, Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie, is a murder mystery occurring in Mesopotamia with Christie's premier detective, Hercule Poirot at the helm. It is set during an archeological dig in Iraq, modern day Mesopotamia. Incidentally, the Royal Cemetery at Ur in Mesopotamia was where the author met her husband, Sir Max…
Category: History – Ancient Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian Ziggurats Homeschool Lesson
In this homeschool lesson about Mesopotamian ziggurats we will explore what ziggurats are, where and when they were built and by whom. We will then investigate why ziggurats were built, looking into depth at the Anu Ziggurat and White Temple at Urek. Pin this post to bookmark it for later! To recap so far, the…
Ubaid Culture {Mesopotamia Unit Study}
The Ubaid culture is an immense prehistoric period of history spanning from about 6500BC to 3800BC and developed from the pottery neolithic era of the Natufians. There are three such cultures (Halaf, Samarra and Ubaid), Halaf being the oldest. The Ubaid's name came from Tell Ubaid which is a mound close to Ur in Southern…
Samarra Culture {Mesopotamia Unit}
The Samarra culture is a prehistoric period of history which developed from the pottery neolithic era of the Natufians. There are three such cultures (Halaf, Sumarra and Ubaid), Halaf being the oldest. These three cultures comprise the very beginnings of the Mesopotamian Civilisation which followed. Read More: Natufian People – the very first known settled hunters and…
Halaf Culture {Mesopotamia Unit}
The Halaf Culture, a Neolithic civilization in northern Mesopotamia (6000-5300 BCE), is renowned for its refined pottery and innovative stamp seals. Artisans created sophisticated ceramics with geometric designs, using advanced hand-building techniques. Their ornamental artistry reflects intricate craftsmanship and cultural identity, leaving a lasting legacy that influenced subsequent cultures in the region.
Göbekli Tepe Art
Following my last post on Göbekli Tepe, I thought it might be fun to look at some Göbekli Tepe art and perhaps make some for ourselves. I have split this post into the three different sections: Engravings, low reliefs and high reliefs. I have made an accompanying video for each section, as well as some…
Göbekli Tepe Lesson
Göbekli Tepe ('Tepe' = mound) has fascinated archeologists since Klaus Schmidt realised its importance in 1995. In the beginning, it was thought to be a simple but impressive megalith, similar to Stone Henge. As time has gone by and Göbekli Tepe reveals her secrets, it is now known to be so much more than a…
How to Make a Neolithic Double-Headed Figurine
In this post, I will be attempting to show you how to make a Neolithic double-headed figurine. You may have seen from my last post the disaster that was my figurine debacle. The Natufian White Ware was fine, but the figurines were terrible. I tried them using both plain plaster and then the more 'true…
Natufian White Ware {Mesopotamia Unit Study}
Did you know that the Natufian people discovered a way to make clay-like vessels without the use of actual clay? In this post we will be exploring the Natufian use of lime plaster as well as demonstrating how to make your own Natufian White Ware using Plaster of Paris. Read More: Natufian People - the…
Natufian Art {Mesopotamia Unit Study}
Man have always found ways to create. It seems to be a vital part of being human. In fact, it is one of the things which set us apart from animals. Did it contribute anything to human survival? Probably not. And yet we still created. On stone, in caves, using peplos, tusks and wood -…
Natufian Culture
The Natufian culture is essential to study when learning about the birth of civilisation in the Fertile Crescent. After all, they were the first hunters and gatherers who gradually changed from a nomadic lifestyle to a fully settled existence in the Levant region. It is imperative to understand their lives before studying the Mesopotamian civilisation.…
The Lifeboat That Saved The World {Book Review}
The Lifeboat that Saved the World is a faithful retelling of the ancient Mesopotamia flood written down in cuneiform four thousand years ago. This Babylonian story of Atra-hasis (meaning 'Very-Wise') can be found on a few cuneiform tablets kept in collections all around the world. Atra-hasis is also known by the name Ut-napishtim, a character…
Lugalbanda {Book Review}
Lugalbanda, the Boy Who Got Caught Up in a War is the oldest known tale from the ancient Mesopotamia civilisation. Older than 5000 years, it was, at first, passed down through oral tradition. An Englishman called W.K.Loftus discovered Urek in 1849. However, it wasn't until 1888 that an expedition from the University of Pennsylvania uncovered…
DK Eyewitness: Mesopotamia {Book Review}
In this review of DK Eyewitness Mesopotamia I will share my thoughts of this book which is a mainstay in so many homeschool libraries. We have returned to this book time and time again, especially when working on our Ancient Mesopotamia Unit Study. In keeping with most DK Eyewitness books, Mesopotamia is filled with many…
Mystery Of History: Lesson Nine – Gilgamesh
Having already covered Gilgamesh during our Ancient Mesopotamia Unit Study with the littles a couple of years ago I wondered if I should maybe skip it. I mean, we had studied it quite in depth. But then I began to toss around some ideas, and figured why not! They were very young before, and we…