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 * Agriculture and Economy **
 * After artificial irrigation was invented, Mesopotamia became a land of plenty that could support a considerable population.[4]
 * Distributing water through a series of branching network of canals.
 * Ground was extremely fertile provided that it had proper access to water and drainage.[[image:irrigation.jpg width="360" height="228" align="right"]]
 * Mesopotamia’s main natural resources involved grain, vegetables, meat, leather, wool, horn, fish, dates, and reed and plant-fibre product [4]
 * Agriculture started in the foothills of the Zagros mountains where there was wild goats sheep and cereal.
 * Over time farming practices became more common, animals were domesticated.
 * Primarily a land of trade [4] due to:
 * Only wood available was date palm wood (ok for rough beams but poor at finer work)
 * Lack of stone in the other than limestone which could be quarried far from the middle region of Tigris River.
 * Metal could only be acquired from the mountains (mostly copper).
 * Geographically in a good place for trade. In between many wealthy countries.
 * Ships would bring goods for trade down one one of the two rivers.
 * Large docks were built inn the cities so cargo could be unloaded quickly and easily.

Industrial and Artistic Technology  ** 
 * 
 * Mesopotamia in general innovated many new technologies of the time including:[[image:412574503_281c7aa965.jpg width="400" height="299" align="right" caption="Cuneiform from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/412574503_281c7aa965.jpg?v=0"]]
 * Metal and copper-working
 * Glass and lamp making
 * Textile weaving
 * Flood control, water storage, and irrigation
 * Clay was used more than any other raw material [4]
 * It was used for figurines, pottery and was nearly the sole material for architecture. (Bricks and jars and for the jar stoppers on which a seal could be impressed as a mark of ownership.)
 * Clay was also a form of wealth. One could trade pottery for food, clothing and jewelery.
 * Small painted clay tiles were used to make mosaics.
 * Mesopotamia also used clay in a way that no other civilization had: as a medium for writing. [4]
 * Later they used paper.
 * 

Arts, Literature and Music ** Socio-Political Structure **
 * The Assyrians were a viciously militaristic people and was not a focus of their society.
 * However the art they did have reflected their martial ways, more often than not.
 * Influence greatly by Babylonian, Phoenician and Egyptian art. [3][[image:602px-Human_headed_winged_bull_facing.jpg width="236" height="239" align="right" caption="Winged Bull from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Human_headed_winged_bull_facing.jpg"]]
 * Relief carved from stone, often multi-coloured.[1]
 * Molded brick, coloured by glazes were also used.
 * Most art was imperialistic and related to war/hunting.[3]
 * Gruesome, graphically violent and battle scenes were not uncommon.
 * Historians believe that these were created to instill fears in their foes.
 * Animals were often featured[1]
 * Animals were ornately detailed opposed to their human representations which were much more stiff and only minutely detailed
 * Guardian animals were depicted with human faces[3]
 * Usually lions or winged beasts were used for this
 * Most of Assyrian literature was written in Akkadian
 * Akkadian writing dates back to the early years of the old Kingdome
 * Cuneiform tablets have been found representing myths, epics, rituals, lexical texts, wisdom literature, and divinatory and magical texts.[3]
 * We also have an extensive and detailed list of their kings, when they ruled etc.
 * They had many musical instruments including the harp, lyre, reed pipes and drums.[1]
 * 
 * Ruled by a monarchy [5]
 * King would answer solely to his court.
 * The King's son would usually take over after the first died.
 * Local administration (similar to the idea of barons and nobles) [5]
 * Each region had a ruler who would pay taxes to the king.
 * Leaders also required to provide King with soldiers
 * Assyria was divided into many classes.[1]
 * Priests were very powerful in this society
 * Also the medical authority of the time.
 * Upper Class
 * Scribes were regarded very highly in Assyria (more so than in Babylonia)
 * Leaders of regions (above) would be included in this catagory
 * Often highly adorned in jewelery (especially rings) as a sign of wealth.
 * Lower class
 * Artisans, money-lenders, poets musicians had varying worth in society but were usually lower class.
 * Agriculturist and commercial class was small compared to most cultures. There was a larger number of slaves.
 * Agriculturalists and nomadic groups clashed from the very beginning[1]
 * The settlers became the dominant group (obviously) and nomads had lower standing in society.

1. Russell, John Malcolm. __From Nineveh to New York the strange story of the Assyrian reliefs in the Metropolitan Museum and the hidden masterpiece at Canford School__. New Haven, CT: Yale UP in association with 2. Albright, William F. "Assyria." //Encyclopedia Americana//. 2009. Grolier Online. 29 Apr. 2009 . 3. Starr, Ivan. "Assyria." //Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia//. 2009. Grolier Online. 30 Apr. 2009 . 4. "**history of Mesopotamia**." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 02 May. 2009 <[]>. 5.  Saggs, H. W. F. "Mesopotamia." //Encyclopedia Americana//. 2009. Grolier Online. 10 May 2009 .