Daily life in Mesopotamia
People in Mesopotamia lived different lives than we do today. Everyone was divided into different classes, from highest rank to lowest rank. There weren't a variety of jobs for the people. Mainly, people who lived in small villages hunted and gathered. After the growth of large cities, things have changed. There were all sorts of activities and jobs. Some people who lived in the country worked as farmers. While in the city, people can work a variety of different jobs such as a priest, scribe, merchant, craftsman, soldier, civil servant, or laborer.
Classes of people
Society was dividing into different classes of people for the first time ever. At the way top of society was the king and his family. The priests were also considered to be near the top as well. Also, wealthy people like administrators and scribes were also at the top. Middle class was below the upper class and was made up of craftsmen, merchants, and civil servants. They lived a harder life than the upper class people. They also could make a decent living and work their way to the upper class. Below middle class was the lower class. They lived harder lives but could still work their way up to the other classes with hard work. Lower class consisted of laborers and farmers. And at the bottom were the slaves. Slaves could owned by the king or bought and sold among the people of the upper class. Slaves were usually captured in battles and wars than most people.
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Homes
Most people in Mesopotamia lived in houses made of mud bricks. The houses were rectangular and had two to three levels. Since the roofs were flat, people often slept on then during hot summers. The mud brick worked as a good insulator, keeping the homes cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
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Entertainment
As the cities of Mesopotamia became wealthier, there were most resources and free time for people to enjoy entertainment. The people enjoyed music at festivals including drums, lyres, flutes, and harps. They also enjoyed some sports such as boxing and wrestling. They also enjoyed board games and games of chance using dice. The children would often have toys like tops and jump ropes to play with. Art and poetry were such a big part of the wealthy cities. Most of the poetry and art had a religious theme or honored the king. Storytellers would often pass down stories from generation to generation. on clay tablets or scribes.
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Clothing
Most of the clothing was made from wool. The men wore kilt-like skirts and women wore long dresses. The people often enjoyed wearing jewelry especially rings. the women's hair was braided, while the men had long hair and beards. Both genders wore makeup too.
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