Ancient Mesopotamia from the British Museum

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/menu.html

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: This virtual museum site has excellent information on the civilization of ancient Mesopotamia. The Geography section presents the basic geographical features of Mesopotamia, the land of two rivers, and of modern Iraq; it also illustrates part of the Gilgamesh epic. The Gods, Goddesses, Demons and Monsters exhibit illustrates a creation myth and gives information about the principal deities worshipped by the Mesopotamians. The Time section explains how our knowledge of Mesopotamia has changed over time, and includes multiple time lines tracing different aspects of Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian culture. The Writing chapter outlines the cuneiform script used in Mesopotamia, and explains where and how writing was used. Other topics include: Palaces of Assyria, Warfare, Astronomers of Babylon, Trade and Transport, Royal Tombs of Ur, and the Ziggurats. Standards 6.2.0, 6.2.1, 6.2.3, and 6.2.9

Comments: The clear photos will easily project for whole class viewing.

Resource Type: Mix of Text and Graphics.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 246

Ancient Near Eastern Art

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/department.asp?dep=3

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: Here are 100 examples from the Ancient Near Eastern Art collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The works come from ancient Mesopotamia, Iran, Syria, Anatolia, and other lands in the region that extends from the Black and Caspian Seas in the north to the southwestern Arabian peninsula, and from western Turkey on the Mediterranean Sea to the Indus River Valley in modern-day Pakistan and India. These examples show that societies throughout the ancient Near East maintained commercial and cultural contacts across great distances, although the routes, trade goods, and artistic styles. Standard 6.2.3, 6.2.9, 6.5.7, and 7.2.2

Comments: What an incredible resource for teaching about ancient civilization. There is a brief description of each object and the small pictures may be enlarged for projection.

Resource Type: Photos or Pictures.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 248

Art of the First Cities: Third Millennium B.C.E. from the Mediterranean to the Indus

http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/First_Cities/firstcities_main.htm

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: Compare the art of Troy, Sumer and Mohenjo Daro at this fabulous site by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Included are works depicitng religious beliefs, government, writing, seals and sealing, clothing andpersonal adornment, and masterpieces of art from each culture. Standards 6.2.3, 6.4.0 and 6.5.0

Comments: The text and maps

Resource Type: Photos or Pictures.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 310

Mesopotamia

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: Explore the geography, trade, writing, government, architecture, farming, science, warfare, and religion of the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations of Sumer, Babylon and Assyria. There are separate "chapters" for each with stories (many illustrated), maps and activities. Standard 6.2.0

Comments: This British Museum site is one of the best educational sites on the web. It may be used as a stand alone for a unit on Mesopotamia.

Resource Type: Mix of Text and Graphics.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 2150

Mesopotamia

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/mesopotamia_gallery.shtml

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: Mesopotamia has been called the 'cradle of civilisation' because agriculture, animal herding and domestication developed there earlier than anywhere else, almost 8,000 years ago. By 3,000 BC, the Mesopotamians had already invented the wheel, developed writing, and created the world's first cities and monumental architecture. This BBC site explores many aspects of Mesopotamia's rich legacy. Standards 6.2.3, 6.2.4, and 6.2.9

Comments: This site links to the British Museum.

Resource Type: Mix of Text and Graphics.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 2151

Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur

http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/UR/Ur_home.html

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: This rich resource has a slide show of a traveling exhibit on the ancient Mesopotamian city state of Ur created by the Oriental Institute in Chicago. In addition to a beautiful display of these rare objects, background information and pictures on the archaeological dig, maps, and a brief history of Ur are included. Standard 6.2.2 and 6.2.3

Comments: The well designed slides will project for whole class presentations.

Resource Type: Web Museum.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 3199

Why Do Civilizations Fall? Mesopotamia, Mali and Songhai, and the Maya

http://www.learner.org/exhibits/collapse/

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: Explore the collapse of four ancient civilizations, including Mesoptamia. Are there common reasons for such collapses? Written in student friendly text with links to related and valuable resources. Standards 6.2.0 general, 7.7.0 general, and 7.4.0 general

Comments: Connects to some difficult primary source sites.

Resource Type: Mix of Text and Graphics.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 3460

Write Like a Babylonian

http://www.upennmuseum.com/cuneiform.cgi

Rating: 1, Awesome!

Description: This University of Pennsylvania site has an Ancient Mesopotamia Excavation with an itinerary and a photo gallery of Mesopotamian artifacts. In this interactive part of the site, users may input their name and see it in cuneiform. Standard 6.2.9

Comments: Check out their Greek and Egyptian pages too

Resource Type: Mix of Text and Graphics.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 3552

Ancient Near East: Odyssey Online

http://carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/NEAREAST/homepg.html

Rating: 2, High!

Description: Have you ever heard the ancient Near East called "The Cradle of Civilization?" What does that mean? Let's begin by defining a "civilization." What practices or characteristics define a civilization? Explore this site to find out what scholars think. Standards 6.2.1 and 6.2.2

Comments: This site is from the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University.

Resource Type: Mix of Text and Graphics.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 247

Ancient Scripts

http://www.ancientscripts.com/ws.html

Rating: 2, High!

Description: Learn about the history of writing and compare the writing of ancient civilizations including Egypt, Mesopotamia, Kush, Greece, China and India. Standard 6.2.9

Resource Type: Mix of Text and Graphics.

Graphics content: High.

Resource ID: 261