Students are to write a 1000 word essay on the importance of ancient Mesopotamia trade. Students are to research online and use their text books, siting all sources in a bibliography to be submitted with their essay to Google Classroom on Oct. 12th. Students should consider:

 

Why was trade so important to Mesopotamia?

 

How were goods transported?

 

What system did they use to trade (did they have a currency, barter, trade in weight)?

 

When did the need for trade and demand for goods expand and why?

 

How did trade play a role in cultural diffusion (be specific - do not just write about what cultural diffusion is)?

 

What were the trade routes and how far did they stretch out within Mesopotamia and with outside neighbors?

 

How do we know how far their trade routes stretched (think archeology)?

 

Was trade an organized system or many various traders working on their own?

 

What goods were traded (what regions created what goods)?

 

What transport developments increased trade?

 

What were the major cities and ports that dealt with heavy trade.

 

Were records kept and how do we know if they were?

 

Students should write a brief description of ancient Mesopotamia, 'the cradle of civilization' and of the various civilizations that thrived in the area. Include important developments that occured in Mesopotamia.

 

The essay should by typed (times new roman, size 12, double spaced) and a hard copy should be turned in on Oct. 12th. It should have a title page and illustrations throughout (they can be images from the internet).