Harrison Lewandowski: Technology by

Evidence 1: Canals, Plows, Levees

852051_2 — 2024-10-07 19:23:15 UTC

According to the Technology article, “This led them to invent new tools and structures to support farmers and their crops, such as the plow, levee, and canal. These irrigation tools helped them grow enough food to live on.”

Technology

852051_2 — 2024-10-07 19:23:21 UTC

I think that technology was the most important characteristic for the success of ancient Mesopotamia because it leads to having everything else. Without technology, Mesopotamia would have never been so successful.

Evidence 2: Clay Bricks

852051_2 — 2024-10-07 19:23:25 UTC

"People would fill hollow containers with clay. This let them make many consistently shaped bricks at once. While clay is not as strong as stone, it was strong enough to build homes and ziggurats." (J.J. Mark, 2022)

Reasoning 2: Clay Bricks

852051_2 — 2024-10-07 19:27:35 UTC

This evidence supports that technology was the most important characteristic for ancient Sumerian society because when it says the the clay bricks were used to make ziggurats, it shows that the ingenuity and technology that was used to create this invention was also essential to promoting religion, which was a motivation for Mesopotamian people to promote their technology skills and innovation, which I wrote more about. (see evidence and reasoning for religion)

Reasoning 1: Canals, Plows, Levees

852051_2 — 2024-10-07 19:38:03 UTC

Without the technology used to create the inventions by the ancient Mesopotamians, there wouldn't be a sufficient food source, which supports that technology is needed for the other important characteristics to be there.

Counterclaim: Religion

852051_2 — 2024-10-08 19:09:47 UTC

On the other hand, you could argue that religion is the most important characteristic of a civilization, and technology is not. This could be true because without a reason to do anything, they would never have been provoked into inventing things. Religion as an ancient Sumerian was more than just a belief, it was an incentive.

Evidence: Religion

852051_2 — 2024-10-08 19:12:27 UTC

In the religion article, "If a Sumerian farmer had barren fields while his neighbor’s were green and fertile, he would assume it was due to divine will. Instead of asking why, he would look for ways to honor the gods so they might help his crops grow.”

Reasoning: Religion

852051_2 — 2024-10-08 19:13:42 UTC

This shows that religion was more than a belief in Mesopotamia, it was an motive to having a better life.

Evidence 3: Sailboats

852051_2 — 2024-10-09 15:26:03 UTC

"The invention of the sailboat enabled Mesopotamians to travel along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers to trade with other cities." (J.J. Mark, 2022)

Reasoning 3: Sailboats

852051_2 — 2024-10-09 16:07:55 UTC

This evidence supports that technology was the most important characteristic to ancient Mesopotamia because for a civilization to thrive, it needs to trade resources and travel throughout unoccupied or occupied land.