Social structure
In Mesopotamia, people at higher levels in the social structure had a greater status than others. At the top of this "pyramid" there were priests, land owners, and government officials. This group of citizens would have the most luxurious homes near the center of the city. In the middle was the common class. This group consisted of merchants and crafts people. They created luxury items for the upper class such as mirrors and jewelry. The common class also included farmers and fishermen. They lived in small, mud-brick houses near the very edge of the city. At times, they were forced to fight in the wars. At the bottom of the Mesopotamian ranking system are slaves. They lived with their masters and had no land of their own.
Daily life
Only priests were allowed into the ziggurat where they worshiped gods and goddesses. They were responsible for making sure that everybody in the community behaved in a way that would please the gods.
Kings and government officials were responsible for creating laws in a city-state. Not until King Hammurabi came along were the laws written down.
Soldiers had to watch over city-states. Scribes, who were in the same ranking as soldiers, had to go through twelve years of training. Scribes could only be wealthy men, no women, slaves, or poor civilians. The jobs of the scribes was to write down events, laws, and everyday life.
Traders, merchants, and craftspeople usually spent their day creating goods, selling items, and trading. Money had not yet been invented, so people bartered. About 80% of he people were farmers, and they lived outside the city walls. By living outside the city, the farmers were the furthest from the ziggurat.
Slaves did the chores for the wealthy. This could include farming, laundry, and taking care of the children. Some citizens could become slaves if they committed a crime or were in debt.
Kings and government officials were responsible for creating laws in a city-state. Not until King Hammurabi came along were the laws written down.
Soldiers had to watch over city-states. Scribes, who were in the same ranking as soldiers, had to go through twelve years of training. Scribes could only be wealthy men, no women, slaves, or poor civilians. The jobs of the scribes was to write down events, laws, and everyday life.
Traders, merchants, and craftspeople usually spent their day creating goods, selling items, and trading. Money had not yet been invented, so people bartered. About 80% of he people were farmers, and they lived outside the city walls. By living outside the city, the farmers were the furthest from the ziggurat.
Slaves did the chores for the wealthy. This could include farming, laundry, and taking care of the children. Some citizens could become slaves if they committed a crime or were in debt.