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Question:

giggy843
giggy843
Student
High School - 9th Grade

What was the Mesopotamian economy based upon?

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Posted by giggy843 on Saturday October 10, 2009 at 7:07 PM and tagged with history.

Answers:

  1. lunaboss
    lunaboss Teacher
    Elementary / Primary

    Mesopotamia was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern day Iraq. One of the earliest civilizations known, Mesopotamia was active in agriculture, given its location in the Fertile Crescent. Grains and animal products were mostly produced during this time.

    There was no money system such as we have today; instead, people bartered using goods, animals, and other tangible items. Bartering is trading one thing for another, and the worth of these objects was often determined by demand, exotic qualities, and abundance.

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    Posted by lunaboss on Saturday October 10, 2009 at 8:09 PM


  2. dbello Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Ancient Mesopotamia combines the civilizations of ancient Sumer, Akkadia, Babylonia, and Assyria.  These ancient civilizations prospered because of the attention they paid to the concepts of irrigation and drainage of the Tigres and Euphrates rivers.  These river systems combined with their tributaries led these civilizations to great wealth, simply because they offered the benefit of food abundance in the middle of the desert.  Although there was a monetary value placed on grain and silver as an exchange rate for goods and services, having a constant food supply allowed the Mesopotamians to increase their economic endeavors in trade and commerce.  These economic benefits combined with the backing of several powerful kings led to much of the prosperity within the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia.

    Sources:
    http://www.ancienthistory.about.com/od/neareast

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    Posted by dbello on Thursday October 15, 2009 at 8:42 PM