Great introduction to Mesopotamia!!

[Manhattan_Mom]

I've been obsessed with introducing Mesopotamia and have finally found a book that has hit it totally out of the ballpark.  From Eridu and Uruk, the invention of the potter's wheels, cart and bronze plow, writing, trade, etc.  It's called, "The Ancient Near Eastern World" part of the World in Ancient Times series by Amanda Podany and Marni McGee (Oxford University Press).  I'm sure it is familiar to many of you but as a casual member of the great forum, my searching did not turn it up, so I'm posting to pass along.  The books of the series are unfortunately pricey but can be had used for a bit less on Amazon.  Three things make them great: 1. Really compelling writing aimed at maintaining a kid's interest (lots of clues and mysteries to solve) 2. Cast of characters and places with pronunciation guide and lastly 3. a researcher's perspective (not just a chronology, but a evidenced-based history).  I would have saved myself lots of time and money if I had come across this book (and series) months ago!  But BOY are we happy we found it.   My kids LOVE it.  I'm excited to read through the whole 8-book series.

[Manhattan_Mom]

PS Other books of the series are have different authors.  Will post reviews of these when we work through them.

[maize]

We've got this series on the shelf to use this year as we study ancient history.

[Manhattan_Mom]

We've got this series on the shelf to use this year as we study ancient history.

 

I'm debating which book to do next. Do you have an order/rationale in mind?

[Serenade]

Thanks for posting.  I've been looking for books on ancient Mesopotamia, too.

[maize]

I'm debating which book to do next. Do you have an order/rationale in mind?

I plan to do Egypt after Mesopotamia because those cultures interacted and influenced one another, beyond that I don't think the order matters very much other than that Greece should probably be studied before Rome.

[Tucksgurl]

What reading level does this book target?

[Lori D.]

What reading level does this book target?

 

 

Amazon says grade 8 and up. Also -- handy feature: on Amazon, you can click on the book and see sample pages to decide for yourself what the reading level is. :)

[Manhattan_Mom]

What reading level does this book target?

 

I think any kid who is able to sit and listen to an interesting story would get a lot out of it. They will sit for one chapter at a time (about seven pages long) with pictures and/or maps on each page). The writing is an outstanding synthesis of primary sources (which I love) and a compelling narrative (which the kids love).  Here is a sample paragraph from page 32:

 

"By the fourth millennium [there is a sidebar explaining that historians called a thousand year blocks of time a millennium] (the 3000s BCE) Mesopotamian spinners and weavers were producing beautiful cloth made from the wool of their many sheep.  They traded their cloth for other luxury goods [like silver].  None of these ancient fabrics survive because, like wood, cloth disintegrates in the soil.  But we know that cloth was the Mesopotamian's main export for centuries because, once writing was invented, lots of documents tell us of its production.  An 18th-century BCE list recorded 384 workdays spent in the creation of "one fine [wool]... robe."  It must have been richly designed and embroidered.  There is a quote symbol in the margin that alerts you to the fact that the index contains the reference for the quote (which I'll reproduce for you). Sylvie Lackenbacher, "Un Texte vieux-baby-lonien sur la finition des textiles," Syria 59 (1982): 129-49.

 

So I would ask the boys, "Why don't we have any examples of Mesopotamian cloth?  If we have no examples h ow do we know that the Mesopotamians created cloth?Who made the wool cloth? What luxury good did the Mesopotamians seek to trade for their cloth?"   If they are not able to answer a question, I re-read the paragraph and ask again.  In this way, we read one chapter per day (about 20 of the above-sized paragraphs).  My kids are 3.5 and 5.  

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Thank you for the tip... I'm adding it to my list of considerations for logic stage!