Where We Are In Place & Time

Sixth grade learned how archaeologists piece together clues in order to discover new knowledge of past civilizations. After reassembling the broken artifacts, they used a cuneiform decoder to learn important facts about the ancient Mesopotamian people. The boys’ clue was “Wheat and Barley”. They researched and found that wheat and barley were staple crops on which the  Mesopotamian civilization was built.

After learning about the importance of the Mesopotamians developing the first lasting written language, sixth grade had an opportunity to create their own clay tablets using cuneiform. They formed their clay tablets and then wrote messages of personal importance using a stylus that they made from natural materials, just like the ancient Mesopotamians!  Ben and Charlie helped make a drying rack, so the tablets could dry in the sun, just like the Mesopotamians would have done. Written language was Mesopotamia’s most important invention. The cuneiform tablets that survived, give us important knowledge about how the Mesopotamians became the first lasting civilization.