1. Early settlers (their origins are unknown) began to build and rebuild temples at selected spots in their villages. The earliest known temple was a small shrine made of unbaked bricks. Temples were the residences of various gods : of the Moon God of Ur, or of Inanna the Goddess of Love and War Constructed in brick temples became larger over time, with several rooms around open courtyards.

2. The god was the focus of worship : to him or her people brought grain, curd and fish (the floors of some early temples had thick layers of fish bones). The god was also the theoretical owner of the agricultural fields, the fisheries, and the herds of the local community.

3. Organiser of production at a level the household, employer of merchants and keeper of written records of distributions and allotments of grain, plough animals, bread, beer, fish, etc., the temple gradually developed its activities and became the main urban institution. But there was also another factor on the scene.

During his life time Muhammad enjoyed supreme power and respect in the society. He had supreme religious as well as political rights. After his death the Caliphs succeeded to this position. Below them came in order the scholars and writers, traders, Physicist, Qazi and teacher. In a way they constituted the middle class of the society. Third order consisted of the peasants and artisans and at the lowest ring came the slaves.

The wealth and influence of an individual in society was calculated on the basis of slaves owned by him. But the slaves enjoyed the opportunity of advancing on the basis of their merit. They were neither considered untouchable nor were looked down upon. Women had to live in Purdah. Islamic society continued to have the traditions of polygamy and easy divorce, though women had the right to read and write. On the whole Islam could not make the social life of Arabia very progressive.

Teachings of Islam:

• God, i.e. Allah is one. He is omnipresent and omnipotent.
• People should lead a simple life.

• Reciting Kalma (holy chants), Namaz (prayer), Roza (fast), Zakat (alms tax) and Hajj are five pillars of Islam.

A city or a town is a place where food production is not the main contributor to the economy. City people cease to be self-sufficient and depend on the products or services of other (city or village) people. The division of labor is a mark of urban life. There must be a social organization in place. Organized trade and storage is needed because of need of various raw materials for manufacturers in the city. Many different activities need to be coordinated. In such a system, some people give commands that other obey. Urban economies often require keeping of written records.

Cylinder seals were a small, carved stone cylinder that was used to make an impression in wet clay. When rolled on the wet clay, the seal left an impression that could prove ownership or identity. These small—about an inch to an inch and a half long—seals are delicate works of art, intricately carved with the tiny figures of gods, beasts and men, usually relating a myth, a banquet or an heroic deed.

For 3,000 years cylinder seals were used all over Mesopotamia and wherever Mesopotamian influence was felt. Most were made of stone, whether limestone or semi-precious stones such as carnelian or lapis lazuli. Some were made of copper, bronze, gold, ivory or bone.

Organized Government: The rulers were inscribed in stone.Mesopotamia was ruled by Hammurabi.The weak and powerless were protected.The Laws of Hammurabi are the longest and best organized collections of lawRuled by kings- had absolute power
Complex Religion: Had a polytheistic belief systemWorshipped many gods and goddesses- influenced much of what happened to them in their livesMeaning of life was to live life contentlyReligion helped them face dangers and their fears
Job Specialization: Some of the jobs in ancient Mesopotamia included farming, pottery, weaving, teachers, astronomers, and livestock raisingTrading was also a big deal in Mesopotamia
Social Classes: There are 6 different social classes in the Ancient Mesopotamia Hierarchy: Kings, Priest, Scribes, Merchants and Artisans, Commoners, and Slaves. King: Was the top rank holder of the social class Ancient Mesopotamia; the king created the laws for the civilization; served as the head of the armyPriest: the upper class; considered as the doctors of that time; very influential because religion was important during that timeScribes: the upper class; well educated; undergo a training program to be a scribeMerchants and Artisans: the upper class; had a major role in creating wealth and growth of the civilizationCommoners: laboring lower class; engaged in agriculture; not educatedThe Slaves: were at the bottom of the social class; had no rights and worked for the upper class
Arts and Architecture: Arts included paintings, sculptures, and pictures of life and religion.Some buildings in Mesopotamia were ziggurats and the some of the citizens lived in caves.Art and poetry was a big part of the wealthy citiesArt had religious theme that honored the godsThey enjoyed music and sports
Public Work: The king had made irrigation works to boost the economy.Some types of public work are making irrigation systems, building ziggurats, creating sewage systems, making moats, and building public bathrooms.

Writing:  The earliest writing was based on pictographs, that were used to communicate basic information.Over time, the need for writing changed and cuneiform was developed. Cuneiform was the official Mesopotamia writing form.Mesopotamia scribes recorded daily events, trade. astronomy, and literature on clay tablets. They kept excellent records and list of things. 

Gender Roles in Roman Empire

1.One of the more modern features of Roman society was the widespreadprevalence of the nuclear family. Adult sons did not live with theirfamilies, and it was exceptional for adult brothers to share a commonhousehold. On the other hand, slaves were included in the family.

2.The typical form of marriage was one where the wife did nottransfer to her husband’s authority but retained full rights in theproperty of her father’s family. While the woman’s dowry went to thehusband for the duration of the marriage, the woman remained aprimary heir of her father and became an independent property owneron her father’s death.

3.Marriageswere generally arranged, and there is no doubt that women were oftensubject to domination by their husbands.Whereas males married intheir late twenties or early thirties, women were married off in the lateteens or early twenties, so there was an age gap between husband andwife and this would have encouraged a certain inequality.

4.Divorce was relatively easy andneeded no more than a notice of intent to dissolve the marriage byeither husband or wife. On the other hand,Augustine, the great Catholicbishop, tells us that hismother was regularly beaten by his father and that most other wivesin the small town where he grew up had similar bruises to show!

5. Finally, fathers had substantial legal control over their children –sometimes to a shocking degree, for example, a legal power of life anddeath in exposing unwanted children, by leaving them out in the coldto die.

Papyrus, writing material of ancient times and also the plant from which it was derived, Cyperus papyrus (family Cyperaceae), also called paper plant.

Town Planning: The discovery of the Sumerian city of Ur has shed light on the lives of the early Mesopotamians. The Mesopotamian cities fell short in terms of town planning as compared to the Harappan centres but followed a uniform pattern nevertheless. The city was divided into three parts - the sacred area, the walled city on a mound and the outer town. The sacred area consisted of the temple tower or the ziggurat dedicated to the patron god of the city. There were also smaller temples of other gods. This area also had the storehouse as well as the offices. People resided in the walled city and the outer town areas. Houses were constructed along the streets, and each house had a central courtyard with rooms attached around it.