Mesopotamian Culture and Society Research

Everyday Life

The Family

The father was the authority and rights over his children.  He could use them as a
guarantee for repayment of a debt.

Parental respect was very important.

Woman had more rights that women of other lands.  They could own property
and businesses.  BUT they could not vote or rule and were not equal to men.

Marriages were arranged for sons and daughters while they were still in teens.

The newlyweds would live in the house of the husband until they could afford to
set up their own house or until the father died and granted the estate.  The bride
did bring with her a dowry as well as a trousseau (clothing, linens).

The rule was monogamy but some men took secondary wives and these were
often members of the slave class.

Education

At 8 or 9 boys of wealthy families went to school.  Lower class families learned a
trade

Students in schools were called ‘sons’ and the teachers ‘father’.  Monitors were
called ‘big brother.’

School day ran from sunrise to sunset and discipline was strict.  If work was not
perfect they had to redo it and if the clay tablet dried before they could correct the
mistake lasted forever.

Ref: N/A. (-, - -). Mesoptomia: Society & Culture. Retrieved from Blackville: http://blackville.nbed.nb.ca/sites/blackville.nbed.nb.ca/files/doc/teacher/656/chapter_3_notes.pdf