Assyria



__Introduction__
===**Assyria is a kindom located in Northern Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq). The name Assyria is derived from mât Aššur, meaning "the country of the god Aššur". Assyria began to emerge in 2400 BC and existed as an empire approx. between the times of 2000 BC and 600 BC, and is now extinct.** ===

=__Land__ = =Assyria's land had a pretty large amount of natural resources, having the Tigris and Euphrates rivers made farming particularly easy because they kept the land rich and fertile. The Assyrians also had some mountains handy, such as the Armenian mountains in the north, and the Zagros mountains in the east. And as Assyria began to grow, the new land introduced new economies, such as mining and forestry. = = = =__Way of Life__ = =Most Assyrians worked for powerful people, and most who didn't were farmers. Those who farmed lived in small villages, and worked on their land. The first sign of agriculture was in 6500 BC. The farmers produced milk and raised livestock, for the Assyrians, the most important crop was livestock. = =There was little slavery in Assyria, and when there were slaves, it was mostly people who couldn't pay their debts. Some Assyrians even sold their wives or kids into slavery in order to pay their debts! Also, some Assyrians would simply roam the countryside, but that was mostly runaway slaves or unsuccessful farmers. = = =

media type="custom" key="12228302" These people are dressed in traditional Assyrian costume and are dancing to celebrate the Assyrian new year. = = =__Accomplishments__ = =You probably didn't think that Assyrians had made much of a difference in the life we live today, well if you think that, you think wrong. Assyrians have made a HUGE difference, including that they were the first to use a 360° circle. They also invented the first written language, which has probably made a big impact on your life. = = = =__Conclusion__ = =Modern day Assyrians like to refer to themselves as "Surayi", which means either "Assyrian" or "Syrian". Today there are still many traces of Assyrians all over the world, and there will be for may years to come. =

= = = __Critical Thinking__ =

Assyrians are responsible for many things we could not live without, such as the first code of law, and even the first written language! Imagine living with no law what-so-ever. People would be able to do anything they wanted and nothing would be wrong with it. I think before the law was created, life was not the easiest, which was probably why they decided to use the law, so things would stay in order. As well as the first code of law, they also were the first to use the 360 circle. You might be thinking that that is not important, but to many, it has introduced new theories in the understanding of mathematics. So as you can see, Assyria took some of the first steps to the beginning of civilization. Assyria was also among the first people to exist as an empire (led by one specific leader), kind of like the way England is today. When the ruler dies, the thrown is passed down to the next in line, which is usually the oldest son.

__Bibliography__

http://i-cias.com/e.o/assyria.htm This is where I got my information on the land topic and the introduction.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Assyria.aspx This is where I got my information on the Assyrian accomplishments.

The World Book "A"