Ancient Mesopotamia
Life in the Cradle of Civilization
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Ancient Mesopotamia
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Narrated by:
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Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
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Written by:
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The Great Courses
About this listen
When we imagine what life might have been like thousands of years in the past, the images we often conjure are primitive ones: reed and mud huts or plain brick dwellings, cooking pits, villagers, and simple farms. That was indeed what life was like in the earliest settlements, but by 5,000 years ago, life in some places had become much more sophisticated than we might think. Impressive achievements - like stepped temples that towered like mountains, elaborate palaces (some with bathrooms and plumbing), and complex houses - were also a part of life for people who lived in cities that arose thousands of years ago, particularly in the fertile region that emerged along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Welcome to Mesopotamia, the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago. In this 24-lecture course taught by Professor Podany, you'll fill in the blanks of your historical understanding as you witness a whole new world opening before your eyes.
Riveting stories about kings and priestesses as well as ordinary people from all walks of life transport you back in time, giving you invaluable insights into the history of a landmark region that has long been known as the cradle of civilization.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2018 The Great Courses (P)2018 The Teaching Company, LLCWhat listeners say about Ancient Mesopotamia
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-05-13
Loved it!
I loved this lecture series! Prof Podany is really passionate about the subject and delivers it in a very accessible manner.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- L. C.
- 2020-10-26
Great information, interesting presentation
This was. very vivid descriptions of the lives of people we tend to think are too far in the past to understand. The presenter does a great job of bringing them to life as human beings while laying out what is known of their political history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Xyo
- 2023-05-04
Incredible!
I found it difficult to pause this piece any time I had to get up and do something else.
Professor Podany is clearly passionate about this topic, and the way she presents it along with the obvious years of study that went into the writing of this book are sure to inspire passion in you as well!
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and honestly I may find myself listening to it again some time soon.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- PaladinPhil
- 2020-10-27
I learned...
I have been a dabbler in ancient history. this course gave me a deeper understanding of ancient history and of humanity as well. highly recommended to begin with before learning about other ancient civilizations.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Yehuda Mansell
- 2019-01-07
Marvelous style of history telling
Dr. Podnay takes what could be very dry and infuses it with life, humour and humanity.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- James
- 2020-11-28
fantastic
This was a great listen. The Professor was well spoken and engaging, and the subject was super interesting. Would love to have more by her!! (I have now listened to it twice through!)
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Bertrand
- 2022-08-05
learned a ton and had fun doing it.
I knew far less than I thought about Mesopotamian history. Plus, the series has an engaging presenter who's clearly passionate about the topic.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- C. Chaffin
- 2020-12-20
Excellent
I have listened to a lot of the great courses and this by far is one of the best presentations. The information is a lot more than a drone of names and dates. The professor is engaging and provides details of daily life when possible to give you a sense of the culture. The professor also has an amazing voice that is easy to listen to and love.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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- Samantha McLeod
- 2021-10-16
too much about the lecturer
Boring. the lecturer spends too much talking about self, painting painfully boring images and then using really inane comparisons to modern day. If I wanted a lesson in then v now I would not choose to learn this rich beauty beauty that is history. I would just google 10 things then v now! Please reimburse me.
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