Name: ____________________________ Date:___________________

Social Studies Distance Learning

The Find of a Lifetime: A Lost City-State or a Hunter/Gatherer Meeting Place?

After your three month internship at Community’s Academy for Historical Studies, you are ready for your first major assignment. As head of The University of Pennsylvania’s archaeology department, you just came across thirteen artifacts that are being sold on the open market to the highest bidder. Your job is to advise the university’s Antiquity’s Museum that they should purchase these artifacts for their exhibit on hunters and gatherers or for their exhibit of Ancient River Valley Civilizations. While the authenticity of the artifacts is not in doubt, there is debate among your colleagues as to which exhibit these artifacts should be displayed. You are certain that these artifacts suggest evidence of a lost city-state and thus should be displayed with the ARVC collection. However, you must prove it!

Day 1 : Categorize the Artifacts

If this is indeed an early civilization, your first responsibility is to sort each of the 7 artifacts into the civilization wheel. Attached you will find a list of all the artifacts found. Place the letter of the artifact within the piece of the civilization wheel that it represents.

Some Common Cultural Practices Including Religion:

________________Advanced Cities:

_________

Government with Written Laws:______________

Writing and Record Keeping:

_____________

Advanced Technology:

_________

__________

Social Hierarchy:

_________

Specialized Workers:

________________

Day 2 and 3: Archaeologist’s Report

Now it’s time to earn your salary. As head of the Penn’s Archaeology Department you must present your findings to the school’s Antiquities Museum and convince your colleagues of that claim. Having completed your historical internship with your teacher, you must call upon your prior knowledge and make the most persuasive argument possible as to why these artifacts meet the seven characteristics of a civilization and is therefore evidence of a lost city-state.

For each characteristic of a civilization, write:

ONE bullet point explaining why an artifact represents that part of the civilization wheel

Advanced Technology (How does this artifact represent advanced tech?):

Social Hierarchy(How does this artifact represent social hierarchy?):

Specialized Workers (How does this artifact represent specialized workers?):

Common Culture & Religion (How does this artifact represent common culture?):

Advanced Cities (How does this artifact represent advanced cities?):

Government with Written Laws (How does this artifact represent gov’t?):

Writing and Record Keeping (How does this artifact represent writing?):

Day 4, 5, 6 : Confront your skeptics

For some reason, there are still a few colleagues who don’t support your point of view and are claiming that the find is from a hunter-gatherer meeting place. Choose THREE of the most convincing artifacts that prove you’re right and that this settlement HAS to be a lost Mesopotamian city-state!

Artifact #1: ____________________________________________

This artifact could only come from a civilized Mesopotamian city-state and not a simple hunting-gathering society because…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artifact #2: ____________________________________________

This artifact could only come from a civilized Mesopotamian city-state and not a simple hunting-gathering society because…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artifact #3: ____________________________________________

This artifact could only come from a civilized Mesopotamian city-state and not a simple hunting-gathering society because…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 7: Map Quest

Since these artifacts first appeared for sale on the illegal black market, the exact location of their discovery is unknown. However, there is evidence that the artifacts originated somewhere in the region shown on the map below.

Based on your excellent report, Penn has agreed to sponsor a summer expedition to find the exact location of this lost settlement and possibly retrieve additional artifacts. Because of the great cost, the university has provided only enough time and money to excavate one site in the region.

After working with the artifacts and determining that this was indeed a lost city-state, you must select a site where you think they belong. Using your best detective work, choose a number from the map to show where you think these artifacts were found. Remember, this is a lost Ancient River Valley city-state.

Location Number Chosen: ____________________________________

TWO Geographic Reasons Why I Chose this Location Are: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summary of Artifacts

A. Nearly 4,000 etchings of a script were found carved on stones, fragments of pottery, and other objects.

B. The settlement was divided into two parts. The area near the fortress included an elaborate bathing facility created with fine quality brickwork and drains; this was surrounded by a porch. Nearby were a giant granary, a large residential structure, and at least two aisled assembly halls. To the east of the fortress was the lower region of the settlement. Smaller buildings were excavated in the lower region. The streets were straight and had drains to keep the area sanitary.

C. The foundations and crumbling walls of thousands of brick houses were identified. Larger houses had interior courtyards and as many as three stories. All houses, even the small ones east of the fortress, had bathrooms that were connected to sewers.

D. Terra-cotta statues of a “Mother Goddess” were discovered in the ruins of nearly every home. Other figures carved into seals depict gods and goddesses in both male and female forms.

E. The remains of furnaces and knives found provided evidence that several metals such as bronze, lead and tin were produced. In addition, bowls, beads and other ornaments were made of metals not obtainable in the region.

F. Pieces of fine jewelry –rings, bracelets, and necklaces– were uncovered. Some were crafted out of gold from southern India; others out of copper from Afghanistan. Some were set with stones like jade, also from southern India and turquoise from Persia. In addition to human skeletons, personal items like amulets and simple pottery were recovered from a few burial grounds.

G. A large number of weights all belonging to a uniform system were found throughout the settlement. H. A large number of human figurines were discovered, including a soapstone figure of a man thought

to be a priest. I. Other figurines show that people within the settlement often wore different styles of dress and hair,

some much more elaborate than others – indicating there may have been a king. J. Carvings of single-mast ships and remnants of carts with wooden wheels were found near the river.K. A carving that appears to be a tax payment.L. Carving of what appears to be scribes counting and other professions.M. Irrigation and flood control systems were discovered. As well, bones of animals were unearthed

including dogs and cats, humped cattle, buffaloes, possibly pigs, camels, and horses.

A. Nearly 4,000 etchings of a script were found carved on stones, fragments of pottery, and other objects.

B. The settlement was divided into two parts. The area near the fortress included an elaborate bathing facility created with fine quality brickwork and drains; this was surrounded by a porch. Nearby were a giant granary, a large residential structure, and at least two aisled assembly halls. To the east of the fortress was the lower region of the settlement. Smaller buildings were excavated in the lower region. The streets were straight and had drains to keep the area sanitary.

C. The foundations and crumbling walls of thousands of brick houses were identified. Larger houses had interior courtyards and as many as three stories. All houses, even the small ones east of the fortress, had bathrooms that were connected to sewers

D. Terra-cotta statues of a “Mother Goddess” were discovered in the ruins of nearly every home. Other figures carved into seals depict gods and goddesses in both male and female forms.

E. The remains of furnaces and knives found provided evidence that several metals such as bronze, lead and tin were produced. In addition, bowls, beads and other ornaments were made of metals not obtainable in the region.

F. Pieces of fine jewelry–rings, bracelets, and necklaces– were uncovered. Some were crafted out of gold from southern India; others out of copper from Afghanistan. Some were set with stones like jade, also from southern India and turquoise from Persia. In addition to human skeletons, personal items like amulets and simple pottery were recovered from a few burial grounds.

G. A large number of weights all belonging to a uniform system were found throughout the settlement.

H. A large number of human figurines were discovered, including a soapstone figure of a man thought to be a priest.

I. Other figurines show that people within the settlement often wore different styles of dress and hair, some much more elaborate than others – indicating there may have been a king.

J. Carvings of single-mast ships and remnants of carts with wooden wheels were found near the

river.

K. A carving that appears to be a tax payment. L. Carving of what appear to be scribes

counting and other professions.

M. Irrigation and flood control systems were discovered. As well, bones of animals were unearthed including dogs and cats, humped cattle, buffaloes, possibly pigs, camels, and horses.