Democracy is the Best Form of GovernmentGreece: TyrannyGreece:OligarchyAthens v. SpartaAlexander the GreatQueen Hatshepsut and Ramses the GreatBenefits of Queen Hatshepsut's LeadershipMy Life as a Farmer in Ancient Mesopotamia My name is Katie and here is how my everyday Sumerian farming life goes. I always wake up to that familiar smell of sun-dried clay bricks of my tent and the aroma of breakfast; cheese, cows milk, nuts and some fruits like apples, dates, melons, or berries. It’s time to get ready for a long day. I grabbed a new dress. It was always the same dress that goes from my left shoulder down to my ankles. Then, I went out to get a bowl of fruit. After breakfast, I headed out to the fields. “Ahh, it smells great.” There had been a flood yesterday and now there was a lot of work to do. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers had changed courses and destroyed many crops. People had been assigned to do different jobs. Some people were chosen to gather water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. They are our main sources of water. Other people were directed to plow the ground with stone hoes to gather seeds. This was a quick and easy method. I was assigned to gather the animals for a group of people who were going to go on a trip to trade crops for other resources. Sometimes they would trade crops for resources like lumber and stone because we don’t have any money. I quickly rushed to the barn and took the ropes for a donkey and oxen. They were going to use the donkey as a way of transportation and the oxen for carrying burdens. After a long day of work, I decided to head back to my tent. When I got back I thought of an idea to make a new invention. I wanted to make something amazing like some Sumerians had made. Some Sumerians had invented things like the wheel, the oldest known writing system, a type of arithmetic form, footwear, the hammer, the cylinder seal, and have figured out how to brew beer. I started by sculpting something and then painting a picture but nothing seemed to stand out to me. I still had fun sculpting and painting. Finally, I made a recipe called Mersu which is made out of dates and nuts. Once I was bored of making things, I got ready for bed and said a prayer to the god An. It had been a long and fun day. Source: http://www.silkroadgourmet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Sashas-Mersu.jpg MersuIngredients 1 cup pistachios 1 cup pitted dates 1/8-1/4 cup pistachios, ground for rolling and/or 1/8-1/4 cup shredded coconut for rolling (optional) (Makes 12) Method Blend dates into a paste by pulsing in a food processor. If you prefer the authentic, Mesopotamian preparation techniques, pound and rolling the dates will produce the same results. Then add the minced pistachios and pulse or pound again until integrated and smooth. Form into small balls. Level the mixture in a tablespoon to make sure they all come out the same, then roll them in your hands. As a finishing touch, roll the date balls in ground pistachios or shredded coconut. The pistachios coating is more traditional, although the coconut is fun. (Make ground pistachios by pulsing a 1/4 cup in a coffee grinder or food processor.) Source:http://www.silkroadgourmet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mersu-with-Wine-Must-Syrup-small.jpg
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