Document 2.2 Law and Justice in Ancient Mesopotamia: If you knew nothing else about ancient Mesopotamia, what could you conclude from the Code of Hammurabi about the economy and society of this civilization in the eighteenth century B.C.E.? What kind of economy prevailed in the region? What distinct social groups are mentioned in the code? What rights did women enjoy and to what restrictions were they subject?
Looking just off of the Code of Hammurabi, it looks like the economy was mostly based off of a coinage system. This is more advanced than a bartering system which is really cool for a early civilization. It also shows that in the workforce, laziness is not accepted at all. If a field is hired out for at least three years then the person who has working the field now owns it. It also looks like there is a bartering system in place. Law 271 says "If any one hire oxen, cart and driver, he shall pay one hundred and eighty ka of corn per day..." This looks like a bartering system because instead of coins being traded for a service it is corn.
Slaves are a major part of the code and they are treated like property. There is a big difference in laws between free men and slaves. The only difference between laws 198 and 199 is what happens if a freed man loses an eye or gets a bone broken, and if the same thing happens to a man's slave.
Women were treated mostly like property in this time. Rule 132 says that a man's wife will have to jump into the river for her husband even if she didn't do anything wrong. Also in many of the rules the wife as no opportunity to leave the marriage but the husband can pretty much at any time. One rule that kind of goes towards women is if a man does not have intercourse with her she is not a wife to that man. Also a woman can be pardoned by her husband in some instances.
Overall rules are favorable to free males, while all other people are subject to much harsher punishments that are unjust.
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