Download Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia

Early River Valley Civilizations: Mesopotamia
WHERE IS MESOPOTAMIA?
EARLY MESOPOTAMIAN KINGDOMS
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On which continent was Mesopotamia located?
___________________; in what is modern day
_____________, Syria & Turkey
On which rivers did the ancient Mesopotamians
settle?
Between the ________________________ &
__________________________ Rivers; in an area
known as the ________________________________
Flooding provide rich _______________ for
farming
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Mesopotamia did NOT represent a
________________ kingdom, instead it was a
series of kingdoms that occupied a specific
geographical space
___________, c. 3500-2300BC
Akkad, c. 2300-2200BC
Babylonia, c. 1790-1590BC
Assyria, c. 1360-620
Neo-Babylonia, c. 629-540BC
SUMER, The First Civilization, 3500-2300 BCE
• Located at the southern end of Mesopotamia
• Near the _________________ of the Tigris & Euphrates
Geography
• City-state: A ________________ + its ______________________________ lands
• _________________________ political units that competed for trade & boundaries
• Characteristics:
• Same culture, but each had its own ________________, special _____________, and
__________________
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Religion & Government
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Polytheism: The worship of more than _______________________________________
Believed gods were _____________________________& all powerful; humans were to
serve gods
Ziggurat: centralized temples where _______________________________________________
were made to the gods; Animals, food, wine, etc.
City-states were ruled by priest-kings who were viewed as powerful
_____________________ of the gods
_________________________ – government based on religious authority
Despite their religious practices, Sumerians had little, if any, belief in the
________________________
Believed that the souls of the dead went to the “ ____________________________
__________________________”
Economy
Culture & Knowledge
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Economy based on _____________________ and ___________________
Traded with places as far away as Egypt and _____________________
At first used barter only
Used barley for _______________, then switched to silver coins
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Developed a form of _______________________________________________ known as
cuneiform; wedge-shapes scratched into ___________________________
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Invention of the ____________________ (3000 BC)
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Other notable contributions:
System of __________________________
Invention of the ______________________________________
The usage of bronze (copper + tin)
Development of a _________________________________ based on 60
Architecture: arches, columns, ramps
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Society
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BABYLONIAN EMPIRE, The First System of Justice, 1790-1590 BCE
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In 1792 BC a new empire took control of Mesopotamia
_____________________________________
Reached its height during the reign of King _______________________________
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Hammurabi’s Code:
First known ________________________________________
Stressed _____________________ behavior
Capital punishment
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“an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”
Punishments based on _______________________________________________
Laws focused on ALL aspects of _______________________________
Most Sumerians worked with
their hands in fields and
workshops
Houses were made of _______
brick and __________
Roles of Men/Women:
Men could __________ wife/kids
into slavery to pay off __________
But women could obtain a
______________ and buy/sell
property
Scribe Schools: Edubbas; for
rich boys only