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write a brief summary or paraphrase of the material.
The Effect of Environment on Mesopotamian Culture
From these centers, the Sumerians used
The term Mesopotamia is derived from
the rivers for travel, trade, and
two ancient Greek words: mesas
communication, as well as for lines of
(middle) and potamus (river). Certainly,
defense when under attack. Again, the
the name is an appropriate one, since
rivers provided the necessities of life,
including the all-important mud and
Mesopotamia was the area of land
reeds for their building materials, since
sandwiched in between two major rivers
there is little stone in the region.
of the Near East: the Tigris and the
Euphrates. Both rivers have their
The rivers could also be obstacles,
headwaters in the Armenian mountains
however. For example, the complex of
(now part of Turkey), and both—along
waterways formed by the Tigris and
with the climate and terrain that
characterize this region of the world—
Euphrates, their tributaries, and the
have heavily influenced the history and
many irrigation canals built along their
banks, broke Mesopotamia up into
culture of the ancient peoples living
numerous fragments. Cities therefore
near their banks.
tended to be isolated. Rather than
Mesopotamia was first settled by the
uniting the entire region under one
government and forming a common
Sumerians, who began farming the flat
defense, they instead became individual
lands in the south sometime before
3000 B.C.E. Their agricultural efforts
city-states. This made each one more
were successful mainly because the
vulnerable to invasion from both the
nomadic tribes wandering the deserts
Sumerians were able to establish
and swamps between the settlements
irrigation and drainage systems that
and from other city-states. There was a
linked their fields to the rivers. In
addition to the abundant crops this
nearly constant state of warfare among
fertile soil produced, the rivers were
the Sumerian cities for centuries.
filled with fish—a staple in the
Flooding was also a recurring problem.
Mesopotamian
diet—and
the
marshlands beyond the riverbanks
When the rivers overflowed their banks,
offered plenty of wildfowl.
they were capable of destroying entire
settlements; In fact, one ancient
Sumerian myth concerns a catastrophic
The Sumerians also established the first
cities in this area. Recognizing the
flood that may have had a basis in
importance of the rivers for their
reality. This myth most likely was the
source of the biblical story of Noah, the
survival, they selected sites for the
ark, and the great flood.
major settlements of Ur and Uruk on
tributaries of the Euphrates; for the city
of Lagash they chose a site on one of the
branches of the Tigris.
Mr. Moore’s Unit 2 Handouts: Ancient Mesopotamia
1
Circle the letter of the answer that best completes each sentence. Use the process of
elimination, and highlight key words.
1.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Mesopotamia is the region located
in the Armenian mountains (now Turkey)
near the ancient Greek settlement of Euphrates
between tributaries of the Tigris River
between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
2.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The Sumerians became successful farmers largely because
they used the rivers for irrigation
they had learned so much from the Greeks
nomadic tribes in the area provided inexpensive labor
the federal government gave them financial help
3.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Common foods in the Sumerian diet included
fish and wild birds
wild boar and birds
fish and maize
vegetables and wild birds
4.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The word recurring means
running backwards; reversing direction
happening again and again
retreating or withdrawing
needing a great deal of courage
5.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Based on this reading, you might assume that unifying Mesopotamia
was a top priority for the Sumerians
was made easier by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
took a relatively short time
took a relatively long time
Mr. Moore’s Unit 2 Handouts: Ancient Mesopotamia
2
Mesopotamia
You read that farm villages first
appeared in the ancient Middle East. By
about 3500 B.C., some villages had
grown into cities. The earliest cities
appeared in a land called Mesopotamia.
In cities, a new way of life developed.
Rulers built strong governments and
made laws. New occupations developed,
and trade increased. People made
important discoveries in science and
mathematics. And people developed
writing. We call this new way of life
civilization.
• Where in Mesopotamia did the first
civilization develop?
• How did the first civilization develop?
• What was life like in the first
civilization?
• How
did
civilization
spread
throughout the Middle East?
culture
empire
Key Words
irrigate
social classes
Across the Middle East lay an area of
fertile soil and rivers. It stretched from
the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian
Gulf. The area was shaped like a
crescent moon. For that reason, it is
often called the Fertile Crescent. There
people found fresh water and good land
to farm. In the eastern part of the
Fertile Crescent was the land of
Mesopotamia.
(It was where the country of Iraq is
today.)
The Land Between the Rivers
Mesopotamia lay on a plain, or area of
flatland, between two rivers. Those
rivers were the Tigris River and the
Euphrates River. (Mesopotamia means
"the land between the rivers.")
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin
in the mountains of Asia Minor. In the
spring, melting snow often causes the
rivers to flood. Floodwaters carrying soil
from the mountains cover the flatland.
When the floodwaters dry, a new layer
of fresh soil is left behind.
The rich soil of Mesopotamia attracted
settlers. And the rivers provided plenty
of fresh water and fish.
Looking Back
1.What was the Fertile Crescent?
2.Where was Mesopotamia located?
The Middle East is a large region that
includes parts of three continents: Asia,
Africa, and Europe. Like the Middle
East of today, much of the ancient
Middle East was desert land. The
climate was hot and dry. Why then did
people settle there?
Mr. Moore’s Unit 2 Handouts: Ancient Mesopotamia
3
THE FIRST CIVILZATION
4000 years ago. The harp is decorated
with a bull's head.
The first government leaders were
probably priests. Sumerians worshiped
many gods. They believed that gods
controlled the rivers and all parts of life
in Sumer. Like other ancient peoples, the
Sumerians believed that their priests
spoke for the gods.
A people called the Sumerians built the
first civilization in Mesopotamia. The
Sumerians came to Mesopotamia about
4500 B.C. They settled near the Persian
Gulf. Their land became known as
Sumer.
Sumerian farmers planted wheat, barley,
and other crops in the rich soil of Sumer.
But farmers faced a difficult problem.
Rainfall was scarce in Sumer.
To get water to their crops during the dry
season, farmers learned to irrigate their
fields. They dug canals, or ditches, to
carry water from the rivers to their fields.
In the spring, farmers faced another
problem. The rivers flooded. Floodwaters
sometimes washed away fields and entire
villages.
The Sumerians learned to control the
flooding. They built darns and dikes, or
dirt walls, to hold the floodwaters back.
Government Develops in Sumer
Historians are not sure how government
first developed in Sumer. One theory is
this: Building canals and dams took
careful planning. It also took thousands
of workers from many different villages.
Leaders were needed to plan the building
and organize the workers. Those leaders
set up the first governments in Sumer.
The Sumerians made beautiful objects of
gold. This golden harp was found in the
tomb of a Sumerian queen who lived over
Mr. Moore’s Unit 2 Handouts: Ancient Mesopotamia
The First Cities
By irrigating and controlling flooding, the
Sumerians were able to raise more food.
The population grew. By about
3500 B.C., some Sumerian villages had
grown into the world's first cities. Three
important cities were Ur, Eridu, and
Uruk.
The cities of Sumer were not united
under one government. Instead, each city
was a small, separate state, or country,
called a city-state. (A city-state was made
up of a city plus the farmlands and
villages around it.) Each city-state had
its own government, laws, and leaders.
Military Leaders Rise to Power
The city-states often quarreled over land
and other matters. Those quarrels
sometimes led to wars. During those
times of war, military leaders rose to
power in the city-states.
Some historians believe that military
leaders gradually replaced priests as the
heads of government. Some military
leaders became powerful kings who ruled
their city-states from great palaces.
Looking Back
1. How did farmers
flooding rivers?
in
Sumer control
the
2. How might government have developed in
Sumer?
3. Why did military leaders rise to power?
4
LIFE IN SUMER
Sumerian Inventions
Life in Sumer was centered in the cities.
Cities were centers of government, religion,
and trade. New occupations developed in
cities. Some people became artists, inventors,
and thinkers. Those people helped to develop
the remarkable culture of Sumer.
The Sumerians invented a system of
counting based on the number 60. Our
modern system of telling time with 60
minutes in an hour comes from Sumer.
Cities of Clay
Sumer was a land that had few trees and little
stone. So the Sumerians built their cities out
of bricks which they made from clay and
dried in the sun. They built high brick walls
around their cities to keep out enemies.
In the center of each city stood a great temple
called a ziggurat. The ziggurat was the home
of the city's chief god. Near the ziggurat were
the temples of other gods.
Social Classes in Sumer
You read that specialization increased in
Sumer. In time, some kinds of work became
more important than others. That led to the
development of social classes.
There were three social classes in Sumer. The
highest class was made up of the king,
priests, and wealthy landowners and
merchants. Below them was a class made up
of crafts workers and farmers. The lowest
class was made up of slaves.
People in the highest social class had great
power and wealth. But life was hard for
people in the lower classes, who were usually
very poor.
Mr. Moore’s Unit 2 Handouts: Ancient Mesopotamia
Sumerians also invented a 12-month lunar
calendar: (A lunar calendar is based on the
movement of the moon around the earth.)
The calendar helped Sumerians know when
to plant and harvest crops.
Sumerians invented the world's first system
of writing. The Sumerians had no paper.
They used a stick to make wedge-shaped
marks on wet clay tablets. (We call Sumerian
writing cuneiform, which means wedgeshaped.) The Sumerians baked the tablets in
ovens to harden them.
Writing was possibly the Sumerians' greatest
achievement. With writing, the Sumerians
could pass along their ideas and knowledge
to others. Archeologists have found
thousands of tablets in the remains of Sumer.
From those tablets, historians have learned
much about Sumerian culture.
Looking Back
1. How did Sumerians build their cities?
2. What social
Sumer?
classes
developed
in
3. What were some Sumerian inventions?
5
THE FIRST EMPIRES
To the
Akkad.
named
Akkad.
north of Sumer lay the land of
About 2370 B.C., a military leader
Sargon became the ruler of
He became known as Sargon I.
Sargon I built a new kind of army in
Akkad. In the past, armies were formed
for short periods of time-a few weeks or
months. Leaders often forced farmers to
leave their fields and become soldiers.
After the fighting ended, the farmers
returned to their fields.
Sargon I built a permanent army of
fulltime soldiers. With that army, Sargon
conquered the city-states of Sumer.
In time, Sargon's army conquered all of
Mesopotamia and lands as far west as the
Mediterranean Sea. Sargon became the
ruler of the world's first empire.
Sumerian Culture Survives
Sargon's army completely destroyed many
Sumerian cities. One Sumerian wrote
that after Sargon's army attacked a city,
"even the birds could find no place to
build their nests."
But Sumerian culture did not die. The
Akkadians adopted (took over) Sumerian
ideas about government and religion.
They also used the Sumerians' cuneiform
writing to write their own language.
The Akkadians ruled Sumer for about
200 years. Then the city-states of Sumer
drove out the Akkadians.
The Babylonian Empire
About 2000 B.C., a people called the
Amorites settled in Mesopotamia. They
built a city called Babylon. About 240
years later, around 1760 B.C., the
Amorites
conquered
most
of
Mesopotamia. Their empire became
known as Babylonia.
Mr. Moore’s Unit 2 Handouts: Ancient Mesopotamia
The Amorites were led by their king
Hammurabi. Hammurabi set up a strong
government to run his empire. He sent
officials to all parts of the empire to carry
out his orders. The officials collected
taxes. They also took charge of repairing
dikes and darns, digging new canals, and
building roads.
The Code of Hammurabi
Hammurabi's greatest achievement was
probably his code of laws.
Before Hammurabi, each city in the
empire had its own set of laws. Often the
laws
were
not
written
down.
Hammurabi's code was an important
achievement. It gave all the people of the
empire the same set of laws. And laws
and punishments were written down for
all to see.
Babylonian Culture
The Babylonians used Sumerian writing,
adopted the Sumerian calendar, and
built their cities like the Sumerians.
The Babylonians also used the number
system of the Sumerians. But in
mathematics, the Babylonians improved
on the work of the Sumerians. The
Babylonians
created
the
first
multiplication and division tables. And
they used geometry to measure their
fields and layout boundary lines.
(Geometry is the branch of mathematics
that deals with the measurement of lines
and angles.)
Looking Back
1. What kind of army did Sargon I
build?
2. Who were the Amorites?
3. Why was the Code of Hammurabi
an important achievement?
4. How was Babylonian culture like
Sumerian culture?
6
LATER CONQUERORS OF
MESOPOTAMIA
After Hammurabi died, the Babylonian
empire fell apart. New invaders from the
north and east moved into Mesopotamia.
The flat plain of Mesopotamia lay open to
such attacks. There were no natural
barriers, such as mountains and oceans,
to keep invaders out.
Invaders found much to like about the
Mesopotamian way of life. They adopted
many Mesopotamian ideas 'and customs.
They also brought new ideas to
Mesopotamia.
The Hittites
About 1600 B.C., a people called the
Hittites conquered Babylonia. The Hittites
came from Asia Minor, or present-day
Turkey.
The Hittites brought a new weapon to
Mesopotamia-the chariot. (A chariot is a
two-wheeled cart pulled by a horse.) The
Hittites were also the first people to use
iron to make weapons. Their chariots and
iron weapons gave them a great
advantage in battle.
For years, the Hittites kept their iron
making method a secret. But in time,
other peoples learned to make iron. By
1200 B.C., people throughout the Middle
East were making tools and weapons of
iron.
The Assyrians
Around 1000 B.C., a people called the
Assyrians began to build an empire in
Mesopotamia. The Assyrians' homeland
was in the hills of northern Mesopotamia.
City after city fell before the powerful
Assyrian army. Assyrian soldiers were
trained to dig under a city's walls. Then
they knocked down the weakened walls
with heavy machines called battering
rams. By 700 B.C., the Assyrians
controlled most of the Fertile Crescent.
Mr. Moore’s Unit 2 Handouts: Ancient Mesopotamia
Like other peoples of the Middle East, the Hittites
worshiped many gods, this carving shows a Hittite king
meeting with-a god. The king is the smaller figure on the
right.
The Chaldeans
About 610 B.C., a people called the
Chaldeans rose up against the Assyrians.
They destroyed the Assyrian capital at
Nineveh. Soon, the Assyrian empire fell.
The Chaldeans built an empire in
Mesopotamia that lasted only 75 years.
But the Chaldeans made some important
contributions to later civilizations. For
example, the Chaldeans studied the
skies. They made charts showing the
movement of the sun, moon, and stars.
Later peoples built on the work of the
Chaldeans to develop astronomy. (That is
the science dealing with the study of the
heavens.)
Looking Back
1. What did the
Mesopotamia?
Hittites
bring
to
2. What was one contribution the
Chaldeans made to later civilizations?
7