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Mesopotamia • Many historians believe that the earliest civilizations began in a region known as Mesopotamia. • Mesopotamia was an ancient region in the eastern Mediterranean between the Zagros Mountains and the Arabian Plateau • Mostly modern day Iraq • Parts of Iran, Syria and Turkey • Mesopotamia was a collection of many separate civilizations and small city-states • Mesopotamia is a region, not a united empire such as Egypt, Greece and Rome Ancient Cities Map of Mesopotamia Ancient Cities • Mesopotamia is located mostly in which modern day country? • Was Mesopotamia a collection of several small city-states or a united empire? The Fertile Crescent • Mesopotamia is often referred to as the Fertile Crescent, because of the valuable farmland surrounded by desert • The valuable farmland allowed ancient hunter-gatherers to settle in Mesopotamia and eventually develop cities The Fertile Crescent provided some of the best farmland of the ancient world Impact of the Tigris and Euphrates • Mesopotamia means “between two rivers” in Greek • Tigris and Euphrates River • When the Tigris and Euphrates would flood, the floods would leave behind silt for farming • The floods of the Tigris and Euphrates were also destructive and unpredictable • Devastating floods would regularly wash away top soil and destroy villages • Villages had to work together to channel water to the fields and store water for the dry season • Why is Mesopotamia often referred to as the Fertile Crescent? • What allowed ancient hunter-gatherers to settle in Mesopotamia and eventually develop cities? • What does Mesopotamia mean? • What was one positive of the floods of the Tigris and Euphrates? • What were two dangers of the Tigris and Euphrates? The Cradle of Civilization • Mesopotamia is also referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization” • Many important developments occurred in Mesopotamia • 12 month calendar • agriculture • astronomy • chariots • common tools • domestication of animals • hours, minutes, seconds • • • • • irrigation leather tires math rise of the city sophisticated weaponry and warfare • the arch • the plow • the sail and sailboats • trade • wheel • wheeled vehicles • wind power • writing • Why is Mesopotamia often referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization”? • What were at least 6 important developments that occurred in Mesopotamia? Writing • An early form of writing, called cuneiform, developed in Sumer, a civilization in Mesopotamia • Cuneiform is the earliest known writing system • Cuneiform carved wedge-shaped characters onto clay tablets using a stylus • What is cuneiform? Literature • The Epic of Gilgamesh was the oldest written story in the world. • The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh, a powerful Sumerian king. • The Epic of Gilgamesh was the oldest written story in the world. • The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh, a powerful Sumerian king. – adventures – encounters with gods, spirits and demons – search for immortality Epic of Gilgamesh and the Cedar Forest Math •Math developed in Mesopotamia for many reasons, largely related to farming and trading •creating a lunar calendar •measuring plots of lands •tokens for trading •taxation • Sumerians and Babylonians used number system based on 60 •Babylonian numbers used a true placevalue system, where numbers in the left column represented larger values •Tablets were found showing students practicing arithmetic and geometry in ancient Babylon •Evidence of Mesopotamian’s influence on math today •360 degrees in a circle •180 degrees in a triangle •60 minutes in a hour •60 seconds in a minute •12 months in a year •dice Economy • Most people in Mesopotamia grew crops and raised livestock • In addition to farming, Mesopotamia relied heavily on trade • Mesopotamians traded fish, wool and wheat for materials not available in Mesopotamia, including lumber • Other common jobs in Mesopotamia included scribes, healers, artisans, weavers, potters, shoemakers, fishermen, and teachers • The most powerful people in Mesopotamia were the kings and priests Religion • Mesopotamians were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped many gods • Citizens were expected to honor the gods through the jobs they performed every day • Mesopotamians also prayed, offered sacrifices and built temples to please the gods • A ziggurat is pyramidshaped temple that soared towards the heavens, common in Sumerian civilizations • At the top of the ziggurat stood shrines to the chief god or goddess of the city Cities and Government • Mesopotamia also gave birth to the world’s first cities • Most cities developed their own governments, becoming city-states • Kings were the leaders of the government • A king was responsible for protecting the people, overseeing farming and making laws Hammurabi the Lawgiver • Around 1790 B.C., Hammurabi took steps to unite the Babylon empire by publishing the Code of Hammurabi • The Code of Hammurabi was the first important attempt by a ruler to write down the laws of the kingdom Goals of Hammurabi’s Code: • Protect the weak • Eliminate evil doers • The Code of Hammurabi called for strict justice, an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and a life for a life – “If a son strike his father, his hands shall be cut off.” – “If he break another man’s bone, his bone shall be broken...” Mesopotamian cities • Mesopotamian cities were well planned • At the center of the city was the temple • Since water was the most important resource, most cities were built along a river • Irrigation ditches, canals and aqueducts were used to move water throughout the city • Since Mesopotamia lacked stone and lumber, sun-dried clay bricks as well as reeds were commonly used for construction • Walls were built around the city to protect the people from attack – Ishtar Gate • Mesopotamians made many advancements in architecture • Mesopotamians also created the world’s first columns, arches, and roofed structures • Hanging Gardens • Tower of Babel