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The Land of Firsts • G - eography • R - eligion • A - cheivements • P - olitical • E - conomy • S – ocial Class Important City-States SUMER SIMILARITIES AKKAD Located in Located in Located in the south Mesopotamia the north Spoke Sumerian Practiced similar farming & business methods Spoke Akkadian • War between these 2 city-states over land & water occurred frequently. • For protection, these city-states had a mud brick wall that surrounded the city. Religion • Mesopotamians were polytheistic – belief (worship) of many gods “Poly” = many “theism” = belief in god(s) • They believed gods were responsible for the well being of people and fertility of the land. Anu – god of heavens Enlil – god of wind Enki – god of water Ninhursag – mother of gods • Each day priests would offer food, drink and incense to the gods. Mesopotamians believed their city would have peace & prosperity if the gods were pleased. The main goal was to keep the gods happy. • Temples were created to honor the gods. The largest & most impressive temples were the ziggurats. Structured to resemble a stair way to the heavens. • Mesopotamians believed they connected the heavens and the earth. Reaching heights of 290 ft., ziggurats consisted of a series of stacked rectangular platforms that formed a huge pyramid. Ziggurat - UR Government Religion & government were closely linked. • Sumerians believed kings were chosen by the gods to carry out the gods’ wishes. • Divine kingship – right to rule was god given. Rule could be passed down from father to son. Social Class • King • Priests • Scribes • Merchants & Artisans • Farmers • Slaves Writing • Writing was a giant leap in the development of civilizations. • Inventors: • Purpose: Sumerians track business dealings • Scribe: professional writer • 1st writing system: Cuneiform Scribes would press a reed into a wet clay tablet leaving wedge-shaped markings. Once dried, it became a permanent record. Achievements • • • • • • • Sailboat Writing (cuneiform) Chariot Wheel Plow Stylus Levees/dams • The most significant advancement would be the world’s 1st Empire! Sargon (Akkadian ruler) United all of the city-states under one rule. The use of writing, religion & technology allowed the Mesopotamian civilization to advance. Even though Sumerian civilizations declined, their contributions helped other civilizations to advance. Cuneiform, Ziggurats and the wheel were borrowed/adapted by other people. Can you think how these contributions have impacted our civilization (US) today?