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CHAPTER 3:MESOPOTAMIA AND THE
FERTILE CRESCENT
By: Melissa N. Martínez-Luna
SECTION 1
Geography of the Fertile Crescent
THE LAND BETWEEN THE RIVERS
• In Greek the word Mesopotamia means “between the rivers”. The
Mesopotamian civilization lays between the Tigris and the Euphrates
rivers.
• It is located between Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf.
• In this region there is a large area known as the Fertile Crescent, which
is a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland.
• Hunter-gatherers settled here more than 12,000 yrs. Ago
• The early villages of Mesopotamia rapidly developed into the world’s
first civilization.
FARMING IN THE CITIES
• Irrigation provided a way of supplying water to fields
and storing water for times of need
• Made farmers more productive, which led to a food
surplus and less need for people to farm, and these
in turn led to a division of labor
SECTION 2
The Rise of Sumer
THE CITY-STATE OF SUMER
• Most of the people of Sumer were farmers, living in rural or
countryside, areas.
• The center of the Sumerian society was located in an urban, or city,
area.
• The basic politics of the Sumer is combined of two parts, which is
known as a city-state. A city-state consisted of a city and all the
countryside's around it.
• Due to their constant fights within the city-states, the Sumerians had to
not only create armies, but also strong, thick walls around their cities
for protection.
RISE OF THE AKKADIAN EMPIRE
• The Akkadians civilization developed along the Tigris and the Euphrates, they
were located just North of Sumer.
• For many year they lived in peace with the Sumerians in spite of their
differences. However this was broken in the 2300s BC when Sargon sought to
extend Akkadian territory. He is the first ruler to have a permanent army to
defeat all the city-states of Sumer.
• Because of this he established the worlds first empire, or a land with different
territories and people under a single ruler.
• He ruled for 50 yrs. , however his empire lasted 100 yrs. after his death.
RELIGION SHAPES SOCIETY
• Religion played a major role in Sumerian society
• They Practiced polytheism, the worship of many gods
• Sumerians believed that their gods possessed many different powers,
which included the power over harvest, floods, illness, health, and
wealth
• The people of Sumer believed that priest, who were people that
performed religious ceremonies, gained the favor of the gods.
• Because of their status, priest occupied a high level in Sumer’s social
hierarchy, the division of society by rank or class.
King
Priest
Merchants
Farmers
Traders
Craftsmen
Laborers
Slaves
RELIGION SHAPES SOCIETY
• The people that made up the middle class rank of this society were
the craftspeople, merchants, and traders
• In the Sumerian society men and women had different roles.
- In general men held political power and made laws
- Women on the other hand took care of the home and children
-Education was usually reserved for men, however some high class
women were educated as well
-Some women that were educated were priestesses in the temples
• Enheduanna, the daughter of Sargon, wrote hymns and was the first
known female writer in history.
SUMERIAN ACHIEVEMENTS
Section 3
THE INVENTION OF WRITING
• The Sumerian developed cuneiform, the worlds first system of writing.
• Earlier forms of written communication were by using pictographs, or
picture symbols
• Scribes, or writers, would be hired to keep track of items people
traded. They were also hired by government officials and temples to
keep their records.
• Sumerians wrote stories, proverbs, and songs. Some of these works of
writings were known as epics, long poems that tell the stories of
heroes. One of them was The Epic of Gilgamesh, the story of a
Sumerian king.
MATH AND SCIENCES
• The Sumerians developed a math system based on the number 60.
Based on this system, they divided a circle into 360 degrees. Dividing a
year into 12 months- a factor of 60- which was another Sumerian idea.
• In science they recorded their study of the natural world.
• They made medical advances, using ingredients from animals, plants,
and minerals to produce healing drugs.
TECHNICAL ADVANCES
• One of the most important Sumerian developments was the wheel
• They developed the potters wheel, a device that helped shape bowls
• The plow was another important invention which was used for
agriculture
• They created sewers under the city
• Learned to use bronze to make stronger tools
• And produced make-up and glass jewelry
ARCHITECTURE
• Sumerians’ skills in the fields of art, metal work, and architecture, the
science of building.
• At the center of most Sumerian cities were temples, or ziggurats.
• Bricks made of mud were the houses’ main building blocks.
LATER PEOPLES OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT
Section 4
THE RISE OF BABYLON
• The city of Babylon was located on the Euphrates near what
is today known as Baghdad.
• Hamurabi became the cities greatest monarch, ruler of a
kingdom or empire.
HAMMURABI’S CODE
• Hammurabi’s Code a set of laws that dealt with almost
every part of daily life.
• There were laws on everything from trade, loan, and theft to
marriage, injury and murder.
• This Code was important because it was made available for
all to see
• Hammurabi ruled for 42 yrs.
THE HITTITES AND KASSITES
• The Hittites were among the first people to master
ironworking.
• They skillfully used chariot, a wheeled horse-drawn cart used
in battle
• Their rule did not last long, for their king was assassinated.
• The Kassites then ruled the city for almost 400 yrs.
THE ASSYRIANS
• In the 1200 BC the Assyrians briefly gained control of
Babylon, however they were quickly overturned by
invaders.
• Their military advantages that they had included, iron
weapons, chariots, and good organization.
• Kings ruled through local leaders who enforced and
collected taxes
• They punished any resistance to their rule
THE CHALDEANS
• They made many advances, they studied astronomy,
weather events, geometry, and economics
• They created a calander
THE PHOENICIANS
• Sailed around the Mediterranean, to Egypt, Greece, Italy,
Sicily, and Spain, and through the Strait of Gibraltar into the
Atlantic
• They developed the alphabet, which made writing much
easier and has had a major impact on other languages,
including English.
•