Download Early River Valley Civilizations: Mesopotamia

Early River Valley Civilizations:
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia Map
Partner Discussion Question
• Why did humans travel around?
What was the one thing they HAD
to have? Because of this need,
where do we find most of our
early villages and cities located?
The Start of Mesopotamia
• Middle East (5000 BCE)
– Fertile Crescent
• Fertile due to:
– 2 major rivers that
emptied into the Persian Gulf
• Tigris River
• Euphrates River
– What country is this area
today???
• Mesopotamia (c. 3100-529 BCE)
– Greek term meaning “between the rivers”
• Small cities close to Persian Gulf
– Later spread further WHY???
Geography of Mesopotamia
Geography Practice: Fertile Crescent
Impact of Geography
• Rivers
–Positives
• Fertile land allowed crops to grow
• Deposited silt
–Rich soil from bottom
of riverbeds
Impact of Geography
– Negatives
• Rivers flooded unpredictably
• Area of Sumer was small
• Lacked other vital natural resources
–How would they get these???
Partner Discussion Question
• What technology did the
Sumerians utilize that would help
lessen the negative consequences
of their location?
Impact of Geography
• Problem Solving
– New technologies
• Irrigation canals
– Control water
– Spread the amount of farmable land
Impact of Geography
• Built walls to protect the cities from invaders
Impact of Geography
• Traded for resources
– Who did they trade with??? What do you think they
traded???
– Traded grain and cloth for wood, metal, and tools
Mesopotamia – First Civilization
• Sumer (2900 BCE)
– City-states
– Considered FIRST civilization
Partner Discussion Question
• Why is Sumer considered to be
the FIRST civilization? What
features of civilization did Sumer
have? (Hint: Think back to the
lecture from last class!)
Sumerian Cities
• All cities had their OWN governments and
rulers
–Eridu
–Ur
Sumerian Society
– Buildings made of clay bricks
• Regular houses
• Rich houses
Examples of Ur Housing
Economy of Sumerian Cities
• Economy based of
Agriculture
– What was traded??? (Think
back to earlier in the
lecture!!!)
• Marketplace
– Bazaar or open air market
• Barter
Chapter Reading Review Question
• Write down as many facts
as you can remember from
the reading about
Sumerian religion.
Sumerian Religion
• Polytheism
• Ziggurat
– Protected by walls
– Served many purposes
• Ceremonies
• Sacrifices
• Store grain
• Priests held high power in society
– At first had all power… who eventually takes this
power??? How and why???
Sumerian Government
• Dynasties
Sumerian Society
• Rigid social classes
– Priests and Kings – upper class
– Merchants / Artisans – upper middle class
– Farmers / Laborers – lower middle class
– Slaves – Prisoners of War
• Women
– Own land
– Low priesthood
– Could not write
• What does this suggest???
Sumerian Science & Technology
• Sumerians known for 4 major inventions
– Wheel
– Sail
• Trade
• Travel
– Plow
– Harness
• Calendars
• Number system
• Bronze
0 – 60
– the Bronze Age
• Cuneiform
– Writing system of pressing into clay
– Pictographs
– Stylus
• Ziggurat
Early Mesopotamian Conquerors
• Religious leaders
– Wars broke out
• Military leaders come to
power
• Conquer nearby villages
– Beginning of empires
• What is an empire???
• First Empire builder - Sargon of Akkad
Akkadian Empire
• Conquers City-State Sumer
– From city of Akkad
– Adopted many Sumerian practices and beliefs
• Sargon dynasty unifies Sumer from
2340 – 2125 BCE
– First time Sumer unified
• Expands empire from north of Sumer to Persian
Gulf
Sargon’s Empire
Partner Discussion Question
• Why did Sargon adopt
much of the Sumerian
culture? How did this help
him to rule? Explain.
Babylonians
• Empire of Sargon begins to weaken
• Amorites take power of Sumer around
2000 BCE
• Called Babylonians
– Babylon is capital (no longer Ur)
– Still kept practices of Sumer
Babylonian Empire
Hammurabi
• Hammurabi (1790-1750 BCE)
• Code of law
– Based off earlier codes
– First Written Law Code
– Posted throughout cities
• Hammurabi’s Code
based on revenge
– Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth
– Rules applied differently to
rich and poor
Part of Hammurabi’s Code from a Stele
Babylonian Religion
• Religion changed
– Marduk
– Similar beliefs