Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
History begins in Sumer… Geographers examine the ways people use their environment, how and why they change it, and what consequences result from these changes. For example, humans altered the environment of the Fertile Crescent by introducing irrigation, thus enabling the development of Mesopotamia as a rich agricultural region. The Fertile Crescent extended in an arc from the Mediterranean Sea through what is now Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. Urban Revolution: The Birth of the City Around 3500 B.C.E. large villages like Eridu, Erech, Lagash, Kish, and later Ur and Babylon built irrigation systems that allowed populations to swell to 10,000 people. They were productive enough to even allow 10% of the people to engage in other activities besides farming. The changes were profound. Now, read pages 14-15. What does the word Mesopotamia mean? Describe the physical characteristics of Mesopotamia (at least three). Who created the first civilization in the region? Now, read pages 15-16. Religion and Rulers Sumerian religion was polytheistic (it involved a belief in many gods). Temples built atop large stepped towers called ziggurats were the most important buildings. Temple priests and priestesses held a great deal of power, and kings were believed to derive their power from deities, making the government a theocracy. Human beings in general were considered inferior and were obliged to serve and obey the gods. Now read pages 16-17. Society of Mesopotamia Sumerian social structure consisted of nobles, commoners, and slaves. Nobles included members of the royalty and priests. Commoners were mostly farmers, (perhaps as much as 90% of society) and a few were craftspeople. Enslaved persons worked mainly for the royalty and temple priests and were used primarily for building projects, craftwork, and farming. Farming was the primary economic activity. Sumerians traded woolen textiles, pottery, dried fish, wheat, and metal goods for copper, tin, and timber. Now, read page 17. Sumerian Civilization How were the six basic characteristics of a civilization displayed by Sumer? • Cities: The Sumerians learned to control the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates and grow regular crops, which allowed people to live together in cities. • Government: Independent city-states wielded political and economic control over the surrounding countryside. Sumerian Civilization • Religion: Sumerian religion provided answers to questions about life and the universe. • Social structure: The economy was based on farming, barter, trade and industry. The three major social groups were nobles, commoners, and slaves. Sumerian Civilization • Writing: Sumerians created a cuneiform system of writing. • Art: Sumerians produced epic poems, fine metalwork, and elaborate architecture. The Standard of Ur Height: 7.5 inches Length: 23 inches http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/t/the_standard_of_ur.aspx Where could we look to try and discover this time period – beyond the textbook? Artifacts (Standard of Ur) Read together from Human Adventure, Volume I, pages 21-22. Laws (Code of Hammurabi) http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/cVczEWH0RVm_dFZtJBAjRw Stories (Epic of Gilgamesh) BBC: Later read pages 19-20. All of these examples offer insight – reveal aspects - of what is explained in the text. Characteristics of Mesopotamia Physical landscape: Geography is destiny! Flat, easy to invade. Few resources. Unpredictable – must be controlled – flooded in April (before winter crops were harvested, after summer sowing of crops – therefore the floods were destructive.) Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped” Preservation of documents on clay Uses: Trade, Astronomy, Mathematics, Calculation of time (12-month year, 24-hour day, 60-minute hour) Political Structure Old Akkadian (ca. 2340-2200 BC) Ruling classes based often on military prowess Social Structure Patriarchy: “rule of the father” Right to sell wives, children Social classes based on accumulation of wealth. http://cdli.ucla.edu/collections/oi/oi.html