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.:<Affi What's the Connection? Meeting People ln Section 1, you [earned about early humans settting in towns. Some settled in Mesopotamia, an area ca[[ed the "cradle of civitization." Sargon (SAHR.cTHN) Hammurabi (un.muh. RAH.bee) Focusing on the . Civilization in Mesopotamia began in the val[eys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. (page 17) . Sumerians invented writing and made other important contributions to [ater peoptes. . (page20) Sumerian city-states [ost power when they were conquered by outsiders. (page23) Locating Places Buitding You r Voca bu lary civilization (srH.vuh. [uh. ZAY. shuhn) irrigation (tuno uh.GAY.shuhn) city-state artisan (AHR.tuh.zuhn) cuneiform (kyoo. NEE. uh. rnwnv) scribe (SKRYB) empire (fuv.evn) Reading Strategy Information Sequencing Use a diagram to show how the first empire in Mesopotamia came about. Tigris niver (TY.gruhs) Euphrates River (yu. FRAY.teez) Mesopotamia (rvrH.suh o puh rTAYo mee. uh) Sumer (SOO.muhr) Babyton (Al.buh.[uhn) 16 CHAPTER 1 3000 r.c. c.2Y+0st. c.l792st. City-states arise in Sumer Sargon conquers Hammurabi rutes Mesopotamia Mesopotamia The First Civilizations M es opotamia's (ivilization *,mm'ldea . (ivilization in Mesopotamia began in '*e {aileys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. ,:,iir rlQ Focus Do you live in a region that receives ,:--' cf rain or in a region that is dry? Think about r , --at affects you as you read how the Sumerians' ,L- ':-nent affected them. " - er thousands of years, some of the :arming villages developed into civi- : . -,Its. Civilizations (srH . vuh . [uh . ZAY. ',;--sl are complex societies. They have : ::. ,Jr$dflized governments, art, religion, -. jlr-isions, and a writing system. lt#'hr [Yere River Vatley* Empcrtant? rne :ir-ilizations arose in river valleys : -. je good farming conditions made it easy to feed large numbers of peopie. The rivers also provided fish and freshwater, and made it easy to travel and to trade. Trade provided away for goods and ideas to move from place to place. It was no accident, then, that cities grew up in these valleys and became the centers of civilizations. As cities took shape, so did the need for organization. Someone had to make plans and decisions about matters of common concern. People formed governments to do just that. Their leaders took charge of food supplies and building projects. They made laws to keep order and assembled armies to fend off enemies. With fewer worries about meeting their basic needs, people in the river valleys had more time to think about other things. They developed religions and the arts. To pass on ia'ill ti,. ' .t ...,.,a,,,.,. .l-r> _,reqn ^ n -*€Q, ,. ,r,,..::.:i:::: .,,,A . -uslng Geography Skills :'rrrer of great civilizations --lEi r3 :rr,Eed in Mesopotamia. *-: : - at body of water do the ff'. .rd the Euphrates Rivers ftow? il'a :i you think the region of ",:::::tltdr"t'tiEl was SO we[[ SUited " "-= growth of civilization? , ARABIAN DESERT 5OO mi. 5oo km Equal-Area projection Sculpture of chariot from Mesopotamia CHAPTER 1 I The First Civilizations ,'S - t' IA information, they invented ways of writing. They also created calendars to tell time. Early civilizations shared another feature-they had a class structure. That is, people held different places in society depending on what work they did and how much wealth or power they had. The Rise of Sumer rhe earliest-known civ* ilization arose in what is now southern Iraq, on a flat plain bounded by the Tigris River (tY.gruhs) and the Euphrates River (yu' FRAY.teez). Later, the Greeks called this area Mesopotamia (vrH'suh' puh'TAY' mee' uh), meaning "the land between the rivers." Mesopotamia lay in the eastern part of the Fertile Crescent, a curving strip of land that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. Mesopotamia had a hot, dry climate. In the spring, the rivers often flooded, leaving behind rich soil for farming. The problem was that the flooding was very unpredictable. It might flood one year, but not the next. Every year, farmers worried about their crops. They came to believe they needed their gods to bless their efforts. Over time, the farmers learned to build dams and channels to control the seasonal floods. They also built walls, waterways, and ditches to bring water to their fields. This way of watering crops is called irrigation (rHn. uh. GAY. shuhn). Irrigation allowed the farmers to grow plenty of food and support a large population. By 3000 e.c., many cities had formed in southern Mesopotamia in a region known as Sumer (sOo'muhr). The top of the ziggurat was considered to be a holy place, and the area around the ziggurat contained palaces and royaI storehouses. The surrounding wa[[s had onty one entra-nce because.the ziggurat also served as the city's treasury. How A Statues of Sumerians praying 18 didp:yptc:f*! ? *---.,-,ilr==.-;::€iii:i-*;iF;:E=5 ftate. ded" The very ; but rried lieve their ruild lonal ra]-s" This ilion I the ,Port cities ina ffiit Were (ity-States? sumerian cities ,nnr,.-r: isolated from each other by geography. ,lhwi-.nd the areas of settlement lay mudflats of scorching desert. This terrain llmrrfirrce travel and communication difficult. ffi,mc: Sumerian city and the land around .rr' i,r.came a separate city-state. It had its Iffriwii: government and was not part of any rlmreel unit. Sumerian city-states often went to war 4r,Irff r]n€ another. They fought to gain g10ry ,slurc ic--'r control more territory. For protecluu,lr. each city-state surrounded itself with a ,mi,arf' Because stone and wood were in short mlum,rh; the Sumerians used river mud as thuer: rnain building material. They mixed Sne:lud with crushed reeds, formed bricks, snrr; -ett them in the sun to dry. The hard urnc patches waterproof bricks were used for walls, as wellas homes, temples, and other buildings. 6ods and Ruler' The Sumerians betieved in many gods. Each was thought to have power over a natural force or a human activity-flooding, for example, or basket weaving. The Sumerians tried hard to please the gods. Each city-state built a grand temple called a ziggurat (Zt1.guh.nnr) to its chief god. The word ziggurat means "mountain of god" or "hill of heaven." With tiers like a giant square wedding cake, the ziggurat dominated the city. At the top was a shrine, or special place of worship that only priests and priestesses could enter. The priests and priestesses were powerful and controlled much of the land. They may even have ruled at one time. nC b IT A A portion of the Royal Standard of Ur, a decorated box that shows scenes of Sumerian life { These ruins are from the Sumerian city-state of Uruk. Whatwas a city-state? CHAPTER 1 The First Civitizations 19 Later, kings ran the government' They led armies and organized building projects' The first kings were probably war heroes' Their position became hereditary. That is, after a king died, his son took over. What Was life Like in Sumer! wnite Sumerian kings lived in large-'ilalaces, ordinary people lived in small mud-brick houses. Most people in Sumer farmed' Some, however, were artisans (AHR'tuh'zuhns), or skilled workers who made metal products, cloth, or pottery. Other people in Sumer worked as merchants or traders. They traveled to o*ter cities and towns and traded tools, wheat, and barleY for coppeL tin, and timber-things that Sumer did not have. People in Sumer were divided into three social classes. The uPPer class included kings, Priests, and government officials. In the middle class were artisans, merchants, farmers, and fishers. These peoPle made uP the largest grouP. The lower class were enslaved PeoPle who worked on farms or in the temples. Enslaved PeoPle forced to serve were A Sumerian cuneiform others. Slaveholders thought of them as proPerty' Some slaves were prisoners of war' Others were criminals. Still others were enslaved because they had to pay off their debts' In Sume{, women and men had seParate roles. Men headed the households' Only males could go to school. Womery however, did have rights. They could buy and sell property and run businesses. Explain How did MesoPotamians control the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers? CHAPTER 1 The First Civilizations A Skilled PeoPle Sumerians invented writinq and made ottrer important confiihutions to later peoplesReading Focus Do you like to read? lf so, you owe a debt to the Sumerians, because they were the fir:t to invent writing. Read about this achievement and others' The Sumerians left a lasting mark on world history. Their ideas and inventions were copied and improved upon by other peoples. As a result, Mesopotamia has been called the "cradle of civilization." Why Was Writing lmportant? rhe people of Sumer created many things that still affect our lives today. Probably their greatest invention was writing. Writing is important because it helps people keep records and pass on their ideas to others. People in Sumer develoPed writing to keep track of business deals and other events. Their writing was called cuneiform (kyoo' NEE' uh'rrwnv). It consisted of hundreds of wedgeshaped marks cut into damP claY tablets with a sharP-ended reed' Archaeologists have found thousands of these cuneiform tablets, telling us much about MesoPotamian life. Only a few PeoP1e-mostlY boYs from wealthy families-learned how to write' After years of training, they became scribes (SKRYiS), or record keepers. Scribes held honored positions in society, often going on to become judges and political leaders' Sumerian Literature The sumerians also produced works of literature. The world's oldest known story comes from Sumer' It is called the Epic of Gilgamesh (GIHL' guh o r.,rrHsH). An epic is a long Poem that tells the story of a hero. The hero Gilgamesh is a king who travels around the world with a friend and performs great deeds. When his I made 5lowea first to others. rk on rtions other treen ; ,eople in Science and Math rr'e L-[esopotamians' creativity extended to :=chnology too. You read earlier about :-rrrerian irrigation systems. Sumerians :-so invented the wagon wheel to help Advances ::rr\r people and goods from place to place. r-:other breakthrough was the plow, which :ade farming easier. Still another invention ,,,'.-s the sailboat, which replace{ muscle :,ri{er with wind power. altect ratest nPor- u'ritand :alied x). it *dg"clarreed. Sand-< ftg u-s ldentify What kind of written language did the Sumerians use? frr€Pas*Rr -*t' rords ls Sumerians developed many mathematical ideas. They used geometry to measure fields and put up buildings. They also created a number system based on 60. We have them to thank for our 60-minute hour, 60-second minute, and 360-degree circle. In addition, Sumerian people watched the skies to learn the best times to plant crops and to hold religious festivals. They recorded the positions of the planets and stars and developed a L2-month calendar based on the cycles of the moon. ::iend dies, Gilgamesh searches for a way to ,";e forever. He learns that this is possible -:fr. for the gods. Education PreG€mt V @[[ ln ancient Mesopotamia, onty boys from ,uealthy and high-ranking famities went to the viubba, which means "tablet house." At the *d u bb a-the world's first schoot-boys ;rrdied reading, writing, and mathematics ;nrd trained to be scribes. For hours e, ery day, they copied the signs of the - neiform script, trying to master rur+dreds of words a-d phrases. Students today trona ,t-rite" ribes hehl ng on ;- ; IT?i[, Today, both boys and girls schoo[. They study reading, al-"o go to writing, and mathematics, but a[so many other subjects. As students advance in their education, they have a great number of career choices and are abte to choose the career that fits their talents. 'I n,wha::t wd)l:Is ad iE*tla: n differant taday,th a n orld"s r. trt is I guh . Is th.e risa rith a n hus I Mesopotarniahiuneifo,rm rta,blet iftwstrrl.Mesoiai**ta?" CHAPTER 1 '' : "..'i,,,,,, : : The First Civilizations | :. 21 HavtMuRABI c. 1792-1750 n'c' Reigned ffiff$,:ffi#'ffiI"",ffi il*t'ffi**,irn**:I* IH::::, ffi :[*ti:t:[:l;*lit*;'ulni:i,i:1-iru,'"0 % ;,,[:[TH'xJ],:fflJ#J:,::"ffiTJ:i|:f,:: went into his prole"i;;; i""t'' for example' were arrangedinstraigtriiin.,.naintersectedatiigtrt% AHammurabi ptanned today' much Uft ift" *ty oul cities.are angtes, """on" to control the of Hammurabi's goals was uttt"e ii provided water for. troi'*t*'*t*t routes.for cargo ships' Babyton's farms and trade wanted However, other kings arso ; oJ tr,'.. coiir;i:lfi'fl;,*ig,H ,-#il#f[till::1 rs i's st 4 ilr; i1,".-ffi ;1ll # ?ilii:lJil., D u ri n a mm u ra b ra 1 ve a and oth"t enemies' Hammurabi fought a'in'ini'-Sin r"' and this by as king, he peopte..He sometimes did 'Jtait" una withhotding actuatty used . ,uailn ftooa, Lnd sometimes by ,.1..r'ng warer the damming croPs' for drinking ana water;;[.;i'r-iin *.i"t ""i iit fll "..aed Afterdefeatinghisenemies,Hammurabirutedbrieflytveraunified 'tmurabisoonu...*_u.iri.nahisson,samsuiluna,tookover Han il''.;ecause of Hammurabi's great ofjoY @ Mesopotamia' rnd was crowned king after .tiortr, however, the center ;;;:*; rrx#ili*fr*r"ilry next it where '1,000 remained for the years. * ;.r'il;;;;;;.bi'si E g IEJEI il; ;;r il;;;;t Use the lnternet..1and . l^ riur..y to identify ."::::::,yIT_t" fair but you ihintt are somewhat Sugon and Hammurabi rc Sumerian city-states lost power when conquered by outsiders. Lywere Focus Have you heard of the Roman Empire, Empire, or the British Empire? The rise and fall is an important part of history. Read on to the first empires in the world. time, conflicts weakened Sumer's Theybecame vul:rerable to attacks ide groups such as the Akkadians (uh. . uhnz) of northern Mesopotamia. The king of the Akkadians was named (SAHR.cnHN). In about 2340 e.c., conquered all of Mesopotamia. He set world's first empire. An empire (rgv. isa group of many different lands under mler. Sargon's empire lasted for more 200 years before falling to invaders. In the 1800s B.c.t a new group of people became powerful in Mesopotamia. They built the city of Babylon (al.buh.tuhn) by the Euphrates River. It quickly became a center of trade. Beginning n 1792 n.c., the Babylonianking, Hammurabi (Hr. muh. RAH. bee), began conquering cities to the north and south and created the Babylonian Empire. Hammurabi is best known for his law code, or collection of laws. (See pages 24 and 25.) He took what he believed were the best laws from each city-state and put them in one code. The code covered crimes, farming and business activities, and marriage and the family-almost every area of life. The code forced everyone in Babylon to follow the same laws. It also influenced later laws, including those of Greece and Rbme. Explain Why was Sargon's empire important? Review ttlfhat Did You Learn? Summary th" farming villages devetirto civitizations with art, religion, writsocia[ ctass divisions. citlr-states developed lmportant ideas and invenhduding writing, the whee[, m and a number system 60, were developed in 1. What is a civilization? Geography Skitts How was the geography of Mesopotamia suited for the growth of population and creation of 2. What was the Code of Hammurabi? Criticat Thinking 3. Summarize lnformation a civilization? Draw a chart [ike the one below. Use it to list the achievements Science Link Why did the Sumerians record the positions of stars and p[anets and of Mesopotamian civilization. develop a calendar? Persuasive Writing lmagine you are [iving in a city-state in ancient Sumer. Write a letter Achievements of Mesopotamian Civilization to a friend describing which of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamian idea or invention you believe witl be the most important to humanity. empires, including the Empire, took control CHAPTER 1 The First Civilizations 23