Download AKA “The Fertile Crescent”

MESOPOTAMIA
AKA “The Fertile Crescent”
Sumer
In about 5000 BC, was
the first civilization to
develop in
Mesopotamia.
Often referred to as
the “Cradle of
Civilization.”
Epic of
Gilgamesh
• Recorded by a
Babylonian scribe
in 2000 BC.
• An epic poem
about a great flood.
• Oldest piece of
literature.
Must control the
water!
•
Location between
Tigris and Euphrates
rivers was ideal for
farming.
•
Regular flooding
distributed silt
•
In an effort to
protect crops, the
following were
developed:
•
•
•
Irrigation canals
Dams
Dikes
Mesopotamian
City-States
•
The kingdoms and
empires of
Mesopotamia were
made up of individual
city-states.
•
A city-state includes a
city with the
countryside that
surrounds it.
•
Often the city was
walled to provide
protection from
invasion.
Ziggurats, Trade,
Social Hierarchy
•
Ziggurats were steppyramids used as
temples
•
The Mesopotamian
region was a
crossroads of trade
between Europe,
Asia, and Africa.
•
Social Hierarchy
shows the divisions
and statuses in
society.
Religion &
Writing
•
The people of Ancient
Mesopotamia were
polytheistic, believing
in several gods and
goddesses.
•
Each city-state had a
patron god or
goddess.
•
Cuneiform is
recognized as the
world’s oldest system
of writing & includes
wedge-like shapes
made on clay tablets.
Sargon and the
Akkadians
•
Around 2300 BC
Sargon invaded and
conquered Sumer
•
After his death, the
Akkadian Empire fell
to ruin.
Babylonian
Empire
•
In 1790 BC,
Hammurabi united
much of the region
and formed the
Babylonian Empire.
•
Best known for
Hammurabi’s Code of
Laws
Hittites and the
Assyrians
•
Hittites were known
for their ironworking
and advanced
weaponry.
•
They conquered
Mesopotamia in about
1400 BC but their
empire collapsed in
about 1200 BC.
•
The Assyrians
expanded their empire
into the region in 1100
BC.
•
They were known for
brutality and amassing
wealth.
Nebuchadnezzar
•
The Babylonian
Empire returned to
power under the rule
of Nebuchadnezzar in
612 BC.
•
He made efforts to
return Babylon to its
former glory.
•
He is known for the
legendary Hanging
Gardens.
The Persian
Empire
•
Cyrus the Great
overthrows the
Babylonian Empire in
539 BC
•
Persian kings allowed
conquered people to
maintain their culture
and belief system
•
Darius I efficiently
ruled and expanded
the Persian Empire
between 522-486 BC,
building vast roads
and a government
mail system.
Zoroastrianism
•
Taught that one wise
god ruled the world,
but was in a constant
battle against the
prince of evil.
•
Emphasized the need
to choose between
good and evil in order
to attain a positive
afterlife.
•
Significant
development toward
monotheism
Phoenicians
•
Known for their skills
at sailing and trade
•
Developed the first
alphabet with symbols
that represented
sounds
•
Is the ancestor to our
modern alphabet