Download Mesopotamia - Mr. Jones @ Overton

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Like the Nile, they flooded every season . . .
But unlike the Nile, flooding was unpredictable and
dangerous.
A floating marsh
village on the
A Nile River flood.
Euphrates River.
They tend to be
Thepredictable,
culture of the
regular,
“Marsh Arabs”
and calm.
goes back
thousands of
years.
But people, in ancient and modern times, tried to adapt.
The Tigris River overflowing in 1912.
The Sumerians
The civilization of Sumer was made up of 12 city-states in the
Tigris-Euphrates Valley.
Although each city was independently ruled,Athe
Sumerians
city-state
is an
shared a common culture, language, and
religion.
independently
ruled city.
A Ziggurat. (Sumerian Temple)
It is usually
Every Sumerian city-state
made uphad
of the
one. Only the priests
cityand
itself and the
priestesses could climb
the stairs
surrounding
to enter the templefarmland
on top. and
countryside.
Government
 Each City State independently
governed. Some by kings, some by
nobles, and some by priests.
Often, Kings were also the high priest
to the city’s main deity.
Responsibilities of a Sumerian King:
1. Supervise Farming
2. Enforce Laws
3. Manage the Army
Society
Family roles and family life was regulated by the state and
outlined by strict laws.
Men had almost absolute power over wife and child. . .
Including the right to sell them into slavery to pay debts or
divorce them without cause.
Women had reduced rights, but could own, buy, or
sell property.
Religion
Like Egyptians, the Sumerians were polytheistic.
Sumerian deities were responsible for
natural forces, such as the sun, rain,
and moon.
Unlike the Egyptians,
the Sumerians saw their gods as
selfish, dangerous, and unpredictable.
They also were thought to watch over
and influence human activity, such as
Tiamat fights Marduk
Also unlike the brick
Egyptians,
Sumerians
making,
smithing,considered
or cooking.
themselves to be largely helpless
Inanna,in the universe,
Sumerian
ofand
Fertility
Each
city-state
had
a specific
deity of its
and believed the
afterlife
wasGoddess
a grim
unhappy
own,
as well.“city of dust and ash.”
place: an airless,
lightless
Technology
Sumerians wrote on clay tablets using a wedge-shaped system
of writing called Cuneiform.
The Sumerians are credited with many inventions and
discoveries:
Wagon Wheel
Sundial
Potter’s Wheel
Metal Plow
12 Month Calendar
Building Arch
Bronze Working
Mesopotamia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean, and why does
it have that name?
How are the two main Mesopotamian rivers different from
the Nile River?
How did Mesopotamian farmers attempt to control their
rivers?
What were the responsibilities of a Sumerian king?
How did the people of Sumer write and store
information?