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Chapter 3 Lesson 2 The First Civilization Lesson Preview Sumer had a complex society and culture. Historians condor it the first civilization. Sumerian city-states were a form of government that included cities and the land around them. Priests were the first leaders in Sumer, but kings became leaders when the need for defense grew. The Rise of Civilization Villages gradually (slowly) grew into cities City leaders had to start organizing workers to solve problems such as building and cleaning irrigation canals Society and culture became more complex The Rise of Civilization The cities began to become a more advanced form of culture called civilization civilization: a human society with an advanced level or development in social and political organization and in the arts and sciences The Rise of Civilization Most historians think the first civilization rose in 3300 B.C.E. in Sumer, a region in southern Mesopotamia Sumer: an ancient region of southern Mesopotamia in which civilization arose around 3300 B.C.E. Other Terms to Know Mesopotamia: the overall REGION we are learning about that is between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (it’s like saying “America”) Sumer: the specific area we are learning about that exists inside of Mesopotamia (it’s like saying “California”) Sumerian: an adjective used to describe something from Sumer (it’s like saying “Californian”) Traits of Civilization First traits characterize a settlement as a “civilization” 1. advanced cities 2. specialized workers 3. complex institutions 4. record keeping 5. advanced technology Traits of Civilization 1. advanced cities cities started as a place to live where people could store their surplus grain cities grew and began to offer other advantages and new, advanced, things to do cities offered a place to trade with other people cities had places like temples, where people could worship Traits of Civilization 2. specialized workers a surplus of food meant that not every single person had to farm every single day people could do jobs that required other special skills building homes, making jewelry, sewing clothes, making pottery some people took on the job of organizing the workers - in Sumer, the priests did that job Traits of Civilization 3. complex institutions religion and government became institutions institution: a group of people who have a specific purpose for example schools are institutions with the purpose of educating people an army is an institution that exists to protect society Traits of Civilization 4. record keeping societies have to keep track of some things measure food supplies records are usually written down Mesopotamians started using wooden counting sticks later, they invented the first system of writing Traits of Civilization 5. advanced technology societies advance (get better) as people learn new ways to do things the people of Sumer learned to use canals they also created new tools out of new materials began to make tools out of bronze (a mixture of copper and tin) bronze was harder than copper, which had been used before Discussion Question Why was Sumer a good example of a civilization? Sumerian City-States Although cities became centers of trade, education and religion… Most people still lived outside of the cities in rural (country) settlements Over time, the cities began to rule over the surrounding lands and villages, too These became known as city-states city-state: a political unit that includes a city and its nearby farmlands Sumerian City-States a Sumerian city-state might have between 10,000 and 100,000 people Laguna Beach: 23,250 Orange County: 3.1 million California: 38.3 million United States: 316.1 million The World: 7.125 billion Sumerian City-States By 3000 B.C.E., Sumer had at least 12 city states Some well-known ones: Kish, Nippur, and Ur Located near the most fertile lands Homes were made of thick mud walls to keep out the heat tunnels brought fresh air into the houses a series of rooms surrounded a courtyard the courtyard was covered with beams and palm leaves Sumerian City-States One building in each city-state would stand out among the rest This largest and most important building was the temple, known as a ziggurat The first ziggurats were built in about 2200 B.C.E. ziggurat: an ancient Sumerian or Babylonian temple that rose in a series of steplike levels The Laguna Niguel Federal Building (near the Heather Ridge Costco) The Jaguar at Knott’s Berry Farm (actually a MesoAmerican step pyramid, but very similar! Sumerian City-States a ziggurat was not just a temple also, the center of city life, sort of like a city or town hall people came to the ziggurat to pay the priests for their services with grain or other items priests controlled the storage & distribution of surplus grain Sumerian Religion Sumerians were polytheistic, or believed in many gods and goddesses polytheism: a belief in many gods or goddesses (as opposed to monotheism, which is the belief in one god) They had four or five main gods Each city-state had its own god They also had thousands of other, lesser gods Sumerian Religion Sumerians thought of the gods as rich land owners, and the people of Sumer were there to work for the gods They believed that the gods could prevent troubles such as floods, droughts, and invasions Priests worked to satisfy the gods and claimed to have influence on them People accepted the priests as leaders Everyone took part in rituals at the ziggurat to please the gods Sumerian Religion Sumerians believed the souls of dead people went to “the land of no return” a gloomy place that was also called the underworld some historians think that because their life was hard, they expected the afterlife to be hard too New Leaders in Sumer By about 3000 B.C.E., the Sumerian city-states were getting more rich and powerful Other groups began to attack them to try to take their wealth sometimes other city-states attacked… sometimes civilizations from other regions During times of war, a powerful man would be asked to help and lead the entire city-state New Leaders in Sumer At first, these leaders would be in control only during a war Eventually, these men would take control fulltime and even took over duties from the priests In time, this new ruler became a king king: the highest-ranking leader of a group of people the area ruled by a king is a kingdom Sumer was a kingdom under the rule of one king by 2375 B.C.E. Lesson Summary Sumer had a complex society and culture. Historians condor it the first civilization. Sumerian city-states were a form of government that included cities and the land around them. Priests were the first leaders in Sumer, but kings became leaders when the need for defense grew. Review Questions 1. Why are food surpluses necessary for civilization to develop? Review Questions 2. In what way did the ziggurat function like city hall? Review Questions 3. What did people in Sumer think their gods were like? Review Questions 4. Why was a priest’s job so important in Sumer? Review Questions 5. How did warfare change the government in Sumer?