Download I. The Fertile Crescent

River Valley
Civilizations
Chapter 2
I. The Fertile Crescent
A.
Geography
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dominated by desert
Locates between the Persian Gulf and
Mediterranean Sea
Most important are called Mesopotamia (“Land
between the Rivers”) – located between the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers
Rivers flood once a year – between April and June
A.
B.
Leave rich soil called silt
Provides water for irrigation~
I. The Fertile Crescent
B.
People Move In
A.
First People start to settle around 7000 BC
1.
They were farmers
a. Advantages of Mesopotamia
1. the rich soil
2. Flat land
3. Abundance of water
4. Warm temperatures
b. Disadvantages
1. Unpredictable flooding
2. Land dried quickly
3. Small land area
4. No natural protection
5. Few natural resources~
I. The Fertile Crescent
c. Solutions to disadvantages
C.
1. irrigation system – used to bring
water to crops and collect water to hold for
watering
2. trade with the people that lived in the Mountain
to the north for natural resources – trades cloth,
grain, and crafted tools for stone, metal and
wood
The Sumerians
1.
Mysterious people - no one knows their origin (maybe
from the Caspian Sea region)
2.
Moved to Mesopotamia around 4000 BC
3.
By 3800 BC their advanced irrigation technology allowed
them to dominate the people already living in the area
4.
They improved farming techniques, built better roads,
and used boat technology~
I. The Fertile Crescent
C. The Sumerians (cont.)
1.
City-States
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
City-states created around 3000 BC
4 biggest were Ur, Uruk, Kish, Lagash
Ur (at its height) contained about 30,000 people
All city-states built with a ziggurat (walled temple)
at its center
Around the cities
1.
2.
3.
Large farms for growing food
Hearding lands for animals
Large orchards~
I. The Fertile Crescent
2.
Government
1.
When the city-states first started forming (3000
BC), priests (called A) controlled the government
1.
2.
3.
2.
3.
4.
controlled the military
administered trade
Ran the court system
During a time of war, a general took control of
the government
Eventually the city-states will always be at war
and the priests lost their power
Later city-states controlled by a monarch (king)~
I. The Fertile Crescent
1.
Religion
1.
Basic beliefs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Polytheistic
Important to the city-states
Contained hundreds of gods based in nature
Each city-state worshiped unique gods
All city-states worshipped four main gods
1.
2.
3.
4.
Nammu – Creator of all
An – male god of the heavens
Ki – female god of the earth
Enlil – son of the above, controlled night and day~
I. The Fertile Crescent
1.
Religion (cont.)
1.
Religious officials
1.
2.
Each city-state had priests
Duties
1.
2.
3.
3.
Mediator between the people and gods
Performed sacrifices and religious rituals
Controlled and maintained the irrigation systems
For their efforts priests received a portion of the
crop grown each year as payment~
I. The Fertile Crescent
Religion (cont.)
1.
1.
Doctrine
1.
Importance of the gods
1. Crops grew in the wet months because the An and Ki
mated (married)
2. During the dry months the crops died because An and Ki
died
3. Blooming signified the resurrection of the gods
2.
Over all belief – humanity was put on earth to serve the gods
3.
When people died they returned to the heavens to serve the
gods
4.
Believed in sin – explained people’s hardships and blessings
5.
Education was unimportant, because the gods would put
knowledge in the people’s brains so they could overcome a
hardship
6.
Religion was harsh and unsupportive~
I. The Fertile Crescent
2.
Culture
1.
2.
3.
80% of the people were farmers
They had the concept of land ownership
After 2300 BC had established money
1.
2.
3.
Polished pieces of metal
Value based on weight
Caused
1.
2.
Banks to be created – for borrowing money
People sought wealth – wanted to make money~
I. The Fertile Crescent
1.
Culture (cont.)
5.
Had 5 social classes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Kings and Nobles – wealthy, literate, most powerful
Priests – wealthy, literate, powerful
Wealthy Merchants – wealthy, illiterate, little power
Framers – poor, illiterate, powerless
Slaves – poor, uneducated, powerless
Society
1.
2.
Male dominated
Women
1.
2.
3.
Little protection under law
Main role domestication (child bearers, house work, ect.)
Harsh life for women~
I. The Fertile Crescent
3.
Education
1. Priests were educators
2. Education took place in the temples
3. Only upper class families were educated in the temples
– had to pay
4. All other education was done in the home
4.
Law
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Created by the central government
Originally laws not written down
Victim had to bring the suspect to court
Presided over by the king
Hammurabi's Code – created 1792 BC
1. Babylonian king
2. First written law code
3. Eye for and Eye~
I. The Fertile Crescent
3.
Science and Technology
1.
2.
3.
4.
Invented the plow, sail, wheel, bronze
technology, and the pyramid
First to use arches, columns, and ramps
Had a calendar – based on moon cycles
Writing
1.
2.
3.
4.
Started as pictures
Evolved into symbols
Cuneiform oldest writing system – developed in
Sumar
Used to keep religious records, historical info,
and trade records~
I. The Fertile Crescent
4.
Empires Appear
1.
2.
4.
City-states will weaken because of constant warfare
Invaders will also cause problems
Sargon of Akkad 9city-state north of Sumar)
4.
5.
6.
5.
2350 BC he has taken over most of the Mesopotamian citystates
Created the first empire
Control lasted 200 years (2150 BC) – fell due to famine,
civil war and invasions
Babylonian Empire
4.
5.
6.
Invade in 2000 BC – took over after the Akkadians
Peak of the empire is during King Hammurabi’s reign
By 1550 BC empire falls~
I. The Fertile Crescent
5.
The Assyrian Empire
1.
After the fall of the Babylonians, the Fertile Crescent
will be open to many other invaders – the Assyrians,
Phoenicians, and Hebrews
2.
Military Might
1. 850 BC the Assyrians were the most dominate
empire – controlled through SW Asia, the Middle
East, and Egypt
2. Able to accomplish dominance by creating a
highly advanced and organized military~
I. The Fertile Crescent
3.
4.
Beginnings
1.
Came from the northern part of Mesopotamia
2.
Their flat homeland made Assyria open to invaders
3.
Forced to develop a strong military and warlike behavior to
combat invaders
Military Organization
1.
Weapons and Equipment
1. Used iron works to make weapons
2. Wore armor made of iron and stiff leather
3. Wore iron helmets and leather shirts fashioned with iron
scales
4. Fought with iron swords and iron pointed spears~
I. The Fertile Crescent
2.
Tactics
1. They built bridges to cross bodies of water
2. Before attacking a city they dug out around
the city walls to weaken them
3. Foot soldiers would then attack, marching
shoulder to shoulder and shoot wave after
wave of arrows
4. Battering rams would than knock down the city
gates
5. Once inside the Assyrian Army would kill or
enslave all inside~
I. The Fertile Crescent
5.
Empire Expansion
1.
Between 850-650 BC they defeated Syria, Palestine, and
Babylonia – also made their way into Egypt
2.
Peak of power came around 650 BC
3.
Rule
1. The central government controlled the lands closest to
the Assyrian heartland
2. Outlying lands were controlled with puppet
governments
3. System
1. Local governments – controlled by governors –
reported back to the king – responsible for
collecting taxes
2. Central government – controlled by the king – also
contained the Assyrian nobles~
Mesopotamia
Hammurabi
Chart
Problems
Effect
Effect
Floods
Rich Soil
Large crops
Long periods
without rain
Crops failed to
grow
Built irrigation
system
No natural
defenses
No protection
from invaders
Built walls around
city
Few natural
resources
Did not have
materials to build
houses and walls
Made bricks and
traded with other
regions