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3500 – 500 BC Chapter Objectives Explain the impact of geography Describe the significance of religion List major sets of laws Name the first empires and why they declined List characteristics of life in these societies Describe the effects of wars and conquests Identify the importance of early inventions Lesson Essential Question What were the main features of Sumerian civilization? Graphic Organizer Political Life Cultural Life Inventions Civilization begins in Mesopotamia The Impact of Geography The City-States of Ancient Mesopotamia Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia The Code of Hammurabi The Importance of Religion The Creativity of the Sumerians The Impact of Geography Mesopotamia- valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Eastern end of the Fertile Crescent Fertile Crescent- arc of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf Had rich soil and abundant crops Able to support early civilizations The Impact of Geography (cont) Mesopotamia had little rain, but soil had been enriched by layers of silt Tigris and Euphrates Rivers often overflowed in late Spring, depositing their fertile silt Depended on melting snow from mountains Floods were unpredictable Irrigation and drainage ditches allowed for regular growing of crops Abundance of food allowed for emergence of civilization Think-Pair-Share Look at the map on page 38 answer the geography skills questions regarding the map. Talk about and answer the following question. What role did geography play in the development of Mesopotamian civilization? The land between the two rivers was filled with silt, making the soil rich enough for systematic agriculture The City States of Ancient Mesopotamia Sumerian cities Gods, Goddesses, and Rulers Economy and Society Sumerian Cities By 3000 BC, Sumerian people had established a number of cities in southern Mesopotamia Cities were surrounded by walls Mud bricks were used for building Invented the arch and the dome Built some of the largest brick buildings in the world Gods, Goddesses, and Rulers The most prominent building in a Sumerian city was the temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of the city Often built atop a ziggurat- massive stepped tower Believed gods and goddesses owned the cities People devoted much of their wealth to building temples and elaborate houses for the priests or priestesses Temples served as the center of the city physically, economically, and politically Gods, Goddesses, and Rulers (Cont) Early on, the Sumerians believed gods ruled the cities Theocracy- a government by divine authority Eventually, ruling power was passed to the hands of kings Believed kings derived their power from the gods Led armies, supervised the building of public works, and organized workers for irrigation projects Economy and Society Sumerian economies based primarily on farming Trade and industry became important Metalwork, woolen textiles, and pottery Imported copper, tin, and timber in exchange for dried fish, wool, barley, wheat and metal goods Traders traveled by land to the eastern Mediterranean and by sea to India Invention of the wheel in 3000 BC made transporting goods easier Economy and Society (Cont) 3 major social groups Nobles Commoners Slaves Nobles- royal and priestly officials and their families Commoners- farmers, merchants, fishers, and craftspeople 90% or more were farmers Slaves- belonged to palace officials Used mostly for building projects Women slaves used to weave cloth and grind grain Rich landowners also had slaves, whom they used to farm their land Think-Pair-Share Why were the Sumerian city states considered to be theocracies? Sumerians believed gods and goddesses owned and ruled the cities Which people had the most power in Sumerian city states? nobles Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia As Sumerian city-states grew and expanded, conflicts arose Fought each other for control of land and water The Sumerian city-states were also open to outside invasion Flat land Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia (Cont) Akkadians Semitic people to the north of Sumerian city-states Overran other Sumerian city-states around 2340 BC Sargon-leader World’s first empire- large political unit or state, usually under a single leader that controls many peoples or territories Fell around 2100 BC, due to attacks from neighboring hill peoples Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia (Cont) Babylonians Came into control of much of Mesopotamia by 1792 BC Came from Babylon, city-state south of Akkad Hammurabi- leader Gained control of Sumer and Akkad, creating a new Mesopotamian empire After Hammurabi’s death, the empire eventually fell due to a series of weak kings Reading Activity As we read about the Code of Hammurabi, pay careful attention to what aspects of Mesopotamian society are revealed by the Code of Hammurabi. Identify at least 5 aspects of Mesopotamian society as revealed by the Code of Hammurabi, using examples to justify answers Severe penalties for criminal offenses; different social classes treated differently under the law; officials held accountable for enforcing laws; consumers protected against shoddy workmanship; regulated marriage; patriarchal society; women had few rights and priveledges The Importance of Religion Mesopotamians were convinced that their world was being controlled by supernatural forces, which were not reliable Floods, heavy downpours, heavy winds, and humidity were all part of the climate Identified almost 3000 gods and goddesses polytheistic Humans were supposed to obey and serve their gods Created to do the manual labor the gods were unwilling to do for themselves The Creativity of the Sumerians Created cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) system of writing around 3000 BC Writing primarily used for record keeping, however, texts were used in schools to train scribes- member s of the learned class who served as copyists, teachers, and jurists Writing also used to communicate ideas in new ways Epic of Gilgamesh Inventions of the Sumerians 1. Wagon Wheel 2. Potter’s Wheel 3. Sundial Inventions of the Sumerians 6. Number System 4. Arch 5. Bronze/ Metalwork Exit Ticket Using your notes and the book, answer the following question. What were the main features of Sumerian Civilization?
