Download Ancient Mesopotamia: The Rise of Sumer

Ancient Mesopotamia:
The Rise of Sumer
www.michaela-augusta.com
http://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/enviro/sumer/sumermap.gif
Sumerian statues – used in
religious services
Sumer
In Southern Mesopotamia, the world’s first
advanced society developed - Sumer
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Around the year 3200BCE
They mainly lived in rural areas
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Rural - Countryside
Centers of Sumerian life were urban areas
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Urban - City
Clip Art
Sumer
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Sumerian civilization was divided into city-states
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City-State - A city and all the land around it (similar to a
small country)
o City-states often fought each other
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Looking for more land and resources
City-states had large armies and walls
o Two of the most powerful city-states in Sumeria were
Ur and Uruk
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One king of Uruk was named Gilgamesh
http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons1/279/2797639/32_2009/bcd29c387064269a_gilgamesh.jpg
Sumeria
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=map+of+Sumer&hl=en&biw=1
280&bih=598&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=ASQbaJXsxthIeM:&imgr
efurl=http://www.crystalinks.com/sumermaps.html&docid=4BYv
WW0gAdaiuM&w=523&h=472&ei=lz9ETqWnFuT50gGsqenPC
Q&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=62&page=1&tbnh=127&tbnw=141&star
t=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=65&ty=20
The akkadian empire
o Another group of people lived in
Mesopotamia called Akkadians
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Different than Sumerians
Although they had a similar culture
o The Akkadians set up the world’s
first empire under Sargon the Great
http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/projects/classof2008/chong2/yuen/sargon-bust.jpg
Sargon the great
o Sargon the Great was the first ruler to have a permanent
army
o His soldiers were more well-trained than others
o Sargon the Great established the world’s first empire
around 2730BCE, which including conquering Sumeria
o Empire – Land with different territories and people
under a single ruler
o Sargon ruled for more than 50 years!
o His empire lasted for around 125 years after his death
o Many later Mesopotamian kings were inspired by Sargon
the Great
Akkadian empire
http://www.memo.fr/Media/Empire_Akkadien.gif
Religion and society
o Religion was one the most important aspects in the life
of a Sumerian
o The Sumerians practiced Polytheism
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Polytheism - worship of many gods
The Gods could punish or reward the people
Every city-state had its own god/goddess
o Priests had a lot of power in Sumeria
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They were upper class
They did all their work in temples or Ziggurats
http://www.strayreality.com/Lanis_Strayreality/pics/aasumer.jpg
Courtesy: Dan Swartos
Courtesy: Dan Swartos
Courtesy: Dan Swartos
Social order
o Priests were in the upper level of Sumerian social
hierarchy
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Social Hierarchy - division of society by rank or class
(class system)
o Men – had all the political power and made laws
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They were usually the only ones educated
o Women took care of the home and children
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The daughter of Sargon, Enheduanna wrote hymns
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The first female writer in history