Download City-States of Mesopotamia

City-States of
Mesopotamia
World History: Libertyville HS
Geography
• “Fertile Crescent”: area
between Persian Gulf and
Eastern Mediterranean
shore & length of Nile R.
• Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
– Flow SE into Persian Gulf
– Mesopotamia = “Land
between two rivers”
– Annual flooding of rivers
leaves silt (++ farming)
Human Arrival into
Mesopotamia
• People moved into area after
10,000 BC (pop. pressure)
• Why settle in Mesopotamia?
• River valley had fertile land (silt)
• Access to Persian Gulf for
fishing, trade
• Rivers allowed for easy irrigation
– Challenges to settlers
• Annual flooding was
unpredictable
• Small area with no natural
protection
• Limited natural resources (little
stone, wood or metal)
Modern
Flooding of
Tigris R.
Human Arrival into Area
• Solutions to Challenges
Sumerians plowing
City walls of
Jericho
– Irrigation projects to
control flood waters
(levees; channels)
– Built walls around cities
for protection
– Traded for scarce goods
with neighboring regions
City States of Mesopotamia
• City state = different
walled cities of area,
each with their own
leader
– Culturally similar
– Politically independent
– Economically dependent
(trade)
– Militarily competitive,
mainly through raiding
each other; not conquest
City plan
of Ur
City States of Mesopotamia
• Political Power
– Irrigation projects needed
leaders to organize
(beginning of government)
– Priest-kings served as go
between for Gods and man
– Religion the basis of political
power
• City state’s gods owned all land
• Priest-king served as agent of
gods
• Priest-kings ruled society
City States of Mesopotamia
• After 3000 BC, war became
more common and warriors
became permanent leaders
• Fought other city-states
– Border disputes
– Raiding cattle
– Show of strength of their citygods
Sumerian war chariot, c. 2500 BC
• Dynasties established
– Series of priest-kings passing
power on to their own sons
– Took place from 3000-2500
BC
Sumerian soldier with armored cloak
Cultural Diffusion
• Idea or product spreading from one
culture to another
• Spread mainly by trade
• Ideas spread included…
– Layout of cities
– Religious beliefs
– Government organization
– Technologies
Case Study: Sumerian
Culture
Sumerian Gods
• Religion
– Polytheistic
• About 3000 gods in all
• Gods were immortal and all
powerful
• Many had human traits
– Built ziggurats to please
the gods
• Temples were home of
gods
• Tower of Babel from bible a
ziggurat
Ziggurat
Sumerian Technology
• Invented the wheel for
both trade and war,
around 3500 BC
• Sail helped trade
• Plow improved farming
• Metallurgy
– Pre 3000 BC = copper
– Post 3000 BC = bronze
• Sun dried mud bricks
allowed for construction
of buildings (why use
mud?)
Sumerian Technology:
Cuneiform and Counting
• First system of writing
• Used wedge shaped reed
pressed into wet clay tablet
• Tablet then fired in oven to
create permanent record
• What records kept?
– Tracked tax records,
payments, debts, etc
• Number system was base 60
– Still used today (time, circle)
– Why is base 60 a good
system?
Sumerian Society
PriestSumerian Hierarchy
King
Priests,
scribes
Wealthy
merchants
Poor (farmers,
artisans)
Slaves
• Women had many
rights, but little
education