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Mesopotamia Review Geography of Mesopotamia Objective- I can identify the geographic features of Mesopotamia and explain how humans adapted to them th 6 Grade Social Studies 1- Euphrates River 2- Tigris River Mesopotamia • Mesopotamia means: “The Land Between Two Rivers” • This area is referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization” – This is where the world’s first civilizations began because of the discovery of agriculture 9- Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent • Outside of the Fertile Crescent, the land is very dry and not good for growing crops • The world’s first farmers started in the Fertile Crescent, and that led to the world’s first civilizations • What the Ancients Left Us Cuneiform • The Sumerians developed the first system of writing around 3300 BCE, called Cuneiform • Sumerians wrote on clay tablets – For the first time ever, humans were able to keep written records • Scribe- A professional writer Impact of Cuneiform • Cuneiform allowed the citizens of Mesopotamia to keep records: – Farmers could keep detailed records of crops – Merchants could keep detailed records of transactions – Laws could be recorded and posted where everyone could see • Children went to school to learn how to read and write cuneiform Calendar • The Mesopotamian people were able to create a calendar in order to know when the floods would arrive: – As a result, farmers were able to harvest more food. – This food surplus enabled the cities to support larger populations. – Having surplus food, which could be traded for other goods, also helped Mesopotamians establish trade with other civilizations. Calendar • These ancient calendars were lunar (based on the cycle of the moon) – Today, our calendar is based on the Earth's movement around the sun. • Over time, most kingdoms adopted the Babylonian calendar – Months were around 30 days long and were named after the 12 constellations in the zodiac – The basis of the our modern calendar can be seen in these divisions The Plow • The plow made it easier to break up the soil for planting. – Plows were made of iron and were pulled by oxen. – By using these new tools farmers could do more work and produce more food The Wheel • Before the wheel, people had to carry their items by hand • The wheel allowed humans to use carts – This allowed people to carry more goods and supplies • Wheels allowed for quicker and easier transportation – Animals could also pull the carts Irrigation Systems • Irrigation systems were created to get water to crops • The people of Mesopotamia would dig a ditch that brought water from the source to the fields – This allowed for more crops to be grown at once The Ziggurat The Ziggurat • At the center of each city in Mesopotamia was the Ziggurat. • The Ziggurat was built to honor the main god of the city. • Ziggurats looked like step pyramids and at the top was a shrine to the god. Hammurabi’s Code • This is considered to be the first set of laws. • It was written by King Hammurabi. • Some laws were harsh and penalties severe. Time Period • Sumer begins to form the first cities and towns around 5000 BCE. • Mesopotamia falls around 539 BCE. • -----------------------------------------