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ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
“Land between the rivers”
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Importance of Irrigation
1. Climate is hot and dry
(e.g. Arizona)
2. Almost no rainfall
during growing season
3. Canals draw water away
from rivers to grow
crops
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Importance of Irrigation
4. Canals bring water to
fields
5. Ditches carry flood
water away
6. Dikes built to protect
from flooding; dams
raise water into canals
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Importance of Irrigation
7. Large scale operation –
necessitates central
leadership and
organization
8.Leadership comes from
the Temple and the King
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Religion
• Polytheistic Belief System
(more than 1 deity)
• Based largely on Sumerian
foundations
• Gods embody forces of
nature:
• Anu – sky
• Enki – water
• Enlil – air
• Utu - sun
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Religion
• Mesopotamians were
fearful of Gods; attributed
changes in the
environment to Gods’
pleasure or displeasure
• Believed in notion that
humans were created to
serve Gods
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
• Priests became powerful
individuals in society;
more experienced priests
were given more
responsibilities
• All rituals were an attempt
to control environment
around societies;
environment is tough –
therefore the Gods are as
well…
Religion
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Writing
• Method of writing was
called Cuneiform
• Reed pressed into wet clay
tablets
• Wedge shaped characters
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Writing
• Most writing was about
administrative details
• Detailed the King’s and the
Temple’s business
• Details about religious
ceremonies – preserve
favorable knowledge;
things that “work”
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Trade Networks
• Because of climate and
geography, raw materials
are limited
• Either conducted trading
or conquest strategies to
get raw materials…
• System of standard
weights and measures are
established
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA
Trade Networks
• Into Mesopotamia:
• Wood, metals and stone
• Out of Mesopotamia:
• Agricultural Surplus
• Wool
• Cloth
• Barley
• Oils