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First Civilizations Mesopotamia aka Fertile Crescent: Cradle of Civilization Fertile Crescent • Area of fertile land stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean • Tigris & Euphrates are the dominant rivers SUMERIANS • First civilization in Mesopotamia • First to meet civilization requirements • Evidence of civilization from c. 3500-3000 BCE • Lived in the area now known as Iraq in loose confederations of city-states • Annual flooding of the rivers provided excellent soil Cities • Lived in city-states • City that controls the surrounding region & all that is associated with it • A city with the power of a state (nation) • Ur, Eridu, & Kish are a few of the names Ruins of the city of Ur Advanced Cities • These cities were larger and had some type of organization to their construction. • Cities become the center of life for all persons living in the area. • The cities were the centers of government, religion, economics, entertainment, etc. • City walls also provided protection against invaders. Government • Theocracy • Rulers divinely inspired by religion, spiritualism, or other form of belief. • Rule is supreme and kings answer to noone. • Each city-state had its own ruler and system of government. • Harsh punishments were inflicted on law breakers. Social Structure • People’s status in the culture/society • Established gender roles qualify • Rulers & High Priests (sometimes the same person) • Landowners/Aristocracy • Artisans; specialized/skilled workers • Commoners/Farmers/Peasants • Slaves Specialized Workforce • Skilled laborers become important in city life. • Growth of a city relied on trade with others; specialized workers create goods that people need and goods that can be exported for profit. • Artisans become more important in society and learning a trade is part of the education system. Religion • Polytheistic • Belief in many gods/goddesses • Played a strong role in society • Built temples to worship deities • Ziggurats- Stepped tower Art • Can be classified into several sections • Architecture: Arch, Dome • Pottery, Statues, and Stone carvings • Oral histories passed down through the generations Writing • Sumerians developed the first “official” written language • Cuneiform- wedge shaped symbols that represent letters, words, and/or phrases • Wrote down their oral histories; Epic of Gilgamesh- first book; record keeping & identification Advanced Technologies • • • • Agriculture- irrigation, different crops, tools Wheel Early uses of Geometry Astronomy- stars, planets, comets, etc. all played major roles in religion, calculating floods, calendar • Numeric system based on 60 Collapse of Sumerian Civilization • City-States never unified under one rule • Constant fighting between city-states weakened each other • Invaded by peoples from the north (Akkadians) • Sumerian city-states absorbed into Akkadian civilization Other Mesopotamian Civilizations • Akkadians- established the first empire; King Sargon I: first person in recorded history • Babylonians- lived in region north of Akkad; capital city is Babylon; made excellent use of copper & bronze tools; King Hammurabi- created code of laws (Hammurabi’s Code); very powerful empire • Hittites- c. 1750-1200 BCE; nomadic peoples who settled in modern day Turkey; 1st civilization to use iron • Phoenicians- Lived north of Palestine/Israel; successful Mediterranean Sea traders; set up colonies (Carthage, Marseilles); our modern alphabet is derived from theirs • Hebrews- Lived in modern day Palestine/Israel; religion (Judaism) was monotheistic (one God); involved with other civilizations: Egyptians, Babylonians, Hittites, Persians, Philistines Phoenician ship King Sargon I Hammurabi’s Code of Laws Hittite military chariot Michelangelo's Moses