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• Complex Institutions – describe their government, religion and economy • Record Keeping – Name and describe their record keeping system • The rest of the characteristics can be bulleted points The Fertile Crescent / Mesopotamia Mesopotamia SCAAR • • • Sumerians Akkadians Babylonians Geography of the Fertile Crescent • Area of land in the middle of a desert climate • Lies between the TIGRIS and EUPHRATES RIVERS • “Mesopotamia” means “land between the rivers” in Greek Environmental Factors • Tigris and Euphrates Rivers deposit a rich mud called SILT that allows farmers to harvest large quantities of wheat and barley • Area has ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES: – Flooding of rivers was unpredictable – Sumer was a small region with no natural barriers for protection – Limited natural resources SOLUTIONS • Irrigation ditches • City walls for defense • Traded with the peoples of the mountains for the things they lacked • Cooperation, organization, and leadership were required to accomplish these tasks Specialized Workers • Priests • Rulers (Kings) – at 1st chosen for war time only, then became full-time monarchs, establishing dynasty. • Merchants • Artisans • Scribes • Farmers • Slaves Complex Institutions • Law system to govern the people. • Governments controlled by temple Priests. • Polytheism – believed in many gods – Enlil was most powerful. • Schools for upper-class boys. • Akkadians created 1st empire. • Hammurabi’s Code - Babylonians led by Hammurabi who created a uniform code of laws to unify the people. 1st to be written down and applied to everyone, but differentiated between classes and sexes. Advanced Cities • Built walled cities. • City-states – city and surrounding land. • Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma and Ur. Advanced Technology • • • • • Irrigation ditches to water fields. Walled temples with ziggurat at the center. Invented the wheel, plow, sail. 1st to use bronze Sciences – astronomy, chemical substances, studied disease. • Arithmetic and geometry. • Number system based on 60 (60 seconds=1 min. and 360 degrees in circle) • Mud bricks and mortar, arches, columns, ramps. Record Keeping • 1st writing system in history – Cuneiform. • Taxes in the form of crops. • Epic of Gilgamesh – epic poem about the adventures of King Gilgamesh. • Maps.