Download Civilization Begins in Mesopotamia

Civilization Begins in
Mesopotamia
1.06 Examine the indicators of civilization, including writing, labor
specialization, cities, technology, trade, and political and cultural
institutions.
2.01 Trace the development and assess the achievements of early
river civilizations, including but not limited to those around the
Huang-He, Nile, Indus, and Tigris-Euphrates rivers.
The Fertile Crescent
• Mesopotamia
– Location
• Valley between the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers
• Eastern end of the Fertile
Crescent
– Reason for early civilization
• Rich soil
• Abundant crops
The Fertile Crescent
• Flooding & The Rivers
– The Good
• Allowed fertile soil to build up for
farming
– The Bad
• Floods were unpredictable
– The Solution
• Drainage ditches & irrigation
– The Outcome
• An abundance of food that allowed
cities to grow and civilization to
emerge
The Fertile Crescent
• Mesopotamian
civilization refers to the
achievements of people
from three general areas:
– Assyria
– Akkad
– Sumer
• Sumerians created the 1st
Mesopotamian civilization
The Growth of Religion
• Harsh climates and famines
affected how Mesopotamians
viewed the world
• Felt that supernatural forces
who ruled were unreliable
• Believed in gods and
goddesses who ruled all
aspects of life
• Had over 3,000
gods/goddesses
– polytheistic
The Growth of Religion
• Humans were inferior to
gods
• Humans should obey &
serve the gods
• Humans could never
know what the gods may
do
City-States
• Important cities by 3000
B.C.
– Eridu
– Ur
– Uruk
• As the cities grew they
gained political &
economic control over the
surrounding countryside
• Eventually they became
city-states
Sumerian Cities
• Surrounded by walls
• Buildings within were
built of sun dried mud
bricks
• Incorporated the arch
and dome using mud
bricks
Religion & Rulers
• Ziggurat
– Most important building in the
city
– Temple dedicated to the chief
god of goddess of the city
– Built on a massive stepped tower
• People believed that the
god/goddess owned the city
• Temples served as the political,
religious and economic centers
of the city
Religion & Rulers
• Priests & priestesses had
a great deal of power
• Cities were a theocracy
(ruled by the gods – a
divine authority)
• When the kings ruled
the people believed that
they got their power
from the gods
Religion & Rulers
• Kings
– Led armies
– Supervised
construction
– Organized workers
– Led the army, the
government & the
priests
Economy & Society
• Based chiefly on farming
• Trade & industry also
important
– Made woolen textiles &
pottery
– Known for metalwork
• Especially bronze
Economy & Society
• Society contained 3
major social groups
– Nobles (royal &
priestly officials and
their families)
– Commoners
(farmers,
merchants, fishers,
craftspeople)
– Slaves
Writing & Literature
• Cuneiform
– Created around 3000 BC
– Wedge shaped system of
writing
– Used a reed stylus
– Wrote on clay tablets
– Used mainly for record
keeping
Writing & Literature
• The Epic of Gilgamesh
– Records the exploits of
the legendary king
Gilgamesh
– http://www.youtube.com/wa
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– http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=TSWEeBGhz4M&featur
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Technology
• Developed
– Wagon wheel
– Potter’s wheel
– Sundial
– Arch
– Bronze
Technology
• Achievements
– Number system based
on 60
• Think about how we
measure time
– Used geometry to
measure fields & erect
buildings
– Charted constellations
Akkadian & Babylonian Empires
• Akkadians
– Leader: Sargon
– 2340 B.C. – overran
other city-states and
set up the first
empire in world
history
– Empire fell by 2100
B.C.
Akkadian & Babylonian Empires
• Babylon
– Hammurabi came to
power
– Gained control of
Sumer & Akkad
– Died in 1750 BC
Hammurabi’s Code
• Mesopotamians had
laws for centuries
• Hammurabi collected
these laws and had
them written down
• Code was very strict
• Punishment varied
based on social status