Download finalMesopotamia

Review:
Silt
(1) ____________
is tiny bits of rock and dirt from the river bottom
(2) I am the geographic feature where early people settled around
Rivers
_______________
(3) Complex religions were common in these regions. The people
Polytheistic
were __________________,
which means that they believe in
many gods.
(4) When a person masters one job any only does that one job it
is call _______________________
Job
specialization
two
between
(5) Mesopotamia means “________________
__________
___________________”
rivers
eye
eye
(6) Hammurabi’s code says an “_________
for an ________”
Mesopotamia
The Land Between Two Rivers
1. What two rivers
run through the
Fertile Crescent?
Tigris & Euphrates
Rivers
2. Which two river
valley civilizations
are shown on this
map?
Egypt & Mesopotamia
3. In what present
day country is
Mesopotamia
located?
Iraq
*NOTES*
THE MANY PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA:
1. Sumerians (ancient Sumer’s city-states)
(3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.)
2. Babylonians (Babylonian Empire)
( 1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.
3. Assyrians (Assyrian Empire)
(1200 B.C. - 539 B.C.)
4. Persians (Persian Empire)
(539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA (4000 B.C.)
“land in between two rivers”
Why was this a perfect place for the 1st civilization?
1. Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in
the Middle East
2. Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for
farming
3. Cattle, pigs, goats & sheep were accessible
WHAT CHALLENGES DID PEOPLE FACE IN
MESOPOTAMIA?
1. Unpredictable floods destroyed
crops, homes & people
2. Some areas were marshy and
unsuitable for farming
3. This land was vulnerable to
attack and invasion
Ziggurats
Religions have attempted to
build their sanctuaries on
prominent heights. Since no
such natural heights were
available in the flat flood
plains of Mesopotamia
(modern Iraq), ancient
priests and kings
determined to build
ziggurats, square or
rectangular artificial stepped
temple platforms.
ZIGGURATS
BABYLONIAN ZIGGURAT
Mesopotamia is known as, “The Cradle of Civilization,”
because it was first in many things:
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First to invent the wheel
First to use sails on boats
One of first to make up a story (Myth)
First to use cuneiform (writing)
First to use the calendar
First to use the seeder plow
First to give a number place value and
recognize the concept of zero

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Farmers turned the land
into a rich food growing
area by using irrigation
and the plow
Irrigation created a
surplus of food which led
to the growth of cities
Surplus led to a
flourishing system of
trade
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The Mesopotamian plain was lacking in
resources such as metals, timber, stone, and
grapevines, so the Sumerians had to trade to get
them
At first, the Sumerians traded surplus barley for
these goods
The Mesopotamians made written contracts,
loans and created a credit system
They used a barter system (trade one thing for
another)

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Mesopotamians were
the first to use writing
The system of writing
was called cuneiform
Writing allowed people
to keep records of their
transactions
People could send
messages with couriers
to far away lands
without traveling
Writing allowed people
to pass on their
accumulated knowledge
to future generations
The people of
Mesopotamia believed in
many gods (polytheism)
 Each town was protected
by its own, unique deity
or god
 The temple, the center of
worship, was also the
center of every city
 Around the year 2000
B.C., temple towers
called ziggurats were
built to link heaven and
earth

The Mesopotamians had written laws
that everyone in the empire had to
follow
 There were 282 laws created by King
Hammurabi
 Known as Hammurabi's Code, the laws
were written in stone and placed in a
public location
 The Mesopotamians believed the gods
called the king to establish justice and
order; whoever disobeyed the king
disobeyed the gods

4 early River Valley Civilizations (all located near
major rivers)
• Sumerian Civilization - Tigris & Euphrates Rivers (Mesopotamia)
• Egyptian Civilization - Nile River
• Harappan Civilization - Indus River
• Ancient China - Huang He (Yellow) River
PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What does Mesopotamia translate into?
Which two rivers is Mesopotamia between?
Which present day country is Mesopotamia located in?
What are two reasons why the fertile crescent was the best
place for the first civilization to be?
5. What are the three negatives to living in the fertile crescent?
(make sure to put in your own words)
6. Why did people have to build Ziggurats?
7. What are three things Mesopotamians were the first to do?
8. What improvement led to a surplus of food? What happened
once there was a surplus of food?
9. Why did the Sumerians have to trade so much?
10. What alphabet did the Sumerians invent?
11. What are two things that writing allowed people to do?
12. Sumerians were polytheistic. Define polytheistic.
13. What was at the center of the city, and was also the center of
worship?
14. Where was Hammurabi's code written?