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Mesopotamia Geography -read introduction on page 34- Mesopotamia Chapter 2 Mesopotamia: Cradle of Civilization Because of the contributions empires in that region made to later empires it got the name “Cradle of Civilization”. Meso = between potamia = rivers Means “land between the rivers” What rivers? Civilization developed between the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers Now present day Iraq. The Fertile Crescent Because of the flooding of the rivers the soil became very rich. Earned the name “Fertile Crescent” Mesopotamia served as the site for some of the world’s earliest settlements. Why would this encourage settlement? It allowed for settlements to produce their own food. Role of the Environment Created a region where agriculture is possible- IMPORTANCE? Irrigation and drainage possible- HOW? Forced people to work together and formed communities Role of the Environment People drew their source of life from the Tigris-Euphrates river system in Asia. Rivers supplied basics for existence food Water (drinking, irrigation, and drainage) sanitation Also provided for shelter How? basics of building? Homework Page 38 #1, #3 Read pages 39-46 P. 40-41 developments Problems with living near a river valley? The environment is unpredictable: frequent floods, scorching heat, winds, torrential rains. Would destroy everything. restrained political development (Sumer was a geographical maze) Communication amongst the various isolated cities was very difficult Invention of Writing Origins of Writing probably go back to the ninth millennium B.C. 4th Millenium the development of cuneiform: “wedge-shaped” pictographic system Cuneiform Sumerian Society Sumer was different from all other earlier civilizations Advanced cities Specialized workers Complex institutions Record keeping Advanced technology Developed city-states Food surplus increased population expanded trade expansion of Sumerian society Sumerian Society Polytheistic – meaning they worshipped many gods. Kings believed that they were representatives of a god. Famous leader was Sargon “the Great” 1st to conquer many lands and city states so, he was the 1st to create an empire. Had social classes Priests and kings were at the top Slaves were at the bottom Women probably couldn’t attend school but had many other rights Advances in mathematics Number system based on 60 (60 seconds=1 minute) Sumerian Inventions Wagon wheel Potter’s wheel (shape containers) Number system 12 month calendar Metal plow Sail Some of the earliest known maps New architecture Babylonian Empire 2000-1600 BC Located in modern day Syria Conquered many parts of old Sumeria Famous leader was Hammurabi--created a law code with harsh punishments. Basis was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Borrowed heavily from Sumerian culture After Hammurabi’s death Babylon declined Assyrians Started to gain strength about 900 BC. Emperor was Ashurbanipal. He was very aggressive. Powerful army Treated conquered people cruelly Large empire with good roads Collapsed about 612 BC Chaldeans Defeated the Assyrians in about 612 BC Descended from Hammarabi’s Babylonians At its height during the rule of Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC) Spent a lot of money on Babylon Built Hanging Gardens Empire collapsed in 539 BC after being defeated by the Persians Hanging Gardens of Babylon Persians Were Indo-Europeans Cyrus (conquered from the Nile to the Indus) Darius I Administered the empire using satraps (governors) Tolerant to those who were conquered Increased trade and built roads Lost to the Greeks in 480 BC