Download 10/3 Aim: What were the achievements of Mesopotamian Civilization?

8/11 EQ: What were the achievements of
Mesopotamian Civilization?
Do Now : Geography played an important
role in the ancient world as it still does
today. Explain what you think would be the
likely impact of the following geographic
features on the people of Mesopotamia.
Feature



Impact of the feature
The region of Mesopotamia is known
as the “fertile crescent” because it
had the best soil
• Agricultural surplus leads to civilization
There were few natural barriers
surrounding the region of
Mesopotamia.
• Left the region open to invasion
The Tigris & Euphrates rivers flooded
unpredictably.
• Many different people attracted to the region
• Many different groups influenced the region
• Left very fertile soil
• Gloomy outlook on gods/afterlife develops
The Sumerians
• Invented the
wheel for trade,
the sail, and the
plow
Built ziggurats
Established citystates
cuneiform writing
Wrote “The Epic
of Gilgamesh”
The Akkadians
The Babylonians
Established a
successful
empire
Improved
cuneiform
Hammurabi’s
Code of laws –
first written law
code for all to see.
Essential Question!
What role does technology play in bringing about
change
a. In society (how people live)?
b. In warfare?
The Hittites
• Brought iron
metallurgy to
Mesopotamia
• Brought chariots
to Mesopotamia
• Ended Babylonian
rule
The (Bad) Assyrians
• The first to outfit
their entire army
with iron
weapons
• Terrorized
ancient people
with battering
rams
• Built an empire
The Neo Babylonians
• Defeated the
Assyrians to reestablish
Babylonian rule
• Nebuchadnezzar
rebuilt the city
of Babylonia Hanging gardens
of Babylon
The Phoenicians and their 22 letter
alphabet
Social
Political
Religious
Intellectual/Technologi
cal
Economic
 Social classes develop and not treated equally under
the eyes of the law– seen in laws of Hammurabi’s Code.
 Highly Patriarchal – Women hold no public positions;
domestic caretakers