Civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent

Fertile Crescent Region in the Middle East that has very rich soil “crossroad of early civilization” Mesopotamia – “between the rivers” – Tigris and Euphrates

Civilizations - Sumer Flood Plain – Use of dikes and irrigation ditches – No timber or stone – uh oh!!!!!! The Epic of Gilgamesh

Features Cities – Ur and Uruk Trade makes them rich Have good from India and Egypt May have invented the wheel

Civilization 12+ city-states – Fight for land and water Warrior lead – Hereditary ruler

Government Each city-state ruler was responsible for walls and irrigation Ruler enforced laws and hired scribes for taxes and records Ruler carried out religious ceremonies – Why?

Social Structure Ruling Family  Leading Officials  High Priest  Lesser Priests  scribes  merchants  artisans (lived and worked in same area)  peasant farmers (MAJORITY) Slaves – captured or sold themselves to pay debts

Religious Practice Polytheistic Highest duty is to keep Gods and Goddesses happy Built ziggurat Holy days, ceremonies, processions Afterlife – After death, all people live in a grim underworld from which there is no release – Eat mud and live in dust and darkness

Sumerian Cuneiform (3200 B.C.E.) Wedge-shaped marks and symbols Used to record everything eventually Scribe school – Very strict – Punished by CANING!!!!

Sumerian Legacy Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians used cuniform Developed astronomy, math, number system based on 6 Circle = 360 degrees Hour = 60 minutes Babylonians use Sumerian math to create Algebra, Geometry, and calendars