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SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 Mesopotamia

1. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY 1. Things that make life easier 2. ADVANCED CITIES 1. An area that is settled permanently by people 3. COMPLEX INSTITUTIONS 1. To maintain order of society 4. RECORD KEEPING 1. Storing of information 5. SPECIALIZED WORKERS 1. People trained for a specific job 5 Components of civilization

So why farming? Humans learned they could control the growth of plants This meant they no longer had to travel from place to place to find just enough to get by NOW they could stay in one place and grow EXTRA food that could be stored or even traded for other goods or needs

Fertile Crescent Between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea Area of land BEST for farming Arc of fertile land surrounded by desert

Mesopotamia The “land between 2 rivers” Between the TIGRIS River and the EUPHRATES River Rivers flooded every year  fertile soil left behind

WATER! Need water to live… Transportation Drinking Fishing Irrigation

Rain was unpredictable Dig irrigation ditches that carried water to the fields for crops Required organization and leadership

City-State Each city and the surrounding land it controlled Multiple cities developed Cities shared same culture, but not leaders Center = TEMPLE (Ziggurat) Priests- most important

Dynasty Military leaders became more important Military leaders  full time leaders Dynasty- When rulers pass power down to their sons (power kept in the family)

Polytheism Polytheism- The belief in many gods Gods controlled everything in nature (people wanted to please them) 3,000 gods Gods = human-like, but immortal Afterlife- “the land of no return”