Home to the World’s First Civilization Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia Modern day Iraq Greek meaning “Land Between two rivers” What two rivers? Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Modern day Iraq

The fertile crescent In the spring, the rivers often flooded, leaving behind rich soil for farming. The problem was that the flooding was very unpredictable. It might flood one year, but not the next. Every year, farmers worried about their crops.

Irrigation Over time, the farmers learned to build dams and channels to control the seasonal floods. They also built walls, waterways, and ditches to bring water to their fields. This way of watering crops is called irrigation. Irrigation allowed the farmers to grow plenty of food and support a large population.

The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization” Disadvantages: 1. Unpredictable flooding 2. No Natural Barriers for protection 3. Limited natural resources

Sumer The first major civilization in Mesopotamia was in a region called Sumer.

Barley and dates

City-states Each Sumerian city and the land around it became a separate city-state. Each city-state had its own government and was not part of any larger unit.

RIVALS --- emergence of warrior-kings to provide protection. warrior kings eventually passed on leadership to sons, who eventually passed it on to their heirs. Such a series of rulers is known as a dynasty

Social Classes in Sumer - Upper class - kings, priests, warriors, and government officials. - Middle class - artisans, merchants, farmers, and fishers. These people made up the largest group. - Lower class - enslaved people who worked on farms or in the temples.

Sumerian Religion polytheistic - belief in many gods believed that many different gods controlled the various forces of nature humans = servants to gods, at any moment a god might send a flood or set a fire if he was angered ruler seen as chief servant to the gods and led ceremonies meant to please them

Writing - The most important invention of the Sumerians was writing. - The writing of the Sumerians was called cuneiform.

Cuneiform alphabet

Sumerian Scribes “Tablet House”

The Epic of Gilgamesh - The most famous piece of literature from Sumer is the Epic of Gilgamesh. - An epic is a long poem that tells the story of a hero. The hero Gilgamesh is a king who travels around the world with a friend and performs great deeds. When his friend dies, Gilgamesh searches for a way to live forever.

Sumerian Inventions - wagon wheel - plow - sailboat - number system based on 60 - geometry - 12 month calendar

wagon wheel plow sailboat

Sumerian Art Statues with large eyes (focus on god)

Sumerian Architecture Ziggurat tiered pyramid center of religious ceremonies and government “Mountain to God” Made of clay found all around them…no wood or stone in this desert climate

Board Game From Ur

Akkadians

Sargon - In about 2340 B.C., Sargon conquered all of Mesopotamia creating the world’s first empire. - An empire is a group of many different lands under one ruler. Sargon’s empire lasted for more than 200 years before falling to invaders.

The Babylonian Empires

Babylon In about 2000 B.C. nomadic warriors known as Amorites invaded Mesopotamia. They established their capital in Babylon The Babylonian empire reached it’s peak during the reign of Hammurabi Hammurabi’s most enduring legacy is the code of laws he put together

Hammurabi Hammurabi is best known for his law code, or collection of laws. Cause: Hammurabi recognized that a single, uniform code of laws would help to unify the diverse groups within his empire. Effect: He collected existing rules, judgments, and laws into the Code of Hammurabi

Economy * barter long distance trade traded agriculture surplus: wheat, barley, dates, veggies imported what they didn’t have: stone wood