The Worlds First Civilization Mesopotamia The Worlds First Civilization

What is a civilization? Civilizations (SIH•vuh•luh•ZAY• shuhns) are complex societies. They have cities, organized governments, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system.

Why were river valleys important? Farming - large amounts of people could be fed Trade - goods and ideas to move from place to place. Cities - grow up in these valleys and became the centers of civilizations.

Mesopotamia The land between two rivers.

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia was the worlds first civilization. The two rivers that allowed Mesopotamia to succeed were the Tigris and Euphrates.

Mesopotamia - The Land Between Two Rivers Mesopotamia was a place where many cities began to grow. As its name suggests, Mesopotamia was located between two rivers. The two rivers were the Tigris River and the Euphrates River. Mesopotamia was located in the MODERN REGION of the Middle East, and surrounded by desert. People came to Mesopotamia because the soil between the two rivers was very fertile.

Tigris River Current times The Tigris River as it flows through Iraq. Unpredictable, violent flooding often killed many people, washed homes, destroyed crops, and hurt trade because it prevented travel up and down the river. One reason civilizations were easily conquered in this region was because they were often weakened by the flooding and left too tired to fight. Current times

Euphrates River – current times Because the river was often deadly and violent, people in this area tended to think that gods were mean and searched for ways to appease them. More on this when we come to the social category. However, a real emphasis should be placed here on how devastating flooding could be, especially since the homes were may of clay and water washes away clay. Excavations have uncovered clay cities, built on top of other clay cities, built on top of other clay cities, etc.

Mesopotamia was part of a larger region called the Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia was part of a larger region called the Fertile Crescent. This area, that stretched from the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea down to the Persian Gulf, had fertile soil and was where many civilizations started. The shape is somewhat similar to a crescent (think of a crescent roll, or a crescent-shaped moon).

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.

City-States Formed Along the Rivers Many city-states formed along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia. They each had their own form of government, and the people worshipped different gods and goddesses. Each had their own kings. The region where the two rivers meet was called Sumer. The people who lived in the Sumer region were called Sumerians.

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

Food in Sumer The Sumerians grew several kinds of crops. The most valuable one was barley, which was used to make flour and bread. Dates were also very valuable to the Sumerians. They were eaten once ripe or else they were dried for future consumption. Dates also made an excellent wine.

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.

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.

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

Cuneiform alphabet

TheEpic 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

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.

Hammurabi’s Code of Law Babylonians Hammurabi’s Code of Law Which characteristic of civilization is given here? Government

Hammurabi’s Code History’s first known written laws 300 laws An “eye for an eye” Punishments varied according to social status.

Hammurabi Hammurabi is best known for his law code, or collection of laws. Law 5: If a judge makes an error through his own fault when trying a case, he must pay a fine, be removed from the judge’s bench, and never judge another case. Law 195: If a son strikes his father, the son’s hands shall be cut off.

Examples of Hammurabi’s Code If a builder builds a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls and kills it’s owner, then that builder shall be put to death.

If a son strikes his father, they shall cut off his hand