Civilization and Mesopotamia

Civilization AIM: Students will understand the 5 themes of civilization and the birth of civilization in Mesopotamia. Do Now: What were the social changes and economic changes that turned villages into cities?

Meme of the day

Social Economic Labor from many people Social classes Organized Religion Leaders Food Surplus More farm land / Better farming technology Irrigation system Craftwork – Art, pottery, clothes, metal objects Technology – Sail & wheel – Trade to further places

From Village to City https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8S5I83Ccc Event A: Food Shortage (The Cause) Critical thinking question 1?

Civilization – 5 characteristics 1) Advanced cities - a center of trade for a larger area. A) Barter – trading goods and services without money 2) Specialized workers - such as traders, artisans, government officials, and priests. What led to specialized workers? 3) Complex institutions - made government, or a system of ruling, necessary. In civilizations, leaders emerged to maintain order among people and to establish laws. A) Institutions - long-lasting pattern of organization in a community. (Church, government, economy Why would record keeping be important?

Record Keeping 4) Record keeping - officials had to document tax collections, the passage of laws, and the storage of grain. Priests needed a way to keep track of the calendar. Merchants had to record accounts of debts and payments A) Sumerian scribes—or professional record keepers—invented a system of writing called cuneiform. (KYOO•nee•uh•FAWRM) B) cuneiform, meaning “wedge-shaped.” (Earlier Sumerian writing consisted of pictographs symbols of the the scribe’s tool, called a stylus, was a sharpened reed with a wedge-shaped point. It was pressed into moist clay to create symbols. Scribes baked their clay tablets in the sun to preserve the writing.

The Sumerian Civilization Cuneiform = Sumerian system of writing The symbols represented complex ideas

The Sumerian Civilization Scribes were trained to read & write documents and stories Epic of Gilgamesh = oldest story in the world

Event B Uncontrolled Water Supply Describe your design?

Technology 5) Technology – What was some of the Neolithic technology advancements? Sumerian artisans relied on new technology to make their tasks easier. A) Around 3500 B.C., they first used the potter’s wheel to shape jugs, plates, and bowls. B) Sumerian metalworkers - certain amounts of copper and tin made bronze. Bronze Age refers to the time when people began using bronze, rather than copper and stone, to fashion tools and weapons. The Bronze Age started in Sumer around 3000 B.C.

Sumerian Inventions Wagon Wheel Arch Potter’s Wheel Sundial 12-month Calendar Metal Plow

Fertile Crescent Fertile Crescent = moon- shaped strip of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf that is excellent farm land Located in modern-day Middle East

Event C: Building and Maintaining Critical thinking Question C – What is the best way to maintain complex irrigation system?

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia = located within the Fertile Crescent, between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers Rivers were NOT a reliable source of water (unlike the Nile) Ran dry in summer; flooded in spring Villages joined together to build dams, canals, and ditches

The Sumerian Civilization People from Asia arrived in Mesopotamia Formed 12 city-states = the city and the land surrounding it Considered the world’s 1st cities Created ziggurats = stepped pyramids with a temple at the top

The Sumerian Civilization Sumerians shared common culture, language, and religion City-states governed themselves Were theocracies = kings served as both government leaders AND high priests Laws regulated the roles of women & men  men had far more rights

Event D: Attacks from neighboring communities How would you design a defense to protect your city