City-States in Mesopotamia Chapter 2 Section 1

Key Terms Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia City-state Dynasty Cultural diffusion Polytheism Empire Hammurabi

Geography of the Fertile Crescent Best farming in southwest Asia Fertile Crescent- curved shape and richness of land Mesopotamia- means between two rivers Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Environmental challenges Sumerians 4500bc Advantage- Good soil Three disadvantages Unpredictable flooding No natural barriers for protection (defenseless) Sumer limited resources

Solving problems through organization Provide water Dug irrigation ditches Allowed for surplus Defense Built wall of mud bricks Traded grain, cloth, tools Received stone, wood metal Leaders organized construction

Sumerians Create City-States 3000 BC built many cities Surrounded by fields of grains Cities had own rulers and governments City-State-Each city and surrounding land it controlled

Priests and Rulers Share Control Ziggurat was like city hall Sumerian priests started standing armies Leaders of army became rulers Passed down to son Dynasty-series of rulers from a single family

Spread of Cities 2500 BC Long distance trading Cities all over fertile crescent Syria, Turkey, northern Iraq Cultural diffusion new ideas spread from one culture to another

Sumerian Culture Polytheism- belief in many gods Enlil god of storms and air Believed gods did human things Fall in love Have children Quarreled

Sumerian Culture Gods could strike at any time Tried to appease the gods Sacrificed animals Death went to “land of no return” Between earths crust and the sea Dismal place

Sumerian Society Top- Kings, landholders and priests Next-Wealthy merchants Majority- the people who worked with their hands Slaves Sumerian women could work and join the priesthood

Sumerian Science and Technology Invented the wheel, sail and plow Arithmetic and geometry Based on 60 (minutes, hours) circle 360 Architecture- Arches, columns, ramps Cuneiform-system of writing

First Empire Builders 3000-2000 Sumerians defeated New rulers adopted their culture

Sargon of Akkad Defeated Sumer, adopted their culture Sargon’s conquest spread Sumerian culture Empire-brings together several people, nations under one ruler Sargon’s Dynasty lasted 200 years

Babylonian Empire Amorites in 2000 BC defeat Sumerians Capital at Babylon Hammurabi’s code Single uniform code of laws Engraved in stone Place throughout the empire Had 282 laws

Babylonian Empire Government had a responsibility to the people Included family relations Crimes Laws related to property Protected women and children from unfair treatment Eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth If thief not caught government paid the victim Government had a responsibility to the people

Babylonia Empire Hammurabi’s Code Different punishments for rich and poor Different for men and women To bring about rule and righteousness