Oldest known civilization – c. 3500 B.C. Famous cities: Babylon, Sumer, Ur Cuneiform was the first form of writing Hammurabi – created first code of Laws Ziggurat – Mesopotamian temple Hanging Gardens of Babylon – considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World

Mesopotamia is derived from the Greek words mesos, which means 'middle' and potamos, which means 'river'. It covers the geographical area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which is why it’s also known as the 'land between two rivers'.

The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers The Fertile Crescent

Hammurabi’s Code of Laws Hammurabi, the king of Babylon, united the diverse tribes of Mesopotamia by conquering territory in the region. During his rule (c.1795 - 1750 B.C.), he proved to be an effective leader and general. The Code of Hammurabi is one of the first sets of written laws, which was written on a six-foot tall stone tablet. It was believed that the Mesopotamian kings were descendants of the various gods. What would Hammurabi do? http://www.phillipmartin.info/hammurabi/hammurabi_situation_index.htm Hammurabi’s Code of Laws: http://www.phillipmartin.info/hammurabi/hammurabi_codeindex.htm

Cuneiform Write your name in cuneiform: http://www.penn.museum/cgi/cuneiform.cgi

“platform between heaven and earth” Ziggurat “platform between heaven and earth” At the center of all the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia featured a ziggurat, which is a temple consisting of a terraced pyramid structure built with staircases and a shrine at the top.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon The gardens were attributed to the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled between 605 and 562 BC. He is reported to have constructed the gardens to please his homesick wife Amytis of Media, who longed for the plants of her homeland. The gardens were said to have been destroyed by several earthquakes after the 2nd century BC, but no definitive archaeological evidence concerning its whereabouts has been found. Click on the link to take a virtual tour of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon: http://viewpure.com/Ks1UW0y0L9A?start=0&end=0

What happened to Mesopotamia? Nowadays, Mesopotamia includes some parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. It is believed that it came to an end with the arrival of the first Persian Empire (550-330 B.C.), which was later overthrown by Alexander the Great of Greece.

Mesopotamian Advancements & Recreation Plow Wheel (for pottery & chariots) Chariots Arch Calendar Astronomy Mathematics Cuneiform Helmets Sailboats Irrigation systems Lion hunting Daggers Bronze metal (and later iron metal) Looms to weave cloth