Early Civilizations MESOPOTAMIA

location Modern day Iraq Mesopotamia literally translates as “between rivers” The land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers First civilizations always develop around bodies of water These locations are move favourable for the development of agriculture as well as transportation

Importance of the rivers Climate was difficult and challenging: Very hot and dry desert climate Seasonal flooding Farmers of the area learned to control the flooding rivers and used the resulting fertility to produce crops such as barley, wheat, flax, and sesame. The fertile ground also supported many different kinds of fruit and vegetable crops.

History - Sumerians The people who established the world's first civilization around 3500 B.C. in southern Mesopotamia were known as the Sumerians

Development of a society Irrigation and other means of exploiting food sources were being used to amass large surpluses Huge building projects were being undertaken by rulers, and political organization was becoming evermore sophisticated

Early City-States At the center of each city-state was a temple surrounded by courts and public buildings. Radiating from the all-important city center were the two-story houses of the priests and merchants, or the upper class Then the one-story homes of government officials, shopkeepers, and craftspeople Followed by the lower class homes of farmers, unskilled workers, and fishermen. The city-state also included the fertile farming land outside the city wall.

Homes Since there wasn't any building stone and very little timber, the people constructed their homes, public buildings, and city walls out of sun-dried mud brick.

Ziggurats Ziggurats were constructed as temples to the Gods They were step pyramids Only the Priest was allowed to enter (they were not intended for public worship)

Important inventions - writing Cuneiform script is the earliest known writing system in the world Developed by the Sumerians in the 34th century BCE A pictographic system of writing

Important inventions - Calendar The Sumerians were the first people to record dates They used a calendar based on the lunar cycle They also created this first zodiac

Other Important inventions The Sumerians are credited with being the first civilization to: Have pottery and decorative furniture Use complex music for enjoyment Have a code of law Have developed religion, mythology and astrology Have grown multiple crops and irrigate the land Mathematics: multiplication tables, geometry, division, abacus Have a developed army