WARM UP What one thing is necessary for a city to arise?

Vocabulary Fertile Crescent City-state Dynasty Cultural diffusion Polytheism Cuneiform

MESOPOTAMIA

River Valley Civilizations All early river civilizations are located in River Valleys “Mesopotamia” means land between rivers

Mesopotamia Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Rivers flooded Mesopotamia at least once a year creating fertile soil called Silt Area was known as “The Fertile Crescent” Existed from about 3000BC-1550

Environmental Disadvantages Land almost a desert because of unpredictable floods and little to no rain No natural barriers for protection Natural resources were limited, specifically building materials

Problems Solved Irrigation ditches to carry water from rivers to fields Built city walls with mud bricks Traded goods with people of mountains and desserts for raw materials (stone, wood, metal) Cultural diffusion-Spread of ideas or products from one culture to another

Advanced Cities Early Mesopotamia developed as city-states Each city shared the same culture but had its own government and rulers City States often fought one another Ur was most significant Sargon of Akkad united all of the city states and created the first empire Empire brings peoples, nations or states under the control of one ruler

Babylonian Empire 2000 B.C. nomadic warriors known as Amorites invade the region Take control of Sumer Create capital on the Euphrates River, called Babylon Empire at strongest with Hammurabi as leader

Specialized Workers Food Surpluses provided the opportunity for specialization People became artisans, potters, weavers, jewelers, scribes, gov’t officials & priests Merchants would trade goods for food Created Cultural Diffusion Slaves Soldiers

Technology Bronze Age began here Irrigation system Invented the wheel, sail and plow Developed number system & first form of writing-cuneiform Advanced in medicine, astronomy and chemistry Architecture- Ziggurat Weapons made of iron

Complex Institutions Religion was polytheistic Believed humans were gods servants After life was harsh-Underworld Ziggurat served as the City Hall or center of City Life Priests performed rituals Housed offerings to Gods Bridge between heaven and earth

Complex Institutions Early Govt’s were a Theocracy Gov’t run by Religious Leaders Monarchies eventually develop leading to Dynasties Assyrian Empire introduced large, strong military

Record Keeping Sumerian Cities each had their own laws King Hammurabi of the Babylonian Empire unified all of the Cities under one Code of Law – Hammurabi’s Code Code engraved in stone that were placed all over empire Protected women and children Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth mentality

Record Keeping Cuneiform gov’t officials document taxes, laws and grain storage Priests created a calendar Merchants kept track of payments & debts King Ashurbanipal collected 20,000 clay tablets Library had modern features; cataloging

Reflection Explain how Mesopotamia was able to develop into a civilization while living in a desert climate. What difficulties were faced by the people in Mesopotamia? Explain the significance of King Hammurabi.