Mesopotamia: The World’s First Civilization (Began c. 3000 BC)

Geography Literally “land between two rivers” (Tigris, Euphrates) -Soil is fertile -Food supply is stable -Flooding is unpredictable -Few natural barriers

The Sumerians By 3000 BC, villages grew into city-states (ex.: Ur, Erech, Kish) -Each was independent -Controlled surrounding farmland -Constantly battled w/each other for resources and control

Sumerian City-States

Sumerian City-State of Ur

Lugals (leaders)… were the representatives of the gods on earth commanded absolute power

Religion Sumerians believed… -in many gods (polytheistic) -that a council of gods and goddesses ruled the earth -that the gods decided the fate of individuals and cities -in an unhappy afterlife

Ziggurats- temples to the gods of the city-states

Written Language Need for accurate records led to the development of writing -System began with pictograms and ideograms -Later simplified with the use of symbols to represent sounds and syllables (cuneiform)

A stylus was used to make wedge-shaped symbols on tablets of wet clay.

Babylonians Hammurabi Hammurabi’s Code Abolishes local government Collects more taxes Hammurabi’s Code 282 laws Property rights, crime, marriage, contracts, etc

Legacy World’s first civilization First to use the wheel, sail, and plow Developed a base 60 number system 12 month calendar Ziggurats may have influenced Egyptian pyramids