Adapted from Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS The Ancient Middle East Adapted from Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS

1. Mesopotamia: "Land Between the Two Rivers" Greek word origin…meaning land between the two rivers. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers

Indo-European Migrations: 4m-2m BCE Why do we study this one first? Because it is from this successful area that the Indo-European migrations began. Spreading new cultural standards to this area of the world. The Middle East: “The Crossroads of Three Continents”

The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area What spreads from here?....Agriculture and technological know-how of the day. The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

Sumerians Small votive statues that are placed in the temple to serve as “stand ins” for the donor. The hands, right over left, are a symbol of attentivness and prayer. The eyes were often stylized to make them central to the observer. Often they were covered with jewels or precious stones. Men and women were held in very different levels of society. He could sell his wife and family into slavery to settle a debt and almost divorce at will. Women did have the right to property and run their own businesses. What can they be credited with inventing? Wagon wheel, arch for sturdier buildings, potter’s wheel, sundial, 60 based number system, first to make bronze out of copper and tin. Develop a metal plow.

Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic Enki…god of creation and waters Innana…goddess of fertility and standing on the backs of lions (even then a symbol of power) Enki Innana Anthropomorphic Gods

Mesopotamian Trade “The Cuneiform World”

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

Cuneiform Writing

Sumerian Scribes “Tablet House”

Sumerian Cylinder Seals

Gilgamesh There are only two stories in ancient religious writings… You go on a journey. -and- A stranger comes to town. Gilgamesh is a journey, a crossing over and return. Out he goes, out into the far country, out to the source of all the rivers, only to find his own death inevitable. And when he learns this, and the truth of it sinks into his bones, he doesn’t turn away, he doesn’t go mad, he doesn’t become an ascetic, or a philosopher, he doesn’t even mourn: he returns. He returns. He returns and he tells the story of his journey

Gilgamesh Epic Tablet: Flood Story

Ziggurat at Ur Temple “Mountain of the Gods”

The Royal Standard of Ur Royal family on the top band the subjects bringing them tribute on the lower bands.

Board Game From Ur

Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills at Ur

Sargon of Akkad: The World’s First Empire [Akkadians]

The Babylonian Empires

Hammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750 B. C. E.] Code

Hammurabi, the Judge