Chapter 4 Mesopotamia Lesson 1: The Sumerians A Sumerian warrior-god, gold figurine

The First Civilizations in Mesopotamia A. The Two Rivers 1. The first known civilization started in Mesopotamia. 2. A civilization is a group of people who have a high level of culture and order.

City-States in Mesopotamia Where Civilization Began City-States in Mesopotamia PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.

3. Mesopotamia is the land located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. 4. Mesopotamia is located in Southwest Asia.

5. Mesopotamia was referred to as the “fertile crescent” due to its fertile and abundant soil and because the place where Mesopotamia was located appeared to be shaped like a crescent. 6. People first stayed in Mesopotamia around 7000 B.C.

7. These people hunted and raised animals for food.

8. They farmed in the valley between the two rivers. “meso” means middle

Tigris River

Euphrates River

This is the area around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers This is the area around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It is known as the Fertile Crescent. The earth in this region is very dry. Civilizations developed here because the two great rivers provided the natural resources needed to sustain life. Over time, people in the Fertile Crescent learned how to harness the power of the rivers. PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.

9. They farmed in the valley between the two rivers.

B. Irrigation 1. To grow crops, farmers need water for the soil. 2. Farmers in Mesopotamia got water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

3. Sometimes it rained too much causing the rivers to flood. 4. Floods could destroy crops, but they also left the land covered with silt. 5. Silt is a rich soil and good for farming.

6. To control the floods, the people of Mesopotamia built dams. 7. A dam is a wall that stops the flow of water.

8. Mesopotamians also dug canals. 9. A canal is a ditch that lets water flow to the fields. Watering crops using canals is called irrigation.

10. By using irrigation, farmers could grow large amounts of food 10. By using irrigation, farmers could grow large amounts of food. The people of Mesopotamia had extra food, or a surplus.

An irrigation system makes it possible to grow crops An irrigation system makes it possible to grow crops. These crops will help sustain life in an otherwise dry region.

C. Cities Grow 1. Because of a surplus of food, not everyone needed to farm. 2. Some people could become artisans. An artisan is a person who makes a good, such as cloth, tools, or weapons.

FYI: Sumerian Jewelry Carnelian was made into jewelry by Sumerians. It is a semiprecious mineral that was much prized by the Greeks and Romans. Carnelian jewelry keeps its bright gloss better than other stones.

3. People began to live together in places that helped them trade goods. 4. Before long, small villages grew into cities. By 3000 B.C., many cities had started and grown in Sumer. Sumer is the region in southern Mesopotamia.

D. Sumer’s Civilization 1. The people of Sumer were called Sumerians. 2. They built many cities. The cities of Sumer had deserts around them, which were hard to travel across so each city stood alone. 3. As cities grew, they gained control of the land around them.

4. They formed city-states. 5. Each city-state had its own government. It was not part of a larger nation. 6. Sometimes Sumerian city-states fought each other, but during times of peace, they traded with each other.

E. Polytheism 1. The Sumerian people worshiped many gods. 2. Worshipping many gods is called polytheism. “Poly” means many; “The” means god. 3. Each city-state, though, claimed one god as its own. Bas-relief depicting priests intervening between worshipers and gods.

4. To honor this god, the city-state built a large temple called a ziggurat. 5. A temple is a building used to worship a god or many gods.

ziggurat

The Ziggurat at Ur was first excavated by British archaeologist Woolley in 1923. The Iraqi Directorate of Antiquities restored its lower stages in the 1980s.

” Marduk, the Dragon god PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.

F. Social Classes in Sumer People in Sumer were divided into social classes. The upper class included kings, priests, warriors, and government workers. People in this class were powerful and wealthy.

3. The middle class had farmers, fishers, and artisans 3. The middle class had farmers, fishers, and artisans. It was the largest group.

4. Enslaved people made up the lowest class 4. Enslaved people made up the lowest class. They had no money and no power.

5. The basic unit of Sumerian life was the family. 6. Men were the head of the family. Women ran the home and cared for the children.

G. Sumerian Contributions 1. Sumerians created a way of writing called cuneiform. 2. Cuneiform was written by using wedge- shaped marks cut into damp clay. Only a few people learned to read and write cuneiform.

One of the first writing systems - Cuneiform

3. Some of these people became scribes 3. Some of these people became scribes. A scribe is a person who records business dealings and important events.

4. The oldest known story in the world comes from Sumer 4. The oldest known story in the world comes from Sumer. This story is called the Epic of Gilgamesh. 5. An epic is a long poem that tells the story of a hero.

6. The Sumerians were the first people to use the wheel 6. The Sumerians were the first people to use the wheel. They were also the first to use sailboats and wooden plows.

7. Sumerians were the first to make bronze out of copper and tin.

8. Sumerians studied mathematics and astronomy 8. Sumerians studied mathematics and astronomy. Astronomy is the study of planets, stars, and other objects in space. 9. Sumerians learned the best times to plant crops by observing the positions of the stars.

End of Chapter 4 Lesson 1 PPT