ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- “THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS”

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- DEFINITIONS CITY STATES- self-governing unit made up of a city and its surrounding villages and farmland.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA-GEOGRAPHY LOCATED BETWEEN THE TIGRIS-EUPHRATES RIVERS BOTH RIVERS FLOW INTO THE PERSIAN GULF LOCATED IN PRESENT DAY IRAQ

Fertile Crescent

Mesopotamia

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- GEOGRAPHY POSITIVE abundant amount of clay easy till-able soil water supply from Tigris-Euphrates Rivers NEGATIVE few natural resources minimal protection from deserts and mountains

City-States

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION BELIEVED TO BE SETTLED CA. 3000 B.C. DIVIDED INTO CITY-STATES HELPED TO DEVELOP THE FIRST FORM OF ORGANIZED RELIGION CREATED ONE OF THE EARLIEST FORM OF WRITING

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CITY-STATES ALWAYS IN CONSTANT CONFLICT OVER WATER RIGHTS AND LAND CREATED WALLS FOR PROTECTION, WITH MOATS ALONG THE OUTSIDE FARMS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

Sumerians invented: Wheel Time – 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute 12 month lunar calendar arch ramp

Religion

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN RELIGION Ziggurats: pyramid site of the temple of the main gods. Each city-state had their own gods and goddesses Sun god – most important. Life after death was an extension of life.

Ziggurat – Holy Mountain

Ziggurat Large pyramid shaped structures Connected to heaven and earth Ziggurat: “center for learning and religion”

How to Build a Ziggurat How to Build a Ziggurat

Sumerian Religion Monotheism: worshiping one god. “Mono” – means one Polytheism: worshiping many gods. “Poly” – means many

Writing: Cuneiform

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN WRITING CALLED CUNEIFORM (LATIN FOR WEDGE) WRITTEN ON CLAY TABLETS NEEDED FOR RELIGION, GOVERNMENT, AND TRADE LEARNED IN SCHOOL, BY MALES THAT LASTED FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET

Sumerian Writing: cuneiform Cuneiform is created by pressing a pointed stylus into a clay tablet.

Cuneiform

Economy

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMY Make, sell or barter goods. Trade helped expansion. Development of money Will evolve over time.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMY RICH government officials religious leaders traders POOR Farmers craftsman

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN PASTIMES Entertainment No longer had to hunt and gather. More time for fun times. Rich had more time than poor. Activities: BOARD GAMES INSTRUMENTS BARE FISTED BOXING Activities geared toward young and used for socializing.

The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived. Agriculture (Farming) Growth of Cities Division of Labor (Specialization) Trade Writing and Mathematics

Persians Mesopotamian Civilization Chaldeans Assyrians Akkadians Babylonians Sumeria Hittites Mesopotamian Civilization Chaldeans Lydians Phoenicians Assyrians

Hittites Iron Weapons Add to your map the location: Hittites Assyrians Akkadians

Chief god Assur Chariots used First Cavalry Assyrians

Akkadians Spoke a Semitic Language related to modern Hebrew and Arabic When heaven above was not yet named, nor earth below pronounced by name, Apsu, the first one, their begetter and maker Tiamat, who bore them all, had mixed their waters together, but had not formed pastures, nor discovered reed-beds. When yet no gods were manifest, nor names pronounced, nor destinies decreed, then gods were born within them.

Babylonians Chief god: Marduk King Hammurabi Hammurabi’s Code Prayed for good harvest and success in business. King Hammurabi Hammurabi’s Code Earliest code of law Based on equal retaliation.

Hammurabi’s Code 282 laws. Harsh punishment for crimes. Based on equal retaliation. “ If a man bring an accusation against a man and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death” “If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off” Laws were varied for the wealthy and powerful.

What do you think? “ If a man bring an accusation against a man and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death” “If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off” If a man strike a free-born woman so that she lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss. “If the woman die, his daughter shall be put to death.

Chaldeans Skilled astronomers Hanging Gardens of Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar built them for his wife One of the Ancient Wonders of the World http://www.crystalinks.com/seven.html

Persians Present day Iran Spoke an Indo-European Language Zoroastrianism Belief in final judgment and training for it

Phoenicians Major natural resource: lumber from cedar forests. Invented the art of glassblowing. Alphabet Then adopted by Greeks. Then adopted by Romans Please label Phoenicia on your map.

Lydians First to use a money economy. An economic system based in the use of money as a measure of value and a unit of account.