AP World History: Ancient Mesopotamia Period 1: Technological and Environmental Transformations to 600 BCE Key Concept 1.3: The Development and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies Themes: _______________________

Modern Iraq Scene of a bombing north of Baghdad Jan 6, 2012 Many children were born with birth defects due to the results of weapons used during the Iraq War post 9/11.

BUT The land of modern Iraq was the birthplace of one of the greatest civilizations in the world.

A)Located in Iraq; a desert B)Mesopotamia = land between the 2 main rivers -Tigris & Euphrates C)Called “Fertile Crescent” due to its rich soil TIGRIS RIVER I Geography of Mesopotamia

Euphrates River in Iraq

Tigris Euphrates Salt Marsh

D) The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flood yearly like Egypt. *Unlike Egypt, their floods are less predictable. This led to an unhappy view of life & death.

III Government Unlike Egypt, Mesopotamian kings ruled individual city-states. There are not many written and archeological records of early Mesopotamian government, with the exception of two centers of power: temples and palaces. Temples were landholders, and their priests controlled considerable wealth. Their religious power predates the secular power of the palaces. Secular leadership developed in the third millennium B.C.E. when “big men” (lugal), who may have originally been leaders of armies, emerged as secular leaders. The lugal ruled from their palaces and tended to take over religious control of institutions. The Epic of Gilgamesh provides an example of the exercise of secular power. Gilgamesh, Sumerian King of Uruk, c BCE

2. The center of each city-state was the ziggurat (temple). All of the buildings were built of sun-baked mud brick. Each city-state was surrounded by a protective city wall.

B) 2300 BCE King Sargon of Akkad attacked Sumer. He created the Akkadian Empire, one of the first empires in the world. After his death, his empire quickly fell apart. An empire is a group of states that is under the control of a single authority.

Human Headed Winged Lion, Assyrian 865 BCE

C) 1790 BCE Hammurabi, King of Babylon conquered most of Mesopotamia. He created the Code of Hammurabi; the world’s first written law code laws carved into a stone pillar -Displayed in public -Included civil and criminal laws -Punishments were specific to the crime. However, the punishment was also based on your social status and wealth. (The lower your status, the harsher the penalty)

Code of Hammurabi Law Code See the handout

Remains of Ancient Babylon

D) 1400 BCE the Hittites (from Asia Minor) settled in Mesopotamia. They brought with them the knowledge of iron working. Tools and weapons made from iron have harder and sharper edges than bronze or copper

Hittite Iron Weapons & Tools

E) By 1350 the Assyrians learned ironworking from the Hittites. By 1100 BCE they expanded and created a new empire. At Nineveh, King Assurbanipal founded one of the world’s first libraries. It contained cuneiform tablets from all over the Fertile Crescent.

Reconstruction of Assurbanipal’s Library in Mosul, Iraq

F) 626 BCE King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Assyrian Empire, and began the Neo-Babylonian Empire… out of… you guessed it… Babylon! -He conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Jewish temple and forced many Jews to come to his empire -He rebuilt the city walls of Babylon, including the Ishtar Gate. It is covered in blue tile, with images of lions. -He built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his wife.

Babylonian Ishtar Gate Part of the City Wall of Babylon

Recreation of the Ishtar Gate

Recreation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Trade in Mesopotamia The states of Mesopotamia needed resources and obtained them not only by territorial expansion but also through a flourishing long- distance trade. Merchants were originally employed by temples or palaces; later, in the second millennium B.C.E., private merchants emerged. Trade was carried out through barter or traded for fixed weights of precious metal or measurements of grains.

III Achievements of Mesopotamia A) By 3200 BCE Sumerians invented cuneiform, a true writing system. They marked clay tablets with a stylus (sharp pointed tool).

Sumerian Scribes

Origins of Cuneiform? Mesopotamian cylinder seals are small cylinders, generally made of stone and pierced through from end to end so that they could be worn on a string or pin. The surface of the cylinder was carved in intaglio (cut into the stone) with a design, so that when rolled on clay the cylinder would leave a continuous impression of the design, reversed and in relief. Cylinder seals were invented around 3500 BC in southern Mesopotamia (now Iraq) or south-western Iran, and were used as an administrative tool, as jewellery and as magical amulets until around 300 BC. Cylinder seals were linked to the invention of cuneiform writing on clay, and when this spread to other areas of the Near East, the use of cylinder seals spread too. – britishmuseum.org

B) Sumerians developed the earliest known number system. They divided space and time by units of 6. *We still use Sumerian math! -60 degrees in a circle -60 seconds in a minute -60 minutes in an hour

C) The Sumerians were one of the first civilizations to record their observations of the stars. They combined the science of studying the universe (astronomy) with the belief that the positions of the stars and planets affect our lives (astrology). With their knowledge of astronomy, they created a 12 month lunar calendar. The Sumerians gave us the 12 signs of the zodiac! Sumerian Star Chart

D) The Epic of Gilgamesh may be the oldest written story on earth! Written in cuneiform by Sumerians About a Sumerian King of the city of Uruk It contains a story of a great flood, eerily similar to the story of Noah and the Ark! "I will reveal to you, Gilgamesh, a thing that is hidden, a secret of the gods… a city that you surely know, situated on the banks of the Euphrates.. The hearts of the Great Gods moved them to inflict the Flood…Tear down the house and build a boat! Abandon wealth and seek living beings! Spurn possessions and keep alive living beings! Make all living beings go up into the boat.”

V Religion in Mesopotamia 1. Mesopotamian religion was polytheistic. - Abraham began the monotheistic religion of Judaism in Mesopotamia. However, the majority of Mesopotamians remained polytheistic. 2. Mesopotamians kept their Gods happy with offerings & ceremonies. If you were wealthy, you had statues built in your image and placed in the ziggurat to pray for you. 3. Unlike Egypt, Mesopotamians believed the afterlife was misery. Due to the unpredictability of the floods. 4. Priests performed ceremonies on top of ziggurats. “The house where one goes in and never comes out again… the place where they live on dust and their food is mud…” – Epic of Gilgamesh

Goddess Ianna “Great Priestess, who can soothe your troubled heart? You flash like lightening over the highlands; you throw your firebrands across the earth.” Goddess of fertility, war and nature.

US Soldiers Climbing the Ziggurat at Ur

Royal Burials at Ur 2600 – 2000 BCE One burial chamber contained the bodies of 74 sacrificial victims! Queen’s Headdress Lyre

Mesopotamian Society Mesopotamia had a stratified society in which kings and priests controlled much of the wealth. The three classes of Mesopotamian society were: (1) the free landowning class, (2) dependent farmers and artisans, and (3) slaves. Slavery was not a fundamental part of the economy, and most slaves were prisoners of war.

Sumerians3200 – 1900 BCE Invented cuneiform writing. Akkadian Empire2300 – 2150 BCE Sargon attacked Sumer and created one of the world’s first empires. Babylonian Empire1790 – 1595 BCE King Hammurabi created the world’s first written law code. Hittites1650 – 1200 BCE Expert iron craftsmen. Assyrian Empire1350 – 609 BCE King Assurbanipal created a world famous library. Neo Babylonian Empire626 – 539 BCE King Nebuchadnezzar built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his wife. Mesopotamian Civilizations Summary

Key Vocabulary Mesopotamia Fertile Crescent Tigris and Euphrates rivers City-states Big Men Bureaucracy Ziggurat Sumerians King Sargon Akkadian Empire Babylonian Empire King Hammurabi Hammurabi’s Code Hittites Asia Minor Assyrian Empire King Assurbanipal’s Library Neo-Babylonian Empire King Nebuchadnezzar Hanging Gardens of Babylon Ishtar Gate Cuneiform Stylus Astronomy Astrology Epic of Gilgamesh