Early Civilization: The Fertile Crescent

On your desk… Each of you has a piece of paper folded in half. When I tell you, I would like to you read the directions on the paper and do exactly what it says. Please remain QUIET! Group A will go first Group B will go second When I say STOP, you must STOP! You are the “leader” of your side of the room. You stand before your “people” and ask them to fold their hands in front of them as if they were praying. Tell them to please remain quiet as you give them directions. Then you will ask them to stand up on the count of three “1-2-3”. When they stand ask them to bow at the waist, and then have a seat. Fold your hands on your lap and do whatever your “leader” tells you to do. Remain silent, but stand up and do ten jumping jacks. Remain silent, but stand up and turn in a circle 5 times. Remain silent, but take this piece of paper and rip it into tiny pieces – throw them on the floor. Remain silent, but walk up to the white board and write the following message: “Miss Weaver is the coolest”. Remain silent, but sit on the floor and snap your fingers 20 times. Remain silent, but stand up, turn your desk around and sit facing the windows Remain silent, but stand up and walk the entire way around the room – CLOCKWISE Remain silent, but stand up, put your hands in the air and do 10 toe touches.  

Hmmmm… What happened on the left side of the room? What happened on the right side of the room? What was your reaction of the group that you were NOT a part of?

Order Chaos vs. Civilization Chaos Why do civilizations emerge? What is the key component of a civilization based on your observations? Order – It is the rule of law or proper authority. Chaos – It is a state of utter confusion. Chaos

Think on it… Come up with your own definition of a civilization…write it down!

Our Definition

Civilization Defined: The stage of cultural development marked by urbanization, advanced techniques of agriculture and technology, material, scientific, and artistic progress, expanded population, and complex social organization that have developed to manage problems of order, security and efficiency.

The First Civilizations 3500BC – development of the wheel and axle allows trade to expand from seafaring vessels to land as well Result: spread of culture and prosperity 2900BC – Bronze Age results in the development of durable, long lasting tools Weapons, helmets, shields, etc.

Civilization over Chaos Hunting-gathering eclipsed by agriculture No more nomadic existence Farming = harder work, but with higher yield and no food shortages Need for irrigation Family size increases Emergence of: Artisans & craftsmen Cities Trade Social Classes

Priests, nobles, military Artisans, small traders, merchants Social Classes King Priests, nobles, military Artisans, small traders, merchants Farmers Slaves

Story Time!

Using your iPad In the “Education” folder, tap the icon that says “Student” The app will prompt you to enter a room number: Enter: 915540

Ancient Mesopotamia What does Mesopotamia literally mean? The Land Between the Rivers Why was this a perfect place for the 1st civilization? Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in the Middle East due to rich soil Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for farming due to flooding

What Challenges Did People Face in Mesopotamia? Unpredictable floods destroyed crops, homes & people Some areas were marshy and unsuitable for farming because of over-flooding

The Many People of Mesopotamia Sumerians (3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.) 2. Babylonians (1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.) Assyrians (1200 B.C. - 539 B.C.) Persians (539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)

The Many People of Mesopotamia Sumerians (3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.) 2. Babylonians (1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.) Assyrians (1200 B.C. - 605 B.C.) Neo-Babylonians (626 B.C. - 539 B.C.) Persians (539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)

Sumerians How was Sumer governed? Sumerians were great inventors Sumer was never united under one ruler Independent city-states Largest city was Ur Results in their downfall…why? Sumerians were great inventors The wheel (around 3500 BCE) Invention of cuneiform writing Developed a sexagesimal (base 60) place-value number system Earliest literature World’s oldest poetry The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Evolution of the Wheel Stage one: Early men placed rollers beneath heavy objects so that they could be moved easily. Stage two: Early men began to place runners under a heavy load, which they discovered would make it easier for the load to drag. This was the invention of the sledge. Stage three: Men began to combine the roller and the sledge. As the sledge moved forward over the first roller, a second roller was placed under the front end to carry the load when it moved off the first roller. A model of a sledge with such rollers is in the Smithsonian Institution.

The Evolution of the Wheel Stage four: Soon, men discovered that the rollers which carried the sledge became grooved with use. These deep grooves actually allowed the sledge to advance a greater distance before the next roller was needed to come on! Stage five: The rollers were changed into wheels. In the process of doing so, wood between the grooves of the roller were cut away to form an axle and wooden pegs were fastened to the runners on each side of the axle. When the wheels turn, the axle turned too in the space between the pegs. The first wooden cart was thus made. Stage six: A slight improvement was made to the cart. This time, instead of using pegs to join the wheels to the axle, holes for the axle were drilled through the frame of the cart. Axle and wheels were now made separately.

I am the great king Gilgamesh…read the handout about my epic tale!

Sumerian Religion Polytheistic, anthropomorphic deities Each city-state had its own patron god Ziggurats Massive, stepped-pyramids used as temples by Sumerian priests Existed long before the Egyptian pyramids

Main Sumerian Deities An: God of heaven Enlil: God of the air Enki: God of freshwater, male fertility, and knowledge Inanna: Goddess of love, female fertility and warfare Ki: Goddess of the earth. Nanna: God of the moon Ninurta: God of war, agriculture Utu: God of the sun

Religions have attempted to build their sanctuaries on prominent heights. Since no such natural heights were available in the flat flood plains of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), ancient priests and kings determined to build ziggurats, square or rectangular artificial stepped temple platforms. Functionally, temples were placed on raised platforms to give them prominence over other buildings in a city, and to allow more people to watch the services performed at the temple. Symbolically, however, the ziggurat represents the cosmic mountain on which the gods dwell. The priests ascent up the stairway to the temple at the top of the ziggurat represents the ascent to heaven. The great ziggurat at Khorsabad, for example, had seven different stages; each was painted a different color and represented the five known planets, the moon, and the sun. WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE REVEAL ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF PEOPLE IN MESOPOTAMIA?

Many archaeologists believe that there was a temple on the highest terrace of the ziggurat. Drains for rain water Terrace This staircase runs directly up the front of the ziggurat. Possibly only the temple priests were allowed to climb these steps to get to the higher stages of the ziggurat.

The mud-brick core of the ziggurat was covered with baked bricks. Each baked brick measured about 12 x 12 x 3 in and weighed up to 33lbs. About 720,000 baked bricks would have been needed in building the first stage of the ziggurat. This brick was stamped with the name and title of Ur-Nammu, the king who ordered the ziggurat built. Most bricks used to build the ziggurat were stamped. Somebody had the job of stamping the damp bricks.

ZIGGURATS

The Ziggurat at UR BABYLONIAN ZIGGURAT Each ziggurat was part of a temple complex that included a courtyard, storage rooms, bathrooms, and living quarters, around which a city was built

iPad Reading Quiz Use the “Student Socrative” app and login 915540 What was your name? How was Assyria’s method of expansion very different from those of other civilizations? Describe the Assyrians in your own words. What led to the downfall of the Assyrians? How did the Persians treat the people they conquered? What religion did the Persians practice?

The Babylonians King Hammurabi creates the Babylonian empire by defeating city-states in Sumer Babylonians built or developed: Great walled cities Roads allow caravans (groups of travelers) to converge on Babylon and its bazaars (markets) First book of codified laws (Hammurabi’s Code)

“So That the Strong Should Not Harm the Weak” Hammurabi “So That the Strong Should Not Harm the Weak” Hmmm…I think someone “got my nose”?

The Babylonians Astronomy & Astrology First to recognize that astronomical phenomena are periodic and apply mathematics to their predictions Babylonian observations of celestial phenomena are recorded in the series of cuneiform tablets known as the Enûma Anu Enlil. Series of 70 tablets dealing with Babylonian astrology Collection of omens, estimated to number between 6500 and 7000

Enûma Anu Enlil

Enûma Anu Enlil The shelves of a tablet library excavated at Sippar in southern Mesopotamia.

The Assyrians Defeat the Babylonians around 1500BC Very skilled warriors Develop the battering ram Used slings and armored chariots First civilization to have a standing army Capital located at Nineveh Great library and record holdings Eventually overcome in 612BC Who defeated them? The Medes & Chaldeans Babylon rises again

Assyrian Warriors

Assyrian Warriors

Assyrian Warriors

Assyrian Battering Ram

Assyrian Battering Ram

Second Rise of Babylon (New-Babylon) Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt the city of Babylon Constructed canals, aqueducts, temples and reservoirs The Hanging Gardens of Babylon Once again, Babylon became a center for learning and science New Babylonian Empire falls to the Persians in 539 BC

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon Built: Around 600 BC Function: Royal Gardens Destroyed: Earthquake, 2nd Century BC Only wonder whose archaeological remains cannot be verified. Built to cheer up Nebuchadnezzar's homesick wife, Amyitis of Medes who was depressed and missed her homeland

King Nebuchadnezzar II Rock, paper, scissors, shoot! King Nebuchadnezzar II

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Video

The Ishtar Gate The eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon. It was constructed in about 575 BC by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II The roof and doors of the gate were of cedar The whole gate was covered in lapis lazuli glazed bricks which would have rendered the façade with a jewel-like shine

Bulls, Lions, & Dragons

Persia Cyrus the Great unified the nomadic people Becomes the largest empire in Mesopotamia Defeat the Babylonians, Assyrians, Jews, Phoenicians and Syrians, and the Greeks in modern Turkey Sometimes called Achaemenid Empire Practiced Zoroastrianism – monotheistic Worshipped only ONE god Developed a bureaucratic government A government that is run by bureaus (or departments) staffed with nonelected officials 20 provinces called satrapies Highly tolerant society

Zoroastrianism Religion based on the teachings of Zoroaster All good comes from the god named Ahura Mazda All evil comes from the spirit named Angra Mainyu Holy text is called the Mathra-Spenta ("Holy Words") “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds”

Ahura Mazda Not THAT kind of Mazda…

Angra Mainyu