Indo-European Migrations: 4m-2m BCE The Middle East: “The Crossroads of Three Continents”

The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

Sumerians

Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic Enki Innana Anthropomorphic Gods

Mesopotamian Trade “The Cuneiform World”

Sumerian Wheel Used first for pottery making and later for transportation A technological advancement

Building Techniques Arches and Domes were first invented by the Sumerians

Mathematics They had a number system based on was 2 x 60 and so on They divided the circle up into 360 degrees (6x60) Each degree = 60 minutes Each minute = 60 seconds The Sumerians were the 1 st people to invent the wheel

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

Cuneiform Writing

Deciphering Cuneiform

Sumerian Scribes “Tablet House”

Sumerian Cylinder Seals

Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh Epic Tablet: Flood Story

Ziggurat at Ur  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”

The Royal Standard of Ur

Mesopotamian Harp

Board Game From Ur

Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills at Ur

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

The Babylonian Empires

Hammurabi’s [r B. C. E.] Code

Hammurabi, the Judge

Babylonian Math

Babylonian Numbers