The First Civilizations The Mesopotamians, B.C. The Sumerian and Akkadian Period, B.C.

Mesopotamians, B.C. Mesopotamia originally not suited for human settlement Humans must modifications to the region Mesopotamia means between “the two rivers” Tigris and Euphrates Rivers 120° summers and only 10 inches of rainfall a year

Mesopotamians, B.C. The region that was located along the waterways in Mesopotamia was called the Fertile Crescent Fertile Crescent had yearly deposit of fertile silt that provided rich topsoil Rivers provided abundance of fish and attracted animals

Mesopotamians, B.C. Bronze Age born with smelting of copper and tin Swamp marshes around rivers produced reeds for fuel and swamp mud made bricks Abundance of plants provide food for domestic animals

Mesopotamians, B.C. Mesopotamia lacked resources like stone, lumber and minerals Humans adapted to region by using river ways to move natural resources The development of sailed boats and the wheel helped in movement of resources across water and land Villages settled along river ways and lead to the development of urban areas around 3,000 B.C. Region in constant struggle because of water ways and location

Mesopotamians, B.C. Religion Polytheistic any religion that recognizes more than one god Ziggurat an ancient Mesopotamian temple which served as a temple, government offices, and a storehouse for grain Worshipped gods for protection, help and no hope for an afterlife

Mesopotamians, B.C. Social structure developed in city states Military and religious leaders became social and political elites Skilled workers Slaves and peasants worked for elites Male dominance in family

Mesopotamians, B.C. Economy Trade routes developed along the water ways Both the Tigris and the Euphrates reached different markets because of their locations Cities along river ways became heavily involved in commerce

The Sumerians Modified environment by draining swamps, irrigation and building drainage canals Floods and droughts still devastated region Introduce cuneiform, a system of writing using reeds to make impressions Cuneiform introduced management of government, communication and record keeping

The Sumerians Sumerian Religion Worshipped at a ziggurat, a large temple complex where daily government business was addressed Government and religious beliefs replace loyalty to one’s tribe or clan Ziggurat size was attempt to reach gods Statue of god was worshipped there and it served a symbolic purpose

The Sumerians City Life in Sumeria Mud brick houses 40% of grain used to make ale Vegetables, fish, figs, dates and cheese part of diet Parents arranged marriages Adultery a punishable crime

The Sumerians Women’s Roles Women worked as tavern owners, merchants and wine sellers Laws distinguished between respectable women and prostitutes Slave women clothes distinguished them as slaves

The Sumerians Large city states develop like Ur, Uruk and Kish They were constantly at war for water, trade routes and influence Developed a large trade in textiles, animals, stone and bronze Sumerians considered the earliest civilization

The Sumerians Sumerian Religion Polytheistic – any religion that recognizes more than one god Natural disasters act of gods Devotion to gods would spare them disasters not an afterlife

Akkadian Period, B.C. Sargon I (2300 B.C.) conquered Sumerians and saw an empire that stretched from Persian Gulf to Mediterranean Used religion to unify Sumerians and Akkadians Sargon places daughter, Enheduanna as high priestess of Sumerian and Akkadian gods

Akkadian Period, B.C. Enheduanna successfully linked the two religions and set a tradition of daughters serving as high priestess Gods are ranked by importance (powerful to weak) People believe that their world reflects the ranking of peoples (king, nobles and peasants)

Akkadian Period, B.C. Cuneiform, earliest written language, developed by accountants which was created by using a reed on a clay tablet Scribes were the only people that knew how to read and write cuneiform Used for inventory, payroll of soldiers, property ownership and correspondence between monarchs