MESOPOTAMIA

 Mesopotamia means “land between rivers”  Situated between the Tigris and Euphrates  M. was very fertile but had some disadvantages: flooding, dry summer months, no natural barriers for protection, an limited natural resources  Solutions: irrigation ditches, built city walls out of clay bricks, and trade with other areas for resources

 People lived in small villages to share tools, work together, increase potential marriage partners, and craft specialization  Villages joined together to create cities  City-states were self-governing urban centers that controlled agricultural territories  Typically swamps or deserts separated multiple city-states City center Agricultural areas that feed the city

 Usually had a temple and a King’s palace  Kings developed out of conflicts w/ neighboring city-states  Dynasties began…a series of rulers descending from a single family line  Epic of Gilgamesh- perhaps the oldest written story on Earth, centered on a King (Gilgamesh)

Stepped pyramid Focus of temple precinct containing shrines of deities Gods were based on forces of nature Gods were considered anthropomorphic (like humans in form and conduct) Priests took care of divine images and passed their office to their sons…they lived off of rations of food from the deity’s estate

 King of Babylon ( BCE)  Created famous “law code”, providing judges with examples to be used in deciding cases

 Urbanization led to a social division  Palace collected taxes from subjects  Law of Code reveals three classes: (1) Free landowning- royalty, high-ranking officials, warriors, priests, merchants (2) Dependent farmers and artisans (3) Slaves primarily used for domestic service **Penalties depended on class of offender

 Ordinary citizens left few traces…built homes out of mud brick and reeds which disintegrates quickly (didn’t own much metal)  Mostly illiterate (didn’t write about their lives)  Scribes were men…no much known about women  It is believed women lost social status with agricultural practices (foraging no longer provided most food)

 Irrigation techniques expanded agricultural production (canals and dikes)  Writing also played pivotal role- inscribed tablets (began through a system of tokens used to keep track of property)  Cuneiform writing developed (not language)  Metal was imported for tool-making  Clay made into mud bricks, dried or baked into oven- main building material

 Base-60 numbering system (advancement in mathematics)