Chapter 2 Section 1

Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia Ziggurat City-State Polytheism Dynasty Cuneiform Sargon Hammurabi

 Fertile Crescent- curve between the Mediterranean and Persian Sea  Richest soils between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers  Called Mesopotamia

 5500 BC farming  Grew wheat grain barley  Dug basins to save water  Made canals for irrigation

 Sumerians developed the first civilization.  Built of mud bricks  Ziggurats-pyramid style structure  Walls around city  City-state- a political unit with its own government

 Polytheism- the worship of many gods  Believed gods controlled all forces  God Enil ruled the air and storms  Gods were like humans ◦ Drank, fell in love, married and fought

 Worked hard to please the gods  Built temples  Priests held high status  War chiefs became kings ◦ They served the gods  Dynasty-series of rulers from one family

 Cuneiform the first style of writing ◦ Used a stylus a sharp tool ◦ Made wedge- shaped symbols  Wrote laws, business accounts, first book ◦ Epic of Gilgamesh

 Math and Sciences ◦ Developed math based on number 60 ◦ Still divide hour into minutes ◦ Circle into 360 degrees ◦ Learned geometry ◦ Invented the wheel ◦ The plow ◦ Built sewers

 The Arts ◦ Use of arches and ramps ◦ Sculpture of wide open eyes ◦ Engraved cylinder seals engraved all around ◦ Rolled onto wet clay  Used to sign documents

 Trade and Society ◦ Lacked wood and metals ◦ Sumerians trade for items ◦ Trades across southwest Asia ◦ Formed social hierarchy  Kings and priests  Large landowners and merchants  Artisans and farmers

 Men and women had distinct roles  Men ◦ Held political office ◦ Made laws  Women ◦ Took care of the home ◦ Took care of children

 Sargon’s Empire ◦ 2330 BC ◦ Created a permanent army ◦ Used army to conquer Sumer ◦ Ruled from Akad ◦ Formed world’s first empire

 Empire- different kingdoms under one rule ◦ Akkadian’s adopted cuneiform ◦ Sumerian remained the main language for religion ◦ Priests had a lot of power ◦ Empire lasted 140 years

 Amorites settled in Babylon ◦ 1792 BC Hammurabi is king ◦ United all of Mesopotamia ◦ Oversaw building projects ◦ Improved tax collection

 Hammurabi ◦ Increased trade ◦ Absorbed culture of the region ◦ Most famous for Hammurabi’s Code ◦ 282 laws dealing with trade, murder, theft, injury ◦ Was written for all people to see