ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA 3000 BC – 1700 BC

The Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent is in the modern day Middle East. It includes Kuwait, Iraq, and Syria. It is bordered by two rivers: the Euphrates and the Tigris. Because of the two rivers, the land in between has soil that is very good for growing crops. This meant it was very easy for people to build permanent settlements here.

Background of Sumeria Sumer began around 3000 BC. Historians are not quite sure what people came before them. Sumer was composed of several city-states, or independent cities that controlled the land around them. These were Eridu, Ur, and Uruk. Sumerians had strong religious beliefs – they felt that everything in life was controlled by the gods

Sumerian Society Sumerian society was based on agriculture. Most people in Sumeria were farmers. The three main social groups were Nobles, Commoners, and Slaves.

Writing and Literature Sumerians made one of the earliest known forms of writing. It was called cuneiform. Cuneiform was created by making impressions into clay tablets, then leaving those tablets out to dry. Cuneiform was used primarily to keep records, but also in schools to train scribes.

Why was the invention of writing so important?

Technology Sumerians are remembered for their significant technological contributions. Wheel Sundial (primitive watch or clock) Created bronze by combining copper and tin Created a number system based on 60 Why do you think our time-keeping today is based on 60 seconds, 60 minutes, etc?

Fall of Sumer Despite their significant achievements and long existence, Sumerian city-states began fighting amongst themselves for control of land and water. In 2340 BC, the Akkadians took over the Sumerian city-states and created an empire Empires are large countries that control many different people. They are difficult to maintain.

Akkad and Babylon In 2100, the Akkadian Empire collapsed because of attacks from neighboring countries There were no empires from 2100 BC to 1792 BC In 1792 BC, Hammurabi, King of Babylon, took over most of Akkad and Sumer and created a new empire This lasted only until approximately 1700 BC

Timeline Babylon, 1792 BC – 1700 BC Akkad, 2340 BC – 2100 BC Sumer, 3000 BC – 2340 BC

Hammurabi’s Code The most lasting acheivment of the short- lived Babylonian empire was Hammurabi’s Code. This was a set of rules and laws that regulated people’s relationships with one another. It influenced law for many centuries afterwards. See if you can spot the similarities in the next slides.

Are these rules similar to what we have today? “ If anyone commits a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death.” “If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.” “If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off.”