Early Civilizations Mesopotamia 5200 BCE – 600 BCE 2013 update

Mesopotamia: land between the rivers map showing various city-states

P olitics: Strongly theocratic Priest-kings ruled Art piece: Gudea, priest-king of Lagash, a Sumerian city- state Musee du Louvre ca BCE (stone)

Early Period Later Era (3500 – 2300 BCE) (2300 – 600 BCE) Strongly theocratic City-states ‘til 2300 BCE Monarchy United kingdoms –Akkad, Ur, Babylon, Assyria Bureaucracy –communication

*Tigris River, Turkey (C) Gerry Lynch, 2003.

* Euphrates River, 2004

“Marker Event” First written law code, Babylon 1800 BCE Hammurabi’s Monument musee du Louvre

Law Code Legend has it that the laws came from the gods of Babylon Hammurabi had the laws written into a stele It was placed in the center of the city so that the population could see it (though, in most cases, not read it)

Punishment was not equal Analysis makes it clear that ancient Babylon was rigidly hierarchical –tiers of laws and punishments detail varying penalties for lords, women, and servants or slaves

Hammurabi & Women’s Rights Men were head of household Women lost privileges –General trend with spread of agriculture & metallurgy Patriarchy firmly established –Male deities revered –importance of the goddess declined – Who’s Your Daddy?*

WHAP Kids in front of Hammurabi’s monument, Louvre, June 2011

Sargon of Akkad Created a unified country, 2350 BCE Perhaps the first empire

Akkadian Empire Collapsed ~2000 BCE

E conomy Economic specialization –Potters; weavers; artisans –Metallurgy Bronze smelting discovered about 3000 BCE Long distance trade – led to accumulation of wealth

R eligion - polytheism Deities intervened in human affairs Associated with nature –Existence based on pleasing gods After life considered a terrible place Ishtar, goddess of love & war, British Museum 18 th century BCE

Religious Architecture - Ziggurat Multi storied temple –“mountain of god” –Well guarded treasure house Center of life in the city

The ziggurat of Ur ca. 21 st century BCE

Excavated in 1920s by Sir Leonard Woolley

Praying figures Marble Praying figures, ca BCE

Priestly caste Ruled the temple community Politically influential Positions were hereditary

S ocial Divisions – class system Free land-owning class –Royalty, priests, warriors, officials, merchants, some artisans Dependent farmers & craftsmen –Worked for upper classes Slaves (war captives)

Gender Roles Women were rulers & priestesses –access to education, owned land, & controlled dowries Women lost social standing –Food surplus allowed for larger families Tied women to the home –As societies became richer women’s positions declined more Men took multiple wives

Head dress of the Queen Houston Museum of Natural Science Royal Tombs of Ur Exhibition Summer 2006

I ntellectual / A rts Written language - Cuneiform –Significant factor in development of civilization Preserved written records –Poems, songs, board games, tax documents, court cases, maps, etc

Cuneiform Became standard in Mesopotamia Used until “a few centuries before the Christian era” Decipherment:Cuneiform script - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaCuneiform script - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cuneiform (see note) Used 500 characters –Deciphered in mid 19 th century By Sir Henry Rawlinson Behistun Rock –(Persian w/ cuneiform) Thousands of clay tablets remain

Inscription on Mt. Behistun Kermanshah Province, Iran

Cuneiform Writing* Wedge shaped writing on clay tablets Tax collecting & record keeping were main purposes –Scribes became part of the elite

cuneiform writing on clay tablet

Sumerian cuneiform –Earliest examples from Uruk – ca BCE British Museum, London

Epic of Gilgamesh from a story dating to 7 th millenum BCE A flood story One man chosen to build a boat to save himself & his family & all living things All destroyed in 6 days Story recorded in Hebrew Bible, 10 th century BCE 7 th century CE story compiled by Islamic scholars

Flood Tablet of Gilgamesh (cuneiform) British Museum: London Preserved in Assyrian library of Ashurbanipal, 7 th century BCE

Gilgamesh & Enkidu Neo-Assyrian figure –Ca.725 BCE Found at the Palace of Sargon II –Near Nineveh

Advanced Technology Discovery of BRONZE about 3000 BCE –New era… Sail, wheel, plow Trade networks develop –Anatolia to India

Assyrians Known for brutality –most hated of the ancients Preserved much of ancient Sumer in their great libraries –* see note Ashurnasirpal II; ca. 875 – 860 BCE; found at the palace of Nimrud. London, British Museum

Mesopotamia: End

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