ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- “THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS” Goal 2 The learner will assess the relationship between physical environment and cultural characteristics of selected societies and regions of Asia.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA-GEOGRAPHY LOCATED BETWEEN THE TIGRIS and EUPHRATES RIVERS BOTH RIVERS FLOW INTO THE PERSIAN GULF LOCATED IN PRESENT DAY IRAQ

Fertile Crescent

Mesopotamia

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- GEOGRAPHY POSITIVE abundant amount of clay easy till-able soil water supply from Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers NEGATIVE few natural resources minimal protection from deserts and mountains

Persians Mesopotamian Civilization Chaldeans Akkadians Babylonians Sumeria Hittites Mesopotamian Civilization Chaldeans Lydians Phoenicians Assyrians

City-States

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- DEFINITIONS CITY STATES- self-governing unit made up of a city and its surrounding villages and farmland.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION HELPED DEVELOP THE FIRST ORGANIZED RELIGION CREATED THE EARLIEST FORMS OF WRITING

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CITY-STATES ALWAYS IN CONFLICT OVER WATER AND LAND CREATED WALLS FOR PROTECTION, WITH A MOAT ON THE OUTSIDE FARMS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

Sumerians invented: TO NAME A FEW: Wheel arch Ramp swords

Religion

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN RELIGION Ziggurats: pyramid structure that was a “center for learning and religion” Each city-state had their own gods and goddesses Believed in life after death

Ziggurat – Holy Mountain

Ziggurat

Religion Monotheism: worshiping one god. “Mono” – means one Polytheism: worshiping many gods. “Poly” – means many

Writing: Cuneiform

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN WRITING Written on clay tablets created by pressing a pointed tool into a clay tablet

Cuneiform

Economy

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMY Make, sell or barter (trade) goods Trade helped expand cities Development of money over time

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMY RICH government officials religious leaders traders POOR Farmers Craftsman (middle class)

The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived. Agriculture (Farming) Growth of Cities Division of Labor (Specialization) Trade Writing and Mathematics

Babylonians King Hammurabi Hammurabi’s Code Earliest code of law Based on equal retaliation.

Hammurabi’s Code 282 total laws Harsh punishments Based on equal consequence If you kill, you will be put to death “ If a man bring an accusation against a man and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death” “If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off” Laws were varied for the wealthy and powerful.

What do you think? “If a man bring an accusation against a man and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death” “If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off” “If a man strike a free-born woman so that she lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss.” “If the woman die, his daughter shall be put to death.”