Chapter 2 Out of the Mesopotamian Mud

The Land Between Two Rivers Western Civilization (What is it?) came from the cultures of the Ancient Near East

The Land Between Two Rivers Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria and Jordan (Google Map)

The Land Between Two Rivers

Mesopotamia means – “the land between two rivers” Tigris and Euphrates Rivers 3500 BC would begin to give rise to the 1 st cities and nation states Endless plain of mud with little vegetation Reeds and small date palm trees Few rocks

The Land Between Two Rivers Winds and storms would bring sudden death and destroy crops and homes Worst floods usually came before harvest time Land was harsh and poor in every natural resource Destruction came quickly and without warning Zagros mountains were at the end of the mudflats to the north

The Birth of the Gods People believed the gods lived in the mountains 1 st gods were linked to sky, rain, storms and agriculture Mesopotamians saw the world as controlled by the gods and not random They could not predict disasters so they felt gods acted arbitrarily Felt that gods were punishing them for their sins with disasters Felt world was hostile to humans with distant and uncaring gods

The Birth of the Gods People were very pessimistic “Pleasure is beer” was found on stone tablets

The World’s First Civilization No natural borders to divide areas into states Large empires could form because of no natural barriers Many paths into Mesopotamia for invasions Sumerians began to pool labor, set up irrigation systems and develop a surplus of food Surplus of food allows cities to form Surplus requires administration which leads to government

Mud and Reeds

Sumerians had no wood or stone which are basic building materials Mud and reeds were used for a number of things Reeds: baskets, mats & firewood Mud: houses, palaces, tools, pots, & storage containers Mud was made into bricks with reeds or vegetables and dried in the sun

Mud and Reeds Pictures of mud and reed items

Mud and Reeds Floods would dissolve the mud Sumerians erected temples to the gods that were made on top of artificial mountains Ziggurats were the names of the temples 3000 years temples were built the same way Represent the 1 st monumental structures and the beginning of architecture Saddam Hussein parked planes by ziggurats to avoid being bombed Technology in the 2 nd Iraq War let the U.S. destroy them

Mud and Reeds

The Cuneiform Writing System Sumerians developed the 1 st form of writing on mud tablets Tablets were baked if you wanted something permanent Cuneiform = wedge writing = based on shapes on tablets

The Cuneiform Writing System

Profoundly important to develop a storehouse of information that could be passed down over time Thoughts, dreams and fears could be carried forward Oldest documents were 1 st used for tax records Oldest recipe is for beer Earliest form was simple pictures and then symbols Eventually symbols represent sounds that develop an alphabet Our language goes back to this time in some forms to 3500BC

The Cuneiform Writing System Cylinder seal is most common artifact found today Round stone inscribed with an image that represents your signature to approve agreements Cylinder seal was a status symbol worn around your neck

The Cuneiform Writing System Sumerians also developed a number system One in base 10 and one in base 6 Base 10 is most common because of fingers and toes Base 6 was used for timekeeping that is still used today

The Cradle of Empires Earliest cities had kings who ruled city and surrounding territory King Sargon becomes the 1 st king of Sumeria and founds Akkadian Empire

The Cradle of Empires King at the top and slaves below This structure lasted 1000s of years and influenced later civilizations for or against the system Akkadians developed a 7 day week, Romans 8, and Chinese 10 Future civilizations were based on Akkadian week Constant struggle with nature as cities dissolved into nothing Babylonians, Hittites, Chaldeans & Assyrians followed Akkadian Empire

The Cradle of Empires