World History Chapter 2A Early River Valley Civilizations

City States in Mesopotamia Civilization arises because of the mild climate and fertile soil (Fertile Crescent) The Tigris and Euphrates rivers have a very fertile area between them. Yearly floods enrich the soil allowing permanent settlements to thrive The floods are unpredictable so the Sumerians created a vast system of irrigation to produce a crop surplus

Mesopotamia

Sumerians Create City-States These were dominant cities that controlled the land surrounding the cities The first cities were ruled by Priests who managed the irrigation system and stored surplus food These city states often warred with each other which allowed monarchies to replace the temple priests as rulers. Dynasties were the natural result of this change of rulers

Sumerian Ziggurat

Sumerian Culture Developed Literature, Science and Technology The Epic of Gilgamesh, was one of the earliest works of literature Sumerian women had more rights than women in many later civilizations including Medevil society Sumerians invented the wheel, the sail, the plow, the use of bronze and the first system of writing

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Cuneiform

The First Empire Builders Saragon of Akkad defeated Sumer and spread this culture all over the Middle East (Mesopotamia) The Akkad's were Semitic Saragon built an empire bringing several independent states together under one ruler

Saragon of Akkad

The Babylonian Empire replaces Akkad and its greatest ruler was Hammurabi This ruler formed the first unified nationwide code of laws called The Code of Hammurabi This makes people believe in the principle that government was responsible for society

Hammurabi

Babylonian Empire

Code of Hammurabi

HWTA2B Read Pages Copy & Define the terms on page 41 Copy & Answer Questions 12 & 13 on page 56