1. Ancient Mesopotamia 3100 B.C. to 1600 B.C.

2. Building a Civilization 4 Problems:4 Solutions: –Food shortageMove to fertile land between Tigris & Euphrates Rivers –Uncontrolled water supply;Build levees & unpredictable flooding irrigation ditches –Lack of labor to build Cooperation & maintain irrigation systems –Attacks by neighboring Build wall of communities b/c no natural defense defenses

3. Overview Invented 1 st writing system called cuneiform for business records –Based on syllables & words written with a stylus on clay tablets & baked State & society are one Gods & nature = violent, unpredictable, so not much enjoyment (few arts, etc.) –Anthropomorphic (Like a human), wrathful, natural disaster-causing, human-hating gods –Humans’ goal: try to please them Temple (ziggurat) was center of learning, trade, prostitution

4. Social Hierarchy Very rigid & fixed by law Women could hold property & engage in business Slaves (captured through war or debt) provided labor force to build brick temples & other monuments King Free Commoners Priests & Nobles Slaves

5. Political Development Sumer: valley between the Tigris & Euphrates –Several city-states (city & surrounding territory) governed by kings –Place of commerce –Center of worship (ziggurats) Ex. of city-states: Uruk, Langesh, Ur, Eredu City-states sometimes formed alliances to create empires

6. Akkadian Empire “Cultural Approach”: 2300-2150 B.C.E. –Sargon conquered Sumer with large standing army –Looked after welfare of lower classes –Aided a rising class of private merchants –Collapsed b/c successors were unable to fend off semibarbaric highlanders, or overcome the desire for independence of priests who dominated Sumerian cities

7. “Legal Approach”: 2000-1600 B.C.E. –Hammurabi’s goal to “cause justice to prevail…to destroy the wicked and evil, to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak…and to further the welfare of the people.” (Eye for an eye) –Punishments graded in severity— the lower the culprit in the social scale, the more severe the penalty –Basis for modern law systems –Empire broken by internal disorder & weak leadership after Hammurabi Babylonian Empire

8. Assyrian Empire “Conquest Approach”: 900-600 B.C.E. –“Nazis of the Ancient World”; based power on fear, terror, & superior military skill –Problem: conquered people resent rulers, acquire new technology, & REBEL

9. Chaldean Empire “Restoration Approach,” A.K.A. “NeoBabylonians”: 600-550 B.C.E. –Conquered a bit, built, & spent a lot –Israelites taken as slaves –Built the Hanging Gardens (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) –very successful, until overthrown by the Persian Empire

10. Persian Empire “Tolerant/Benevolent Approach”: 550-325 B.C.E. (1 st international empire!) –Local customs & officials allowed to remain –Jews released with money to rebuild –Introduced uniformity/standardization of measurement (trade purposes) –Zoroastrianism = monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster; Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds 200 years later…Alexander the Great

11. Great Discoveries Lack of natural barriers + constant warfare = constant innovation (but art & literature limited; exception: Epic of Gilgamesh) –Plow & use of oxen to pull it –Wheel & cart –Bronze tools –Calendar (to help farmers) –Cuneiform (to help traders) –Math based on scales of 12