1. The Development of Agriculture - Causes
The Last Ice Age ended
Meat spoiled quickly
In warm weather
Large game animals died out
Food became scarce
People relied on more plant foods for survival
Development of Agriculture: People began to plant seeds and to live in permanent settlements to protect their crops
People began to domesticate animals

2. The Development of Agriculture - Effects
Farming settlements grew
Into villages
Villages practiced division of labor, enabling some workers to specialize in useful crafts and develop new technology
Productivity rose
People acquired more goods; the idea of private property started
Life was made more easier and comfortable
Demand for goods led to an increase in trade

3. Warfare from competition for land & water
Neolithic Revolution – shift from hunting and gathering to own production of food (agriculture) – 8000 B.C.
Domestication of animals and grains
Rise of villages dependent on agriculture (Jericho, Israel and Catal Hüyük, Turkey are a few of the earliest)
Technological advances – the loom for weaving, bricks for building, & advanced metalwork
Warfare from competition for land & water

4. 5 Traits of a Civilization
Specialization of labor (from surplus of food)
Record keeping with a written language
Complex institutions – government, social hierarchy, religion
Advanced technology
Advanced cities

5. The Sumerians
Unit 1

6. The Fertile Crescent
Parts of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Eastern part was called Mesopotamia (land between the rivers”

7. Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
Did not provide a regular supply of water, but flooded often
Caused destruction – swept away villages & fields
Mesopotamians cooperated to control floodwaters – built dams, escape channels, canals, & ditches
Hardly any rain in summer – led to water shortages
Easy to invade (no natural barriers) – led to constant war

8. Sumerian Civilization
Came from Central Asia or Asia Minor (were Indo-Europeans)
Settled in the lower part of Fertile Crescent – a.k.a. Sumer
Birthplace of cities
Created 12 city-states
Including Ur, Uruk, & Eridu
Science: astronomy, calendar (aided agriculture)

9. Sumerian City-States Population ranged from 20,000 to 250,000
Shared a common culture
Built ziggurats for religious purposes – dedicated to chief deity of the city
Trading contacts with the rest of Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley

10. Sumerian Government
Competition for land and water rights with foreign invaders led to the development of a monarchy (king)
King was a religious & political leader
King enforced law and set penalties (usually a fine)

11. Sumerian Culture Men and women had different roles
Men – could sell wife and children to pay a debt; could divorce easily
Women – could buy and sell property; operate own businesses; own slaves
Developed cuneiform – 1st writing system in the world
Epic poem – Gilgamesh story of a godlike man who performs heroic deeds
Invented fertilizer & silver money

12. Sumerian Culture Practiced polytheism Most were farmers
Had one chief god for each city-state
Gods were unpredictable, angry, & selfish
Invented wagon wheel, arch, ramp, potter’s wheel, sail, & plow
Developed a number system based on 10,60, & 360 (for degrees in circles) and 12 month lunar calendar

13. Famous Leaders
Sargon I – built the Akkadian Empire by uniting all of the Mesopotamian city-states (predated Egypt)
Hammurabi – completed a law code of 282 sections

14. Hammurabi’s Law Code Dealt with most aspects of daily life
Penalized wrongdoers with an “eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” approach
Protected the less powerful & property
Laws varied according to class

15. Problems & Solutions in the City-states of Mesopotamia
Unpredictable flooding led to dry summer months; farmers suffer
With no natural barriers, villagers couldn’t protect themselves
Limited natural resources
Conflicts between people, organization needed, & defenseless
The gods are angry
Irrigation
Build city walls w/mud bricks
Trade grain, cloth, & tools for products they lacked
Give military leaders permanent control; set up dynasties
Build ziggurats and offer food & wine to the gods; sacrifices

16. Examples of Sumerian Culture:
polytheism, believed different gods controlled forces of nature
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Ziggurats, arches, columns, ramps
Wheel, sail, plow, cuneiform, number system
1. Religion 2. Literature 3. Architecture 4. Inventions