1. Mesopotamia: The Fertile Crescent
Warm Up: Why would civilization begin near major river valleys?

2. Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent = moon-shaped strip of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf that is excellent farm land
Located in modern-day Middle East

3. Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia = located within the Fertile Crescent, between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
Rivers were NOT a reliable source of water (unlike the Nile)
Ran dry in summer; flooded in spring
Villages joined together to build dams, canals, and ditches

4. The Sumerian Civilization
People from Asia arrived in Mesopotamia
Formed 12 city-states = the city and the land surrounding it
Considered the world’s 1st cities
Created ziggurats = stepped pyramids with a temple at the top

5. The Sumerian Civilization
Sumerians shared common culture, language, and religion
City-states governed themselves
Were theocracies = kings served as both government leaders AND high priests
Laws regulated the roles of women & men  men had far more rights

6. The Sumerian Civilization
Cuneiform = Sumerian system of writing
The symbols represented complex ideas

7. The Sumerian Civilization
Scribes were trained to read & write documents and stories
Epic of Gilgamesh = oldest story in the world

8. The Sumerian Civilization
Practiced polytheism = belief in more than one god
Each city-state had its own god
Negative outlook on life and the afterlife
Believed gods were selfish and had no regard for humans

9. Sumerian Inventions Wagon Wheel Arch Potter’s Wheel Sundial
12-month Calendar
Metal Plow

10. First Mesopotamian Empires The Akkadians
Empire under Sargon I
Kingdom was called Akkad
Conquered & united all of the Sumerian city- states
Empire fell apart after his & his grandson’s death

11. First Mesopotamian Empires Babylon
Ruled by Hammurabi
Strict Code of Laws = Hammurabi’s greatest achievement
Rules and consequences that addressed daily life
Law code covered entire region of Mesopotamia
“Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” type of laws
Government assumed the responsibility of protecting its citizens
People now had laws to protect their rights & didn’t need to resort to violence

12. First Mesopotamian Empires Babylon
Social classes were similar to the Egyptians, but they had far more slaves
Hammurabi’s empire fell apart after his death