1. Mesopotamia – The Fertile Crescent
“Land Between the Rivers – “Tigris and Euphrates”

2. BUT FIRST, in order for there to be a society at all…
The Agricultural Revolution had to take place
Transition from hunting and gathering to farming and domesticating animals.
What happens to people in terms of location? What about population wise?

4. Geography Life for all humans is a battle of resources.
In ancient times, resources were more basic.
Today resources are mostly based around $$$.

5. Where do people gather?
(Write the underlined parts across from Neolithic Rev. and Civilization).
People settle in RIVER VALLEYS
Why?
Flooding = silt = food

7. Geography
Geography always affects where and how people lived in history.
What does this structure tell us about the geography of Mesopotamia?

8. Label: Use Page 38 Tigris River Euphrates River Fertile Crescent Sumer
The city of Ur

9. What happens when people group together?
Civilizations form.
Cities, governments, economies, religion, social structure (upper class + lower class), writing and intellectual knowledge, and artistic activity.

10. Mesopotamian Civilization
Starts in Sumer (Mesopotamia = Sumer)
Achievements:
Wheel
Irrigation
Library
Why would books be important to a culture or civilization?

11. Who ruled?
Monarchs, or rule by one person.

12. Warfare Constant war brought many cultures into contact.
Cultural diffusion – spreading of ideas and cultures between groups of people.

13. Mesopotamian City-States
Starts in Sumer (Mesopotamia = Sumer)
Walled Cities
Traded with Egypt and others

16. Religion
Ziggurats built – people devoted much of their wealth to building these temples.
Why?
Priests and priestesses held power, monarchs ruled as gods – Theocracy
Also, Mesopotamians were polytheistic, with the lone exception of the Hebrews.

17. Draw a simple ziggurat in your notes.

19. Empires Empires were created by rulers wanting more resources or land.
Sargon = first empire in history in 2340 BC.

20. Society/Writing
Society was patriarchal – Men are rulers. Women are below men in the social order.
King
Priest
Common people
Common People
Priestesses

21. Writing
Cuneiform

22. Writing Intellectual and artistic achievements: Wheel Chariots
Irrigation systems
Library
Why would books be important to a culture?

24. Check for understanding
Who created the first empire in world history?
What type religion was found in Mesopotamia?
Name one example of cultural diffusion in Mesopotamia.
What is the most interesting part of Mesopotamian culture to you? Why?

25. Current Events?
Good ideas?

26. PERSIA CHART