1. Mesopotamia
Mr. Deaton
Highlands High School

2. The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area
Lies btwn the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
This created the ideal situation for agriculture -> sustainable food. Significance?
What also aids in its development is its location in relationship to developing neighbors.
Signif? Can be the center of trade and exchange.
What do you notice about where this is located in modern terms? Why might this explain current resistance?

3. Sumerians

4. Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic
Enki
Innana
Anthropomorphic Gods

5. What would be the advantages for Mesopotamia to worship many Gods?
So Polytheistic means many and Monotheistic means one. This refers to religion.
What would be the advantages for Mesopotamia to worship many Gods?
Ziggurat- temples built by Sumerians

6. Mesopotamian Trade
Main trade centers

7. Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

8. Deciphering Cuneiform

9. Sumerian Scribes “Tablet House”
Now we begin to have specialized skilled jobs, which marks a trait of a civilization.
“Tablet House”

10. Now that we can write down information, it allowed humans to transfer knowledge; how to farm.
Now civilizations like Mesopotamia use practices like crop rotation and almanacs that predicted the best time plant.
With a stable food sources and specialized jobs, what do you think happened to the population?
While this growth is good, it does lead to conflict. Think of three conflicts that resulted from all these advancements. IOW what did groups fight about?

11. Growth Leads to Conflict
Competition over food- neighboring groups will try to overtake other tribes for their food source, particularly if their resources are low.
Basics of Civilization- They will fight over religion, trade, laws, norms, and leadership.
High and Low Class- The creation of farming will lead to an upper and lower class in which the lower suffers and the upper succeeds.

12. Conflict Solutions
Military- Use of force to ensure protection of others.
Government- Creates laws which helps keep order, but also wages war on behalf of the people.
Borders- Set clear boundaries to mark which group has control over certain areas.

13. Cuneiform Challenge
Prior to Cuneiform early humans used pictographs to communicate ideas. Acting as a bridge between the two I want you to write a story using both forms. First, I want you to draw your story out in pictograph form. Then using your own made cuneiform (with a key) write the words to your story.
It could be what you did this weekend (trip, sporting event, etc.)
The process you went through this morning to get ready.
Or make a story up as if you were a trader traveling thru Mesopotamia.

15. Ziggurat at Ur
Temple
“Mountain of the Gods”

16. The Royal Standard of Ur

17. Mesopotamian Harp

18. Board Game From Ur

19. Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills at Ur

20. Sargon of Akkad: The World’s First Empire [Akkadians]

21. The Babylonian Empires

22. Hammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750 B. C. E.] Code

23. Hammurabi, the Judge

24. Babylonian Math

25. Babylonian Numbers