1. River Civilizations

2. Areas of Focus Political
Geography (and how that affected Civilization)
Society
Economics

4. In what modern day country was the Fertile Crescent?4

6. Life Aside a River
Pros: Constant water source for drinking, agriculture, and travel for trade
Cons: flooding, open to attack, scarce resources for building materials
Pro- the flooding makes the soil
really good for growing food.

7. Ancient Mesopotamia- ”The Fertile Crescent”
Oldest known civilization
Settled between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Mesopotamia means
between two rivers

8. Mesopotamian Civilization Begins
3000 BCE
Settlement within fertile crescent increases
Contact with other cultures in the area
Sumerian cities develop
Concentrating in the southern regions of the plains of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

9. Mesopotamian Civilization
BCE- Sumerian Kingdom building
Dominant force in Mesopotamia
Creation of City-States
Establishment of Codes of Laws
SOLVED ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Irrigation
Brick wall for defense
Increased trade for things they couldn’t get locally

11. Sumerians Distinct Social Hierarchy Different levels of society
Ruling family, officials, priests
Merchants and artisans
Peasant farmers
Slaves
Women’s roles changed over time from a place of honor to being more and more dependent on men
BUT- they still had legal right to own property and business!

12. Sumerians Religion Polytheism- the worship of many gods
They believed the god’s acted like humans and controlled the natural forces, flooding and rain etc. When god’s were angry, they would have bad weather.
At the center of each city was a temple with a ZIGGURAT in the middle.
The Ziggurat is a shrine to the city’s god.

14. Sumerians Writing Math
Sumerians invented the earliest known form of writing
CUNEIFORM
Used a reed pen to make wedge shaped marks in clay
Scribes had to go through years of difficult training to acquire these skills
Math
Sumerians developed math based on the number 60
They divided the hour into 60 minutes and the circle into 6 x 60 (360)
Learned to use geometry that was necessary to build elaborate structures and irrigation systems

15. Economic: Trade and Farming
Sumerians (Mesopotamians) were known to trade with the Egyptians and the Indus Valley civilizations (India).
In later years, these trade routes became the Silk Roads

16. Babylonians
1790 BC- Hammurabi brings much of Mesopotamia under his control
King Hammurabi developed 1st written legal code: Hammurabi’s Code
First attempt to create a system of laws to make fair judgements
‘Eye for an eye’
Improved irrigation systems, organized an army, encouraged religious unity, and created a tax system

17. More cuneiform writing

18. Northern Mesopotamia (Hittites and Assyrians)
An Indo-European tribe, attacked Babylon from the North
Their greatest asset was their chariots- they held 3 people!
Master iron workers
So all their tools were on point (haha)
Originally from Northern Mesopotamia where they farmed and raised cattle.
Relied on their military power
Chariots, soldiers, and cavalry
Ruthless punishment of enemies

19. Babylon Again! (kinda) Chaldeans
Took over after the Assyrians and revived the power of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar
Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea
Nebuchadnezzar built the “hanging gardens of Babylon” and encouraged learning, especially astronomy

20. Phoenicians
In the western part of Mesopotamia along the mediterranesan sea, emerged as a center of trade
Dependent on trade and the sea for their livelihood because they couldn’t do a lot of farming.
As trade grew they began to establish colonies along the coast, the most famous of which is Carthage
The greatest achievement of the Phoenicians was the PHONICIAN ALPHABET, one of the first alphabet in the world

21. Hebrews
Hebrews recorded most of their events in the TORAH, their holy book
Abraham is considered the founder of the Israelites who migrated to Caanan because of a covenant he had with God
Famine caused the Israelites to move to Egypt where they became enslaved
In 1,000 BCE the united Israelite tribe set up a kingdom called Israel under King David
The Israelites fell to Assyria and Chaldeans who forced them into exile in Babylon
This was the start of the Jewish DIASPORA, or the scattering of Jews outside of Judah

22. The Persian Empire Cyrus the Great Darius
Founded the Persian Empire, but let conquered people keep their own customs
Darius
Unified Persia by making provinces led by a satrap or a governor
Built and repaired roads to increase communication and allow for a mail system
Money Economy!
Goods and services are paid for through the exchange of a monetary token

23. Zoroastrianism
Religion developed in Persia based on the teachings of a man named Zoroaster
Rejected traditional Persian Gods
Ahura Mazda was a single wise god who was in constant battle agains Ahriman the prince of lies and evil
People had to pick which side to be loyal to
On judgement day all would be judged by their actions. The good would enter paradise and the evil would be condemned to eternal suffering