1. What Makes Us Civilized?

2. G.
Government

3. G. R.
Government
Religion

4. G. R. E.
Government
Religion
Economy

5. G. R. E. A.
Government
Religion
Economy
Arts/Agriculture

6. G. R. E. A. T.
Government
Religion
Economy
Arts/Agriculture
Technology

9. Mesopotamia—”land between the rivers”
Earliest civilization
Located in the fertile crescent (why do you think they call it this?)
Between what two rivers?
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Why here?
PROS CONS
Fertile land
Crossroads for Europe, Africa, and Asia (good for trade)
Few barriers to protect from invasion
Diversity makes it difficult to unite (causes conflict)
Unpredictable flooding

10. Sumerians 3000 BCE

11. Government of Mesopotamia
City State—city and surrounding countryside
Priests and military leaders ruled
Dynasties (series of rulers from single family)
Power came from gods

12. Hammurabi King of Babylon (located in Mesopotamia)
Created the FIRST WRITTEN code of LAWS!!!
How is WRITTEN LAW going to change society?
All about being “fair”
Eye for an eye
Punishment should fit the crime!

13. Hammurabi’s Code
STELE

14. Religion of Mesopotamia
Polytheism— Belief in more than one god
Gods control the world and humans are servants to the gods
The afterlife was a gloomy, dark place

15. Economy of Mesopotamia
Barter System—trade resources found in their area for resources found in other areas
Architecture of Mesopotamia
Ziggurat—Used for government and worship

16. Technology of Mesopotamia
Arches
Columns
Ramps
Ziggurat
Irrigation Systems
Arithmetic
Farming
Cuneiform

17. Cuneiform
Sumerians created Cuneiform (the EARLIEST form of writing!!!!)
Cuneiform means “wedge shaped”
Written on clay tablets
A new job was created
SCRIBES

18. Sumerian Scribes— professional record keeper
Over 500 characters required years of schooling.

19. Vocab to know
Hieroglyphics- using a PICTURE to stand for an idea. Egyptians form of writing.
Scribe- professional record keeper
Cuneiform- a system of writing, meaning “wedge-shaped”. Developed by the Sumerians.