1. ORIGINS OF THE MIDDLE EAST
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

2. RIVERS AND DESERTS IT’S ALL ABOUT WATER!!!
LIFE IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS SHAPED BY
AVAILABILITY OF WATER
THE LACK OF WATER
WATER IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS LAND!

3. THREE RIVERS NILE, TIGRIS, AND EUPHRATES
THESE THREE RIVERS PROMOTED THE GROWTH OF CIVILIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST!

4. FROM HUNTER GATHERERS TO FARMERS
THESE ANCIENT RIVERS ALLOWED PEOPLE TO STAY IN ONE PLACE AND STILL HAVE THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE.

5. HOW RIVERS ENRICH THE SOIL
RIVER FLOOD PATTERNS CARRIED FERTILE SOIL SUITABLE FOR FARMING. THE PEOPLE ALONG THESE RIVERS DEPENDED ON THE FLOODS FOR FERTILE FARMLAND.
THEY LEARNED TO IRRIGATE THE FLOOD WATERS.

6. SURROUNDING WATERS
WATER SURROUNDS THE MIDDLE EAST. THESE WERE LOGICAL SETTLING AREAS WITH MILD CLIMATES AND USEFUL TRADE ROUTES. EVEN THE SEA THAT IS NO LONGER THERE PROVIDES THE MIDDLE EAST WITH A “BLACK GOLD” – OIL FROM ANCIENT SEA CREATURES LONG AGO DEAD BUT LEFT BEHIND.

7. TURKEY A CROSSROADS NATION
TURKEY IS CONSIDERED A MIDDLE EASTERN NATION, BUT IT TOUCHES EUROPE, AND IT IS MUCH FURTHER NORTH WITH GRASSLAND AND FORESTS.

8. THE MESOPOTAMIAN CITY STATE
EARLY CIVILIZATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AROSE IN THE FERTILE RIVER VALLEYS UNDER RULERS LIKE Hammurabi IN THE FERTILE CRESCENT.

9. CITY-STATES THE SUMERIANS SETTLED THIS AREA FIRST AROUND 3,000 B.C.
THEY FACED 3 CHALLENGES
-FOREIGN INVADERS
-LACK OF WATER
-TRADE
THEY FACED THESE CHALLENGES BY BUILDING HIGH WALLS AROUND THEIR CITIES
MAINTAINING IRRIGATION CANALS
AND MILITARY PROTECTION

10. GOVERNMENT BY PRIESTS AND KINGS
SUMERIANS BELIEVED IN MANY GODS, AND THEY BUILT TEMPLES IN EVERY CITY STATE TO THE GOD THEY BELIEVED PROTECTED THAT PARTICULAR CITY.
PRIESTS LED THE WORSHIP OF THESE GODS, AND THEY BECAME THE EARLY RULERS. LATER KINGS OF THE CITY STATES WERE ELECTED TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE CITY STATE.

11. FROM KINGS TO EMPERORS KINGS CONQUERED OTHER CITY STATES
THEY ALLOWED LOCAL PRIESTS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL
OR, THEY BUILT EMPIRES WHERE THEY DEMANDED THEY BE WORSHIPPED AS GODS
THEY BECAME ABSOLUTE RULERS

12. THE CLASS SYSTEM MESOPOTAMIANS LIVED ACCORDING TO A CLASS SYSTEM
UPPER AND LOWER CLASSES WERE GIVEN CERTAIN RIGHTS
UPPER CLASS OFCOURSE HAD MORE!
THE TOP WAS MADE UP OF KINGS, PRIESTS, AND WEALTHY LAND OWNERS
MIDDLE – SPECIALLY SKILLED WORKERS AND MERCHANTS
LOWER MIDDLE – WORKING PEOPLES
LOWER CLASS – SLAVES CAPTURED IN BATTLE OR SOLD BY THEMSELVES TO PAY OFF DEBTS

13. A CULTURE BASED ON WRITING
SUMERIANS DEVELOPED ONE OF FIRST SYSTEMS OF WRITING
CALLED CUNEIFORM
WRITING WAS DONE BY SCRIBES, NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC
BECAUSE OF WRITING AND ITS USE WE CAN READ HISTORY AS IT WAS
SCRIBES WERE CHILDREN OF THE UPPER CLASS (MALES MOSTLY)
THEY WENT TO SCHOOL FROM SUN UP TO SUNDOWN!
FEW COULD READ, SO SCRIBES READ OUT LOUD TO THEIR AUDIENCE
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH AND THE GREAT FLOOD STORY