1. Ancient Mesopotamia

3. Geography of Mesopotamia
“Land between rivers”
Tigris and Euphrates
Fertile land allowed villages to grow
Several disadvantages
Unpredictable flooding
No natural protection
Natural resources were limited

4. Solution to Problems
People of Sumer addressed these problems through organization
Irrigation ditches to carry water
Built mud walls for defense
Trade

5. Sumerians Arrived on the scene (Mesopotamia) around 3300 BCE
Built city-states
Governments were controlled by priests
Development of dynasties
Series of rulers from a single family

6. Sumerian Culture Believed in more than one god
Emergence of social classes

7. Advanced in Science and Technology
Arithmetic and geometry
Architectural achievements
Arches, columns, ziggurats
Cuneiform
System of writing

8. Babylonian Empire Amorites invaded Mesopotamia around 2000 BCE
capital at Babylon
King Hammurabi - monarchy
Wrote a code of laws that unified his empire

9. Hammurabi's code
Set punishments dealing with family relations, business conduct, and crime
Disadvantage: Set different punishments for rich and poor and for men and women
(Hammurabi’s Code Activity)

10. Babylonian Empire Writing – Cuneiform Religion – Polytheistic
Farmed and traded
Empire declined after Hammurabi
King Nebuchadnezzar
Ordered the building of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World for his wife

11. Assyrians Came from the northern part of Mesopotamia Began around
850 BCE

12. Assyrians Writing – Cuneiform Government – Monarchy
Religion – Polytheistic

13. Assyrians Accomplishments included: Eventually, overrun by Chaldeans
ancient world’s largest library
strong and powerful army, cavalry, and navy
Eventually, overrun by Chaldeans

14. Phoenicians On the scene about 1100 BCE wealthy city-states around
the Mediterranean
TRADE essential
to Phoenician
way of life

15. Phoenicians Language – Alphabetic symbols Government – City-states
Developed to speed transaction quickly
Used symbols to represent sounds
Government – City-states
Religion – Polytheistic
Human sacrifice
Accomplishments:
22 symbols within alphabet
Purple dye
Glass beads

16. Hebrews Date back to 2000 BCE Abraham father of the Jewish people
Moved from Mesopotamia to Canaan
Hebrews were monotheists

17. Hebrews Language – Hebrew Government – Monarchy Accomplishments:
King Solomon
trading empire
temple in Jerusalem
Kingdom split in two – Israel and Judah
Accomplishments:
Monotheism
Ten Commandments
Overran by Assyrians
Left region