1. The First Civilizations Chapter 1, Section 3 Mrs. Thompson
8th Grade World History

2. The First Empires Main Idea: Assyria's military power and
well-organized
government
helped it build a
vast empire in
Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.

3. The Assyrians lived to the north of Mesopotamia near the Tigris River in an area of fertile valleys.
To defend Assyria from invaders, they built a large army.
By 900 B.C., the Assyrians
took over all of Mesopotamia
and founded an empire.

4. Why Were The Assyrians So Strong?
Archers armed
with bows and
arrows
Foot soldiers
armed with
spears and
daggers.
The Assyrian army
was well organized
with:
Soldiers who
fought on
horseback.
Chariot Riders

5. Chariots & Warriors

6. Assyrian Soldiers
Assyrian army was the 1st to use iron weapons.
They learned a way of making iron strong enough for weapons from a group of people called the Hittites.
By heating iron ore, hammering it, and quickly cooling it, they made iron weapons that were superior to those made of copper or tin.

7. 1. They tunneled under walls or climbed over them on ladders
Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters and used many war tactics to defeat their enemies such as:
1. They tunneled under walls or
climbed over them on ladders
2. The loaded tree trunks onto
movable platforms and
used them as battering rams
to knock down city gates.
3.They burned down the buildings
of captured cities.

8. 5. Punished anyone who resisted Assyrian rule.
Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters and used many war tactics to defeat their enemies such as:
4. They stole goods and took people
as prisoners from captured cities.
5. Punished anyone who resisted
Assyrian rule.
6. They drove people from their
lands and moved them
into foreign territory.

9. They resettled captured territories
Assyrian warriors were ferocious fighters and used many war tactics to defeat their enemies such as:
They resettled captured territories
with new settlers and
forced them to pay
high taxes.

10. Jewish Captives: 8c BCE
The Assyrians forced the Hebrews from their homeland and took them into captivity.

11. The Assyrian Empire
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12. A Well-Organized Government
By about 650 B.C., the Assyrians had created an empire that stretched from the Persian Gulf in the East to Egypt’s Nile River in the West.
The capital of Assyria was Nineveh.
US military at the gates of ancient Nineveh (in Iraq).

13. A Well-Organized Government
Assyrians were strong rulers who divided their empire into provinces or political districts.
Officials governed in provinces, collected taxes, and enforced laws.
The Assyrians built a system of roads to join the empire.
Soldiers were posted along the roads to protect traders and government messengers from bandits.

14. Assyrian Military Power
Assyrian soldiers carrying away the enemy’s gods.

15. Life in Assyria
The Assyrians worshipped the same gods as other Mesopotamians.
Their writing was based on Babylonian writing.
Assyrian temple walls (above); Assyrian proclamation

16. Life in Assyria Lawbreakers often faced more brutal and cruel
punishments in Assyria.
The Assyrians were skilled craftsmen
who built large temples and palaces
filled with wall carvings
and statues.

17. Life in Assyria Assyrians produced and Collected literature and built
The world’s 1st library at nineveh
That held 25,000 tablets
Of stories and songs.

18. How Did the Assyrian Empire End?
Assyria’s cruel
treatment of people
led to many
rebellions.
By 650 B.C., they
began fighting
over who would
be the next king.
A group of people in
Mesopotamia called
the Chaldeans,
rebelled and
captured Nineveh.
Assyria crumbled!

19. The Chaldeans Main Idea: The Chaldean Empire built important
landmarks in Babylon
and developed the
first calendar with a
seven-day week.

20. The Chaldeans built the city of Babylon as the center of their empire.
By 605 B.C.,
Chaldean King
Nebuchadnezzar
gained
Control of
Mesopotamia
Chaldeans were
Descendants of
ancient Babylonians
who made up
King Hammurabi’s
Empire.
The Chaldeans built the city of
Babylon as the center of
their empire.

21. Nebuchadnezzar II’s Babylon

22. Babylon under the Chaldeans

23. The City of Babylon
Babylon became the world’s largest and richest city because it was located on the major trade route between the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea.
It was surrounded by a wide brick wall with towers for soldiers to keep watch.
Babylon had large palaces and at its center was a ziggurat that reached over 300 ft. high.
Site of ancient Babylonian wall

24. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Built as part of the king’s palace in Babylon was the Hanging Gardens, one of the ancient wonders of world.

25. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging
Gardens were built
by Nebuchadnezzar to please his wife
The gardens had large trees, flowering vines, beautiful plants, and a pump that brought in water from the river.

26. Ishtar Gate
The Ishtar Gate was at the main entrance to ancient Babylon

27. Outside the center of Babylon were houses and marketplaces where artsans made pottery, cloth, baskets, and jewelry.
Artisans sold their goods to passing caravans or groups of traveling merchants.

28. Astronomers - people who study the heavenly bodies - mapped stars, planets, and the phases of the moon.
Chaldeans made one of the 1st sundials and were the first the have a 7 day week.
Babylon was
the center
of science

29. Why did the Chaldean Empire fall?
The Chaldeans found it hard to control the peoples they had conquered.
By 539 B.C., the Persians captured Babylon and made it part of the Persian Empire.