1. AP World History: Life in Mesopotamia

2. Presentation Outline 1)Geography of Mesopotamia 2)Cuneiform writing system 3)Advances in the sciences 4)Art and literature 5)Religion 6)Social hierarchy and government

3. 1) Geography of Mesopotamia Ancient Mesopotamia was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, located today in modern day Iraq Considered the “cradle of Western civilization” An organized civilization which began around 3200 B.C.E The ancient cities of Ur and Babylon were located in Mesopotamia

4. Question: 1) Why do you think this ancient civilization developed between these two rivers?

5. 2)Cuneiform writing system The first society/group to inhabit the region were the Sumerians They developed a sophisticated system of writing using characters which were inscribed on clay tablets and preserved The Sumerian language had about 550 characters and was used for thousands of years n the Middle East

6. Question: Why was a written language essential for the development or advancement of a Sumerian civilization?

7. 3) Advances in the sciences The Sumerians developed a number system based on the unit 60 They divided the hour into 60 minutes They had basic knowledge of geometry, and divided the circle into 360 degrees They had a system of weights and measurements They had a basic understanding of astronomy through observations using the naked eye

8. The Sumerians also created the wheel and the plough Question: Why were these inventions so historically significant?

9. 4) Art and Literature The Sumerians wrote poetry and stories The Epic of Gilgamesh tells of a hero, the sole survivor of a flood which devastated ancient Mesopotamia Sculptures and murals showed a sophisticated amount of detail Much artwork was devoted to depicting Sumerian gods

10. 5)Religion The Sumerians’ belief system was polytheistic (belief in many gods) They believed that there were gods of the sea, earth, sky, etc. Unlike the earliest humans of the Neolithic period, the Sumerians gave their gods names, prayed to them, and offered them sacrifices They also buried their dead in ceremonies

11. 6) Social hierarchy and government The Sumerians developed the first known government system with monarchs and priests at the top of the social hierarchy, followed by farmers and merchants, and then slaves at the bottom Each group has its own role in society Taxes were imposed and collected to help build and maintain city walls and roads

12. The ancient Sumerian city of Ur

13. Hammurabi’s Code The first written legal code in human history recorded on tablets about 1772 B.C.E by the Babylonians, another group which emerged in the Mesopotamia region The legal code was reproduced for all citizens to see