1. City-States of Mesopotamia
World History: Libertyville HS

2. Geography
“Fertile Crescent”: area between Persian Gulf and Eastern Mediterranean shore & length of Nile R.
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
Flow SE into Persian Gulf
Mesopotamia = “Land between two rivers”
Annual flooding of rivers leaves silt (++ farming)

3. Human Arrival into Mesopotamia
People moved into area after 10,000 BC (pop. pressure)
Why settle in Mesopotamia?
River valley had fertile land (silt)
Access to Persian Gulf for fishing, trade
Rivers allowed for easy irrigation
Challenges to settlers
Annual flooding was unpredictable
Small area with no natural protection
Limited natural resources (little stone, wood or metal)
Modern
Flooding of
Tigris R.

4. Human Arrival into Area
Solutions to Challenges
Irrigation projects to control flood waters (levees; channels)
Built walls around cities for protection
Traded for scarce goods with neighboring regions
Sumerians plowing
City walls of
Jericho

5. City States of Mesopotamia
City state = different walled cities of area, each with their own leader
Culturally similar
Politically independent
Economically dependent (trade)
Militarily competitive, mainly through raiding each other; not conquest
City plan
of Ur

6. City States of Mesopotamia
Political Power
Irrigation projects needed leaders to organize (beginning of government)
Priest-kings served as go between for Gods and man
Religion the basis of political power
City state’s gods owned all land
Priest-king served as agent of gods
Priest-kings ruled society

7. City States of Mesopotamia
After 3000 BC, war became more common and warriors became permanent leaders
Fought other city-states
Border disputes
Raiding cattle
Show of strength of their city-gods
Dynasties established
Series of priest-kings passing power on to their own sons
Took place from BC
Sumerian war chariot, c BC
Sumerian soldier with armored cloak

8. Cultural Diffusion
Idea or product spreading from one culture to another
Spread mainly by trade
Ideas spread included…
Layout of cities
Religious beliefs
Government organization
Technologies

9. Case Study: Sumerian Culture
Sumerian Gods
Religion
Polytheistic
About 3000 gods in all
Gods were immortal and all powerful
Many had human traits
Built ziggurats to please the gods
Temples were home of gods
Tower of Babel from bible a ziggurat
Ziggurat

10. Sumerian Technology
Invented the wheel for both trade and war, around 3500 BC
Sail helped trade
Plow improved farming
Metallurgy
Pre 3000 BC = copper
Post 3000 BC = bronze
Sun dried mud bricks allowed for construction of buildings (why use mud?)

11. Sumerian Technology: Cuneiform and Counting
First system of writing
Used wedge shaped reed pressed into wet clay tablet
Tablet then fired in oven to create permanent record
What records kept?
Tracked tax records, payments, debts, etc
Number system was base 60
Still used today (time, circle)
Why is base 60 a good system?

12. Poor (farmers, artisans)
Sumerian Society
Priest-King
Priests, scribes
Wealthy merchants
Poor (farmers, artisans)
Slaves
Sumerian Hierarchy
Women had many rights, but little education