1. First Civilizations Section 3/4

2. Objectives  Identify how strong rulers shaped the Fertile Crescent  Analyze the Sumerian civilization

3. Ancient Sumer  The first civilization in the Fertile Crescent was located at Mesopotamia. (between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers).  3200 B.C. The first Sumerian cities emerged in the southern part of Mesopotamia. ( Ur and Erech).  Trade brought riches to the Sumerians.  Sumerian city-states often battled for control of resources.  In each city state the ruler was responsible for maintaining the city walls and the irrigation system.

4. Fertile Crescent

5. Ancient Sumer  Each Sumerian city-state has a distinct social hierarchy, or system of ranks.  The highest class included the ruling family, leading officials, and high priests.  The middle class was comprised of merchants and artisans.  The majority of people were peasant farmers.  Slaves were the lowest level of the Sumerian society.

6. Ancient Sumer  The Sumerian were polytheistic.  Each city built ziggurats, a pyramid temple that was used as a shrine to the gods.  Sumerians also believed in the afterlife.  They invented a form of writing known as cuneiform.

7. Ziggurats

8. Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders  Hammurabi brought much of Mesopotamia under his control.  He created a set of laws for this people to follow.  This was the first attempt of a ruler to codify, or set down in writing, laws that would govern the land.  Hammurabi’s code dealt with civil laws that dealt with private rights of citizens.

9. Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders  The Hittites were the first civilization to learn to extract iron from ore.  The Assyrians were the first to use the iron for weapons.  612 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar revived the power of Babylon. –He rebuilt canals and buildings. –His priest/astrologers studied the planets and stars.

10. Persian Empire  539 Babylon fell to the Persians.  The Persian kings pursued a policy of tolerance, or acceptance, of the people they conquered.  The Persian Emperor Darius created a government, and divided the Persian Empire into providences.  Each providence was headed by a governor or satrap.  A barter economy was the way the Persians traded until coins became more popular and a money economy was created.

11. Phoenician Sea Traders  The Phoenicians gained power through trade.  They set up colonies, a territory settled and ruled by people from another land, to promote trade.  The created a letter alphabet that contained 22 symbols for consonant sounds.