1. Mesopotamia
Chapter 4

2. Introduction
Throughout history, the need to have water for drinking and growing crops influenced where people settled.
The earliest known civilization, Mesopotamia, developed in what is now Southern Iraq

3. Mesopotamia -Mesopotamia means “land between the two rivers”
-Mesopotamia began on the plain between the Tigris and the Euphrates

4. Timeline from Hunters and Herders to village farmers
Mesopotamia
Timeline from Hunters and Herders to village farmers
7000B.C.-Hunters/Herders began to settle in Mesopotamia
4000B.C.- Farming villages are being built along the two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)

5. Love-hate relationship with the River
Early Mesopotamian farmers used water from the 2 rivers to water their fields, however, farmers could not always rely on the rivers
In summer, little or no rain would leave the farmers with no water to plant crops in the fall
In the spring, rains and melting snow from the Mountains caused river to flood (sometimes sweeping away crops, homes, and livestock)

6. Love-hate relationship with the River
These sometimes violent and damaging floods were also helpful. When floods ended, silt was left on banks and plains. Silt is very good for farming!
Overtime the people of Mesopotamia learned to build dams to control these floods. They also dug canals that let water flow from a water source to the fields (Irrigation)

7. Timeline from Hunters and Herders to village farmers
Irrigation led to a surplus of food!!
Surplus of food allowed people to specialize in other jobs
By 3000 BC, Several farming villages in Sumer (region in southern Mesopotamia) had grown into cities

8. Sumer Sumer’s Civilization
People of Sumer were known as Sumerians. They built the first cities in Southwest Asia including: Ur
Uruk
Eridu

9. City-States Arise
The harsh landscape that surrounded the cities of Sumer made it hard to travel by land and communicate with other groups.
As a result, Sumerian cities became independent. They grew their own crops and made their own goods. They gained political and economical power over the lands around them
By doing this, they formed their own city-states

10. City-States Arise
Each city-state had its own government and was not part of any larger governing state.
The population of each city-state ranged from about people.

11. City-States Arise
Ruins and artifacts have led historians to believe that each Sumerian city-state was protected by a large wall
Wood and stone was in short supply for the Sumerians used mud and crushed reeds from the river to make bricks for building
The city gate would stay open during the day and would close at night
Public building were located in the center of the city

12. City-States Arise
Often, city states would go to war with each other over resources and political borders.
During times of peace, city-states would trade with other groups and would help each other by forming alliances to protect their common interests.

13. Gods, Priests, and Kings
The Sumerian people worshiped many gods, a type of belief known as polytheism
Some gods had power over forces of nature
Some gods guided the things people did.
Sumerian people honored whatever god would help their activity

14. Gods, Priests, and Kings
Sumerian people honored all gods, however each city-state claimed 1 god as its own
To honor its god, a city-state would build a large temple called a ziggurat (meaning “to raise high”)
In early days these special priests ruled the city-state before they became monarchies

15. Social Classes Upper Middle Lower Kings Priests Warriors
Government Officials
Merchants
Farmers
Fishers
Artisans
Enslaved people
Criminals
People who could not pay their debts

16. Gender Roles
Men
Women
Head of home
Boys went to school and trained for a special job
Ran the home
Taught their daughters how to run the home
Raised children
Law required parents to care for their children and also for adult children to take care of their parent if they should ever need help

17. Farmers and Traders Most people who lived in Sumer were farmers
They grew:
-Wheat
-Barley
-Dates
They raised:
-Sheep
-Goats
-Pigs

18. Trade Trade was an important part of Sumer’s economy
Trade routes linked Sumer to places as far as India and Egypt
They traded wheat, barley, and tools for timber, minerals, and metals

19. Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia has been considered the beginning of organized human society
They came up with the first known writing system (cuneiform) in order to keep records, share information, and pass along stories to later generations.

20. Cuneiform
Cuneiform consisted of 1200 characters and was written on clay tablets with sharp reeds
Only a few people-mostly boys from wealthy families- learn how to read and write cuneiform
Some students became scribes

21. Epic of Gilgamesh
The Sumerians gave us the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is the world oldest known Epic (or long poem that records the deeds of a legendary or real hero)
It was written more than 4000 years ago

22. Technology and Mathematics
The Sumerians were the first to use the Wheel
They created Carts
Developed the chariot
Developed the sailboat
Developed the wooden plow
They were the first to develop Bronze

23. Technology and Mathematics
Came up with the 60 second minute
Came up with the 60 minute hour
Came up with the concept of a 360 degree circle
Developed the 12 month calendar based on the moon