1. What is a Civilization? A look at the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia

2. 6 Elements of a Civilization Cities Government Religion Art Class Division Writing

3. Farming Revolution Farming Revolution started about 10,000 years ago Domestication-tame plants and animals for human use Villages grew as nomadic life changed for farming Specialization-development of different types of job, not everyone needed for food collection

5. Mesopotamia-Cradle of Civilization “Land between 2 rivers” – Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – Floods once a year leaving behind rich soil good for farming – Travel, trade, – Irrigation

6. The Fertile Crescent

7. Rise of the First Civilization Between 4000-3000 BC in Mesopotamia (Iraq today) Complex societies arose which had cities, government, art, religion, class division, and writing

8. Cities of Mesopotamia Sumer – City-state with own independent government and defenses (like a country) – 3500-2800 BC

9. Government Organized to provide for basic needs of people – Food, buildings, laws, army Hammurabi – Ruler of Babylon in Mesopotamia – Created a code of laws which was a first step toward a fair system of justice

10. Religion Polytheistic-many gods – Had powers over natural forces and human activities Ziggurat – Temple – “mountain of god”

11. Art Developed after basic needs are met

12. Class Division Your place in society based on your job or power. king priest, govt. officials artisans, merchants, farmers, fishers slaves

13. Writing keep track of records, ideas -Sumer=cuneiform -oldest story, Epic of Gilgamesh

14. Do we live in a civilization today? How do you know that?