1. Mesopotamia

2. Geography Rich farmland between two life giving rivers.
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers supplied rich farmland, food, clay for building and strong reeds for making boats.
These rivers could also bring devastation, for example floods.

3. City-States
Farming led to surpluses which led to population increases which encouraged the growth of cities.
Cities arose in the southern region they shared a common culture and language but remained independent city-states.
Had their own god or goddess
Government then eventually king

4. Everyday city life Public Squares were active
Merchants displayed goods
Musicians, acrobats, beggars and water sellers filled the streets
Scribes wrote letters
Houses faced away from crowded streets toward inner courtyards where families ate and played
Oil lamps supplied light
Sumerians slept outside on hot nights

5. Religion
Sumerians were polytheistic – believed in many gods and goddesses
Gods punished those who angered them and rewarded those who served them.
Religious, social and economic activities all took places at the temples.
The ziggurats were pyramids made of terraces that were linked by ramps and stairs, some more than 7 stories high. At the top was a shrine and Sumerians believed that gods descended to Earth using this as a stairway.
Sumerian myths or stories about gods that explained people’s beliefs.

8. Honoring the gods Religious ceremonies
Priests washed statues of gods before and after meals
Music was played and incense burned
Food was presented to the gods then eaten
By eating the offering they thought they would take in the qualities they admired in the gods.
Poetry expressed what was important to them.