Ancient Civilizations Mesopotamia Geography Environment the land between

Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia

Geography & Environment “the land between the rivers…”

The Geography • On which continent was Mesopotamia located? • Asia; in what is modern day Iraq, Syria & Turkey

The Geography • On which rivers did the ancient Mesopotamians settle? • Between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers; in an area known as the Fertile Crescent

The Geography • Flooding provided rich soil for farming

The Geography • Three Environmental Challenges: • Unpredictable flooding • No natural barriers for protection • Limited natural resources ØPredict how Mesopotamians overcame each of these challenges…

Early Mesopotamian Kingdoms

Mesopotamian Cultures • Mesopotamia did NOT represent a unified kingdom, instead it was made up of a series of kingdoms that occupied a specific geographical space

Mesopotamian Cultures • Sumer (c. 3500 – 2300 BC) • Akkad (c. 2300 -2200 BC) • Babylonia (1790 -1590 BC) • Assyria (1360 -620 BC) • Neo-Babylonia (629 -540 BC)

Sumer 3500 – 2300 BCE The first civilization

Sumerian Geography • Geography: • Located at the southern end of Mesopotamia • Near the mouths of the Tigris & Euphrates

Sumerian Geography • City-state: • A city + its surrounding lands • Independent political units that competed for trade & boundaries • i. e. Uruk, Kish, Ur, Lagash

Sumerian Geography • Same culture, BUT each had its own: • Ruler, special god, and army

Sumerian Religion & Government • Polytheism: • The worship of more than one god • Believed gods were immortal & all powerful; humans were to serve the gods

Sumerian Religion & Government • Ziggurat: • Centralized temples where sacrifices and offerings were made to the gods • Animals, food, wine, etc.

Sumerian Religion & Government • City-states were ruled by priestkings who were viewed as powerful agents of the gods • Theocracy – gov’t based on religious authority

Sumerian Religion & Government • Despite their religious practices, Sumerians had little, if any, belief in an afterlife • Believed that the souls of the dead went to the “land of no return”

Sumerian Economy • Economy based on farming & trade • Traded with places as far away as Egypt and India • At first barter only • Used barley for money, then switched to coins

Sumerian Culture & Knowledge • Developed a form of written language known as cuneiform • Wedge shapes scratched into clay tablets

Sumerian Culture & Knowledge • Invention of the wheel (3000 BC)

Sumerian Culture & Knowledge • Other notable contributions: • System of irrigation • Invention of the sail & plow • The usage of bronze • Development of a number system based on 60 • Architecture: arches, columns,

Sumerian. Kings/Priests Society Landholders Wealthy Merchants Field Laborers & Artisans Slaves

Sumerian Society • Most Sumerians worked with their hands in fields and workshops • Houses were made of mud brick and clay

Sumerian Society • Roles of Men/Women: • Men could sell wife/kids into slavery to pay off debt • But women could obtain a divorce and buy/sell property • Scribe Schools: Edubbas • For rich boys only

Babylonia 1790 – 1590 BCE The first system of

The Babylonian Empire • In 1792 BC a new empire took control of Mesopotamia • Babylonia • Reached its height during the reign of King Hammurabi

The Babylonian Empire • Hammurabi’s Code: • 1 st known code of law • Stressed responsible behavior • Capital punishment

The Babylonian Empire • “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” • Punishments based on SOCIAL CLASS • Laws focused on ALL aspects of society