ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIATHE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIADEFINITIONS

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA“THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS”

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIADEFINITIONS CITY STATES- self-governing unit made up of a city and its surrounding villages and farmland.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAGEOGRAPHY LOCATED BETWEEN THE TIGRISEUPHRATES RIVERS BOTH RIVERS FLOW INTO THE PERSIAN GULF LOCATED IN PRESENT DAY IRAQ

Fertile Crescent SW Asia (the Middle East)

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAGEOGRAPHY POSITIVE abundant amount of clay easy till-able soil water supply from Tigris-Euphrates Rivers NEGATIVE few natural resources minimal protection from deserts and mountains

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIASUMERIAN CIVILIZATION BELIEVED TO BE SETTLED CA. 3000 B. C. DIVIDED INTO CITY-STATES HELPED TO DEVELOP THE FIRST FORM OF ORGANIZED RELIGION CREATED ONE OF THE EARLIEST FORM OF WRITING

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIASUMERIAN CITY-STATES ALWAYS IN CONSTANT CONFLICT OVER WATER RIGHTS AND LAND CREATED WALLS FOR PROTECTION, WITH MOATS ALONG THE OUTSIDE FARMS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

Sumerians invented: Wheel Time – 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute 12 month lunar calendar arch ramp

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIASUMERIAN RELIGION Ziggurats: pyramid site of the temple of the main gods. – Each city-state had their own gods and goddesses – Sun god – most important. Life after death was an extension of life.

Ziggurat Large pyramid shaped structures Connected to heaven and earth Ziggurat: “center for learning and religion”

Sumerian Religion Monotheism: worshiping one god. – “Mono” – means one Polytheism: worshiping many gods. – “Poly” – means many Sumerians were Polytheistic The Sumerians viewed their gods as hostile and unpredictable similar to the natural environment around them. ) Gilgamesh Epic, one of the earliest works of literature. – Contains a “flood story” that predates the Hebrew Old Testament story of Noah by at least 2, 000 years.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIASUMERIAN WRITING CALLED CUNEIFORM (LATIN FOR WEDGE) WRITTEN ON CLAY TABLETS NEEDED FOR RELIGION, GOVERNMENT, AND TRADE LEARNED IN SCHOOL, BY MALES THAT LASTED FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET

CUNEIFORM Sumerian Writing: CALLED cuneiform (LATIN FOR WEDGE) WRITTEN ON CLAY TABLETS NEEDED FOR RELIGION, GOVERNMENT, AND TRADE LEARNED IN SCHOOL, BY MALES THAT LASTED FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET Cuneiform is created by pressing a pointed stylus into a clay tablet.

Cuneiform

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIASUMERIAN ECONOMY Make, sell or barter goods. Trade helped expansion. Development of money – Will evolve over time. RICH government officials religious leaders traders POOR Farmers craftsman

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIASUMERIAN PASTIMES Entertainment – No longer had to hunt and gather. – More time for fun times. Rich had more time than poor. Activities: – BOARD GAMES – INSTRUMENTS – BARE FISTED BOXING Activities geared toward young and used for socializing.

The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived. Agriculture (Farming) Growth of Cities Division of Labor (Specialization) Trade Writing and Mathematics

Hammurabi’s Code Early legal code written by King Hammurabi of Babylon 282 laws. Harsh punishment for crimes. Based on equal retaliation. – “ If a man bring an accusation against a man and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death” – “If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off” Laws were varied for the wealthy and powerful.

What do you think? – “ If a man bring an accusation against a man and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death” – “If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off” – If a man strike a free-born woman so that she lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss. “If the woman die, his daughter shall be put to death.