Chapter 2 Notes FERTILE CRESCENT Fertile Crescent moonshaped
- Slides: 12
Chapter 2 Notes
FERTILE CRESCENT § Fertile Crescent = moon-shaped strip of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf that is excellent farm land § Located in modern-day Middle East
MESOPOTAMIA § Mesopotamia = located within the Fertile Crescent, between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers § Rivers were NOT a reliable source of water (unlike the Nile) § Ran dry in summer; flooded in spring § Villages joined together to build dams, canals, and ditches
THE SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION § People from Asia arrived in Mesopotamia § Formed 12 city-states = the city and the land surrounding it § Considered the world’s 1 st cities § Created ziggurats = stepped pyramids with a temple at the top
§ Sumerians shared common culture, language, and religion § City-states governed themselves § Were theocracies = kings served as both government leaders AND high priests § Laws regulated the roles of women & men had far more rights
§ Cuneiform = Sumerian system of writing § The symbols represented complex ideas
§ Scribes were trained to read & write documents and stories § Epic of Gilgamesh = oldest story in the world
§ Practiced polytheism = belief in more than one god § Each city-state had its own god § Negative outlook on life and the afterlife § Believed gods were selfish and had no regard for humans
1. Wagon Wheel 2. Arch 3. Potter’s Wheel 4. Sundial 5. 12 -month Calendar 6. Metal Plow
§ Empire under Sargon I § Kingdom was called Akkad § Conquered & united all of the Sumerian city-states § Empire fell apart after his & his grandson’s death
§ Ruled by Hammurabi § Strict Code of Laws = Hammurabi’s greatest achievement § Rules and consequences that addressed daily life § Law code covered entire region of Mesopotamia § “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” type of laws § Government assumed the responsibility of protecting its citizens § People now had laws to protect their rights & didn’t need to resort to violence
§ Social classes were similar to the Egyptians, but they had far more slaves § Hammurabi’s empire fell apart after his death