Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Originated around 5000 BC one of

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia • Originated around 5000 BC – one of the oldest known civilizations. • Modern day location: Iraq; Syria (north-east); Turkey (south-east); Iran (south-west). • Mesopotamia is a Greek word which translates to ‘between the rivers’ (Tigris and Euphrates rivers – located in Iraq).

Location Visit the following interactive map of the Middle East from the ancient period to the present day. http: //ecuip. lib. uchicago. edu/diglib/social/mideast/atlas/inde x. html • Use the site to see where Mesopotamia was located. Think about the present day name for Mesopotamia. What do you know about what is happening there now? • Click to see a timeline of the history of this place. How far back does it go?

Mesopotamia • North Mesopotamian geography consists of hills and plains, the land is quite fertile. View this interactive map to obtain a visual of the land: http: //www. eduplace. com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf 3/imaps/ • Early settlers farmed the land used timber, metals and stone. • South Mesopotamian geography consists of marsh, wide, flat and barren plains. • Early settlers had to irrigate the land for their crops and relied strongly on neighboring countries for trade.

You. Tube clip Watch the following clip and record the main points and important facts in your workbook http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=c-EPqob. Ss. D 8

Inventions The people of Ancient Mesopotamia invented the following items that still exist in some form in our modern society: • • • the wheel plow (crop cultivation) sailboats writing Pyramids (ziggurats)

Inventions Choose one of the Mesopotamian inventions and brainstorm a list of ways that it is still in use today…

Farming • It did not rain much in Mesopotamia, so the people soon learned that if you irrigated the land, crops grew quickly. • These early people built canals to bring water to the land from the rivers. • They planted wheat, barley, dates, and vegetables including cucumbers, onions, apples, and spices.

Farming Refer to the information in the books to find out more about farming. Can you find any pictures to represent the farming methods? Draw one of these pictures in your workbook.

Trade • Mesopotamia was a region which did not have many natural resources. Therefore, the people who lived there needed to trade with neighboring countries in order to acquire the resources they needed to live • Grain, oils and textiles were taken from Babylonia to foreign cities and exchanged for timber, wine, precious metals and stones. • Grain was quite bulky and was best transported on a boat, whereas precious stones were likely to be small, so they could be transported on foot or by donkey

Social Class HIGH • The King - Pinnacle of the social order. Were ‘divinely ordained humans’ as believed by the Sumerians, or literal ‘gods on earth’ as the Assyrians believed. • The Priests - They were the upper-class of society • The Scribes - They were the educated class, sons of the wealthy. • Merchants and Artisans • The Commoners-The labouring lower-class of the kingdom 85% were in farming. • The Slaves - were the bottom of the social hierarchy. LOW

Religion Use the books to learn about religion during ancient Mesopotamian times. Use the following questions as a base to take notes but you should also include other information you found interesting/important. 1. What was the name of the religion in Mesopotamia? 2. When did the religion begin and does it still exist? 3. What beliefs are/were important in this religion? 4. Was there a god involved? If so, explain how it/they were worshipped.

Rule of law • Laws were created by king Hammurabi • First written code of laws. • Code was inscribed on a six-feet high stone tablet, posted in a public area. • Code was written in the local language Akkadian so any literate person could read it. • Some new concepts in the code: • More fair than previous legal systems. • An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. • Presumed innocent until proven guilty. • Accused can provide evidence for their defense.

Important Kings of Mesopotamia Gilgamesh • Legendary first King of Mesopotamia, 2700 BC. • Had the first walled city in Mesopotamia built. Hammurabi • Ruled in Babylon, 1792 - 1750 BC. • First written code of laws. • Code was inscribed on a six-feet high stone tablet, posted in a public area. • Code was written in the local language Akkadian so any literate person could read it. • Some new concepts in the code: • More fair than previous legal systems. • An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. • Presumed innocent until proven guilty. • Accused can provide evidence. Narim-Sin • He ruled in Mesopotamia, 2260 - 2223 BC. • First Mesopotamian king to claim he was a god. • A famous victory stele was created to commemorate him, Gombrich. • The victory stele is currently kept in the Louvre Museum, Paris.

Mesopotamia Timeline Date 5000 BC 4000 BC 3300 BC 3200 BC 2330 BC 1900 BC 1792 BC Event The first people move in People called the Sumer moved into the land called Mesopotamia. They planted crops and began farming the land. The Sumer build temples to their gods The Sumer people built temples called ziggurats to worship their gods. They began building large and powerful cities. The written language is invented The Sumer people began using pictures for words, and they would draw the pictures to write sentences. The wheel is invented As the people became smarter and learned more, they invented more items. They invented the wheel to make their vehicles roll. Mesopotamia gets new rulers The Sumerian people were taken over by the Akkadians. The Akkadians established the Akkadian Empire. Another change of power happens The Assyrians came in and defeated the land's rulers, making Mesopotamia come under Assyrian rule. Babylon moves into power Hammurabi, the Babylonian king, took power of Mesopotamia.

Mesopotamia Timeline Date 1750 BC 1250 BC 705 BC 668 BC 550 BC 522 BC 490 BC 333 BC Event The Babylonians lose their power After the death of King Hammurabi the land fell apart. It was taken over by the Kassites in 1595. The people begin to use iron in their inventions The Assyrians eventually took back the land of Mesopotamia. They began using iron to make stronger weapons and chariots. The capital city is named Nineveh became the capital city of the Assyrian's land. The great library is built After Nineveh was named the capital, the rulers of the land built a huge library there. The Persians take over Mesopotamia Under the king Cyrus the Great, the Persians took control of the land. He allowed the Jewish slaves to return to their land of Israel. The land is divided into states Darius I became the ruler and he divided the land into different states. He called them satraps. The Greeks take rule of Mesopotamia While still under the lead of Darius I, the Greeks moved in and took rule. Alexander the Great is leader The famous Alexander the Great moved through the land took control. It was the end of Mesopotamia's seat as the world's powers.

Mesopotamia Timeline Using the timelines, choose three events that you consider most significant and explain in 2 -3 sentences why they are most important.

Become an expert… share your knowledge Key features of ancient societies What did you find out? Resources Farming Trade Social classes Religion Rule of law Draw this table into your book and complete about your ancient civilisation!