1. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- “THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS”
Goal 2
The learner will assess the relationship between physical environment and cultural characteristics of selected societies and regions of Asia.

2. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA-GEOGRAPHY
LOCATED BETWEEN THE TIGRIS and EUPHRATES RIVERS
BOTH RIVERS FLOW INTO THE PERSIAN GULF
LOCATED IN PRESENT DAY IRAQ

3. Fertile Crescent

4. Mesopotamia

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

6. Persians Mesopotamian Civilization Chaldeans Akkadians Babylonians
Sumeria
Hittites
Mesopotamian
Civilization
Chaldeans
Lydians
Phoenicians
Assyrians

7. City-States

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

9. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION
HELPED DEVELOP THE FIRST ORGANIZED RELIGION
CREATED THE EARLIEST FORMS OF WRITING

10. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CITY-STATES
ALWAYS IN CONFLICT OVER WATER AND LAND
CREATED WALLS FOR PROTECTION, WITH A MOAT ON THE OUTSIDE
FARMS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

11. Sumerians invented:
TO NAME A FEW:
Wheel
arch
Ramp
swords

13. Religion

14. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN RELIGION
Ziggurats: pyramid structure that was a “center for learning and religion”
Each city-state had their own gods and goddesses
Believed in life after death

15. Ziggurat – Holy Mountain

16. Ziggurat

17. Religion Monotheism: worshiping one god.
“Mono” – means one
Polytheism: worshiping many gods.
“Poly” – means many

18. Writing: Cuneiform

19. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN WRITING
Written on clay tablets
created by pressing a pointed tool into a clay tablet

20. Cuneiform

21. Economy

22. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMY
Make, sell or barter (trade) goods
Trade helped expand cities
Development of money over time

23. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMY
RICH
government officials
religious leaders
traders
POOR
Farmers
Craftsman (middle class)

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

25. Babylonians King Hammurabi Hammurabi’s Code Earliest code of law
Based on equal retaliation.

26. Hammurabi’s Code 282 total laws Harsh punishments
Based on equal consequence
If you kill, you will be put to death
“ 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.

27. 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.”