WH Holt: Mesopotamia & Sumer

Geography promotes Civilization! In southwest Asia the Fertile Crescent curves between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. The area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is called Mesopotamia (means: between the rivers)

Geography promotes civilization Tigris and Euphrates Rivers provides fertile soil Area referred to as the Fertile Crescent

5500BC People were farming in southern Mesopotamia mainly due to the spring flooding of both rivers fertilizing the soil with silt. Due to frequent flooding or drought the inhabitants developed ways to control the water: basins to store rainwater canals to carry water to fields Dikes (a long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea) to control flooding.

Other disadvantages of the land Lack of protection Built city walls Lack of resources Traded (barter)

How did these projects get coordinated? Leaders governments developed … The Sumerians developed the first civilization called Sumer!

3000 BC: Within the civilization of Sumer cities developed by building with mud bricks and creating a temple to honor the chief god with a pyramid on top called a Ziggurat.

Each city built a wall around itself for protection and grew crops outside the wall for their people.

Over time each city began to develop their own political ideas and formed city-states (a political unit with their own government and ideas) and began to fight other city-states over land.

Defining features Cities with ziggurats Polytheism Kings Dynasties Mud brick homes

Religion: Polytheistic Worshiped many gods, mostly natural gods therefore giving the priests the most respected positions and ruled like kings.

These kings would have their children and families take over generation after generation and developed what is known as a dynasty (rulers are all from the same family).

Sumerians created the first writing system called Cuneiform where they used sharp tools called styluses to carve clay tablets.

What was writing used for… Used to keep business accounts and city-state records Wrote law and poems and songs Best known epic story was Epic of Gilgamesh

Developed a math system based on the number 60 (why we use 60 minutes) and Geometry for building temples and irrigation systems.

Sumerians also created/invented: the wheel, sail, and plow Math system around the number 60 Sewers Cuneiform – writing system kept medical knowledge performed basic surgery architecture (arches, ramps, columns) Art statues & cylinder seals carved out of ivory Sumerians were the first to use bronze

Sumerians traded with many other city- states and created a social hierarchy: Top: were kings and priests Next: were large landowners and wealthy merchants Below: were artisans, farmers, and laborers Bottom: slaves captured from other city- states.

Role of Women Took care of home life and children. A few upper class women received an education and served as priestesses at temples

Military Advantages The Hittites were masters in ironworking and horse drawn chariots which helped them establish an empire in the Asia minor

Phoenicians The main achievements of the Phoenicians included developing trade routes, glassblowing, and the alphabet

History of the early Jews Abraham left the city of UR for Canaan. The Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt. Exodus – Moses led Israelites out of Egypt Ten commandments Development of Israel

Kingdom of Israel Israelites united and conquered the land Key leaders included Saul David Solomon

Basic Teachings of Judaism Judaism is believed to be the first monotheistic religion – belief in one god Ten commandments Justice and righteousness Torah Hebrew bible Talmud

Empires in Mesopotamia: Sargon from Akkadian Empire 2330 BC (north of Sumer) over took Sumer and controlled the Fertile Crescent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The Akkadian Empire adopted many of the Sumerians’ culture including the language.

Empires continued… Lasted for 140 years until the Amorites attacked from the east and created a new Empire called the Babylonian Empire!

1792 The Amorite King Hammurabi not only a great warrior and great trader he created a set of laws to control his people Hammurabi’s Code: perceived as harsh A set of codes that were retaliatory, “ An eye for an eye” First time a society had a written law code

The Babylonian Empire lasted about 200 years.

Persian Empire Led by Cyrus the Great and Darius I Most significant Persian achievements Vast network of roads Art Communication

Main Teachings of Zoroastrianism Monotheism Dualism – struggle between good and evil Belief in the afterlife