Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent

AIM: How did geography encourage the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia? These are some things we will discuss with Mesopotamia. DO NOW: (1)I am a group of people working together to create an organized society _________________ (2)I am the geographic feature where early people settled _______________ (3)I am two features of a civilization that helps to bring people together ____________ & ______________ civilization River valleys Writing system infrastructure HW: Discuss the importance of water to the people of the Middle East. How has climate and topography of the Middle East effect how people lived?

1. What two rivers run through the Fertile Crescent? 2. Which two river valley civilizations are shown on this map? 3. In what present day country is Mesopotamia located? Tigris & Euphrates Rivers Egypt & Mesopotamia Iraq

*NOTES* ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA (4000 B.C.) “land in between the rivers” Why was this a perfect place for the 1st civilization? 1.Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in the Middle East 2.Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for farming 3. Cattle, pigs, goats & sheep were accessible

Geography helps grow civilization Mesopotamia was located in between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It means between the rivers. It is modern day Iraq. It is also known as The Fertile Crescent. The most important geographic feature in Mesopotamia were the rivers. Fertile land and the nearby rivers helped crops grow well.

*NOTES* WHAT CHALLENGES DID PEOPLE FACE IN MESOPOTAMIA? 1. Unpredictable floods destroyed crops, homes & people 2. Some areas were marshy and unsuitable for farming 3. This land was vulnerable to attack and invasion

Could the floods be good? Yes, flooding left behind silt, a mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks. This helped to make the land more fertile.

Controlling the water People learned to control the water by using irrigation, a way of supplying water to an area of land. They used canals and built up the banks of the river to hold back the water.

Effects of irrigation Irrigation and better tools such as the plow led to a surplus of food.

A surplus of food was followed by a division of labor, when workers can specialize in one particular job. Think: Why would having extra food lead to a division of labor?

The Rise of Sumer The first group of people to build a permanent settlement in Mesopotamia were the Sumerians

Peaceful Sumer Sumer was an organized civilization that lasted for thousands of years. Their government was organized into city states. Gilgamesh was a legendary ruler and king from the city- state of Uruk. He is seen throughout Sumerian literature.

The Akkadians In time, another society developed along the Tigris and Euphrates. It was created by the Akkadians. They were not Sumerian and spoke a different language.

Sargon The Sumerians and Akkadians lived in peace for many years. But, in 2300BC, Sargon broke that peace. He was the first ruler to have a permanent army. He used that army to launch a series of wars. He defeated Sumer and many of his other neighbors. This created the world’s first empire.

Sargon’s Empire

Goodbye Sargon Eventually, the Sumerian city-state of Ur rebuilt its strength and conquered the rest of Mesopotamia. Political stability was restored. The Sumerians were once again the most powerful civilization in the region.

Religion Religion shaped society and was very important to the Sumerians. They practiced polytheism, the worship of many gods. The Sumerians believed everything in life depended on pleasing the gods.

Some Sumerian gods Enlil was lord of the air. Enki was god of wisdom. Inanna was goddess of love and war Utu was the sun god. Nanna was the moon god.

Sumerians worshiped their many gods at a special temple called a ziggurat. It was in the middle of town and was the center of Sumerian cities.

Religions have attempted to build their sanctuaries on prominent heights. Since no such natural heights were available in the flat flood plains of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), ancient priests and kings determined to build ziggurats, square or rectangular artificial stepped temple platforms. Functionally, temples were placed on raised platforms to give them prominence over other buildings in a city, and to allow more people to watch the services performed at the temple. Symbolically, however, the ziggurat represents the cosmic mountain on which the gods dwell. The priests ascent up the stairway to the temple at the top of the ziggurat represents the ascent to heaven. The great ziggurat at Khorsabad, for example, had seven different stages; each was painted a different color and represented the five known planets, the moon, and the sun. WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE REVEAL ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF PEOPLE IN MESOPOTAMIA?

ZIGGURATS

BABYLONIAN ZIGGURAT

Social Hierarchy The Sumerian society was divided by rank of class. Kings were at the top. They were thought to have been chosen by the gods to rule. Priests were just below kings. Below priests were craftspeople, merchants and traders. Below traders, farmers and laborers made up the large working class. Slaves were at the bottom of the social order.

Draw the social hierarchy of Sumer

Achievements The Sumerians made one of the greatest cultural achievements in history. They developed cuneiform, the world’s first writing system. They used sharp tools called styluses to make wedge- shaped symbols on clay tablets. Cuneiform was first developed as a way to keep business records.

Cuneiform

What were some other major achievements of the Sumerians?

Later people of the Fertile Crescent Around 1800BC, a new power rose in Mesopotamia. They were the Babylonians, led by their king, Hammurabi.

Hammurabi’s Code Hammurabi was a brilliant war leader, but he is most well known for his set of laws, Hammurabi’s Code. They were important because it was the first set of written laws, each crime had a specific punishment, and many of his ideas are still used in laws today.

Hammurabi’s Code Look at page 73 of your textbook for some examples of Hammurabi’s laws.

Phoenicia In another part of the Fertile Crescent was a land known as Phoenicia. They created a wealthy trading society along the Mediterranean Sea. They traded cedar, silver, ivory, purple dye, and slaves.

Phoenicia The Phoenician’s most important accomplishment was the development of an alphabet. It became wildly spread because of the Phoenician’s extensive trade routes.

*NOTES* THE MANY PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA: 1.Sumerians (ancient Sumer’s city-states) (3000 B.C B.C.) 2. Babylonians (Babylonian Empire) ( 1800 B.C B.C. 3.Assyrians (Assyrian Empire) (1200 B.C B.C.) 4. Persians (Persian Empire) (539 B.C B.C.)