Chapter 4 Mesopotamia

The First Civilizations The first civilizations developed in the river valleys of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. The need for water greatly influenced where people settled.

The Land Between the Rivers Mesopotamia means “the land between the rivers” in Greek. The civilization began between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.

The Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia is located inside what is known as the Fertile Crescent, which includes parts of the modern countries of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Why do you think this area was called the fertile crescent?

Early Valley Dwellers Historians believe the first people to settle in Mesopotamia were hunters and herders. By 4000 B.C. some of these settlers moved to the plains of theTigris-Euphrates valley and built farming villages along the two rivers. Think Agricultural Revolution!!!

Taming the Rivers Farmers depended on water from rivers to water their crops. In the summer there was little rain and the rivers became very low. Because of this, farmers did not have enough water for their crops in the fall.

Taming the Rivers In the spring, rain and melting snow from the northern mountains caused these rivers to overflow. At times, violent floods swept away crops, and homes. BUT these floods could also be helpful. Floodwaters left behind silt, or small particles of soil, which were good for farming.

Irrigation is Developed People in Mesopotamia learned to build dams and dig canals to allow the water source into their fields. This method of watering crops is called irrigation.

Irrigation Leads to Surplus Irrigation allowed farmers to grow a surplus of food. What are the effects that a surplus of food would have had on one of these ancient communities?

Surplus brings change Surplus of food meant not all men were needed to work at farming, allowing them to pick up other trades and crafts. As artisans made more goods, people’s lives changed. People began to live together in areas that favored trade and several cities developed in Sumer, a region of Southern Mesopotamia.

Sumer People of Sumer were known as Sumerians (Cradle of Civilization). Sumerians built the first cities in Southwest Asia, which became centers of civilization and controlled the lower part of the Tigris and Euphrates River Valley.

City-States Mudflats and patches of scorching deserts surrounded Sumer’s cities. Because of this natural isolation from one another, these cities became independent, and formed their own governments.

City States In gaining political and economic control over the individual cities and the lands around them, city-states were formed. Often city-states went to war with one another over resources and political borders, but in times of peace, they traded with one another and formed alliances.

Gods, Priests, and Kings Sumerian people worshipped many Gods, a practice known as polytheism. They believed different gods guided various aspects of their lives, and honored the specific god they thought would help with that activity.

Ziggurats To honor their gods, Sumerians built large temples called ziggurats in their city-states.

Priests and Kings In the early days, the priests of the ziggurat ruled the city states. Later, Sumerian kings claimed they received the power to rule from the gods. The rule of the king was hereditary, meaning after he died, his son would take over.

Social Groups Sumerian people were divided into social classes from the time they were born. Top: Kings, priests, government officials Middle: Merchants, farmers, fishermen, artisans Low: Enslaved people

Roles of Men and Women Men: Head of the household Attended school Trained for specific jobs Women: Ran household Had few civil rights

Farmers and Traders Major crops were wheat, barley, and dates. Dams and waterways ran through the farmland to water crops. Sumerians traded for metal and timber. Trade routes linking Sumer to other places developed.

Writing Earliest known system of writing in the world was developed. This system was called cuneiform. Cuneiform was written on clay. Characters represented names, numbers, and objects. Scribes, or official record keepers, wrote documents recording important aspects of everyday life.

Technology Sumerians were the first people to use the wheel. Carts were pulled by donkeys. The chariot was used in warfare.

Technology For river travel, Sumerians invented the sailboat.

The wooden plow, potters wheel, and bronze (combining of copper and tin) were other technological advancements.

Astronomy and Mathematics 60 minute hour, 60 second minute, and 360 degree circle. 12 month calendar based on the cycles of the moon. The planting season was based on the positions of the stars.