Chapter 2: Ancient Middle East & Egypt 3200 B.C.- 500 B.C.

Sumer, World's First Civilization

Section 1: City-States of Ancient Sumer Fertile Crescent curves from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea Mesopotamia It lies between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Sumer: World’s 1st civilization developed in southeastern Mesopotamia ~3300bc Regular catastrophic floods Need cooperation Few resources Used clay to build cities like Ur & Uruk Trade brought riches

In Sumerian society, women held a higher social standing In Sumerian society, women held a higher social standing. However, women were still not treated equally.

Viewed afterlife as grim underworld, no escape Sumerian Religion Polytheistic God’s & goddesses controlled every aspect of life Especially nature Highest duty was to keep Gods happy Ziggurat Large stepped platform topped by a temple dedicated to city’s main god or goddess Viewed afterlife as grim underworld, no escape

Sumerian Writing Cuneiform Earliest form of known writing Grew out of system of pictographs A stylus was used on a clay tablet. Myths, prayers, laws, contracts, and monetary exchanges

Cuneiform How was ancient Sumerian writing (the earliest known writing system) similar to English? How was it different? Would you have liked to have been a scribe in Sumerian times? Why or why not?

Beginning around 2500 B.C., armies of conquering peoples swept across Mesopotamia and overwhelmed the Sumerian city-states. By 1900 B.C., the Sumerian civilization had been replaced by other civilizations and empires

Sumer Legacy Akkadians, Babylonians, & Assyrians adapt cuneiform to use with their own languages Astronomy & mathematics Sumerian knowledge passed on to Greeks & Romans

The Epic of Gilgamesh ~2000 bc Sumerian king of Uruk Great flood First great work of literature Sumerian king of Uruk Great flood

First great work of literature ~ 2000 bc Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, sought eternal life and obtained the plant of youth. However, a snake ate it, which, according to the legend, is why people do not live forever.

Fertile Crescent today