Section 3.1 - The Civilization of Sumer Chapter 3, Fertile Crescent

Key Terms Fertile Crescent- a region in the Middle East that stretches in a crescent-shaped curve from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea Mesopotamia- a wide flat plain in present-day Iraq. (In the Fertile Crescent) Irrigate- to supply water to [crops] City-state- an independent state that includes a city and its surrounding territory Barter- a trading system in which people exchange goods directly without having to use money. Polytheism- the belief in more than one god. Ziggurat- pyramid-shaped brick temples Cuneiform- a system of writing that uses triangular-shaped symbols to stand for ideas or things.

Agriculture in Mesopotamia Geography Mesopotamia is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Each spring, the rivers flood the land and spread silt across the plain North Meso. includes mountains, where the rivers flow from South Meso. is hot, dry, little rainfall Tigris and Euphrates come together and form the Shatt-al-Arab Challenges: heavy floods could wash villages away, summers could be bad without rain

Agriculture in Mesopotamia Farming Sumerians used irrigation to water crops They dug canals from river to crops They developed a funnel that automatically dropped seeds as they plowed

City-States of Sumer Cities Emerge Around 3400 BC, cities began to form in S. Meso. Uruk, Ur, Lagash, Nippur Large , powerful cities became city-states Had their own gov’t, laws, and main god Trade Sumerians had to trade for wood and metal ores Bartering Used rivers and canals, pulling barges with rope Technology: wheels on carts, sails on boats Social Classes Upper: ruler, powerful priests, wealthy merchants, landowners Middle: farmers and skilled workers

Sumerian Religion Polytheistic Gods controlled every aspect of life: rain, wind, nature, luck, etc Believed the gods ate, drank, slept like people but lived forever Believed that if the gods were happy with prayers and offerings, their city would prosper Priests lived in ziggurats Priests were the only ones who could communicate with gods

Sumerian Writing Writing developed from the need to track stored goods Cuneiform Uses triangular shaped symbols By pressing wedge-shaped marks into wet clay tablets with a stylus Epic of Gilgamesh Around 2000 BC, this long poem appeared Adventures of the king of Uruk Mesopotamians were using writing for more than just recordkeeping!

Sumerian Government Development of Kingship At first, priests were the leaders of cities Priests would choose someone to lead them in battle These military leaders didn’t always step down, became kings Kings and Priests Kings needed the support of priests Priests declared the kings were chosen by gods Together, they created religious ceremonies Took over many responsibilities: Hired workers, acted as lawmakers and judges What does it mean to “step down”?

Sumerian Government Written Laws (Law code) Earliest known law code- by Ur-Nammu, King of Ur, around 2100 BC Included laws about marriage, slavery, harming one another, etc Achievements Irrigation Seed funnel Wheel Sail Bronze What does it mean to “step down”?