Dating Events  BC= Before Christ  AD= Anno Domini (In the year of our Lord)  BCE= Before Common Era  CE= Common Era Why the change? We are presently 2014 AD or CE. Something that happened 1,000 BC happened how long ago?

Mesopotamia Ch. 3

You and your classmates are on a deserted island. Would you be a civilization?  1. Would you have a government? If yes, please describe. please describe.  2. What one item would each person bring and why?  3. What jobs would each person on the island do? How does this make an economy?  4. What would you be wearing and how would you get the needed materials?  5. What skills do you possess that would contribute to your group?  6. Would your group get along? Why or Why not?  7. How long do you think you would survive? Explain why.  8. What would I find on your island in two years? Explain why.

What is a civilization?  Writing System  Government  Religion  Towns  Permanent shelters  Food producers  Technology  Able to adapt to or change environment  Specialization of labor

The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived.  Agriculture (Farming)  Growth of Cities  Division of Labor (Specialization)  Trade  Writing and Mathematics

I. Rise of Sumer  Civilization began here in 3500BC Why?  Tigris and Euphrates Rivers  Life –First writing system-Cuneiform –Controlled their environment  Used irrigation  Levees  Used mud bricks for

Sumer continued –City states formed  City with surrounding farmland  Cities made of mud brick  Ziggurat (Temple)  Walls built around cities –Religion  Polytheistic  Had to please gods  Kings served as religious leaders

ZigguratZiggurat – Holy Mountain Ziggurat Click on the pictures for more information on ziggurats. Click on the pictures for more information on ziggurats.

Sumerian Religion Sumerians worshipped many gods, not just one. This belief in many gods is called polytheism. “Poly” means many and “Theism” means gods. The picture above shows a ziggurat. Ziggurats were the main temples used to worship the gods of a city. Ziggurats were built in the center of the city. They had steps and ramps, and it was believed that the gods descended to the Earth using the ziggurat as a ladder.

A Sumerian City Sumerian city streets were so narrow that you could hardly get a cart through them. Sumerian houses faced away from crowded streets. Instead, they faced onto courtyards where families ate and children played. Narrow Streets Courtyard Area

Ziggurat- Mountain of God

 What is an Empire?  Why would someone want to rule an Empire?  World Conquerors –Alexander the Great –Napoleon –Charlemagne –Julius Ceasar –Atilla the Hun

II. Mesopotamian Empires Advantages vs Disadvantages  People for army  More tax money  More natural resources  Trade opportunities  Job opportunities  Waste disposal  Defense  Helping needy  Protecting borders  Governing over the people fairly

Empires con’t  Hammurabi- –Babylonian Empire –Wanted people happy under his rule  Improved irrigation systems  Adopted Sumerian language and religion  Government housing program  God of Babylon became main God  Code of law established  Hammurabis Code Review Hammurabis Code Review Hammurabis Code Review

Ishtar Gate- Babylon’s main entrance

III. Contributions of the Ancient Mesopotamians  Writing System  Schools –Learn writing and math  Wheel- see next page  Sail  Plow  Calendar  Tools made of bronze(copper and tin)  Literature- story of Gilgamesh –Searching for immortality  24 hour day, 60 minutes, and 60 seconds  Game backgammon

2. Invention of the Wheel Up till now, it is still a mystery as to who invented the wheel and when the wheel was invented. According to archaeologists, it was probably invented in around 8,000 B.C. in Asia. The oldest wheel known however, was discovered in Mesopotamia and probably dates back to 3,500 B.C. This wheel was believed to have been made by the Sumerians. It was made of planks of wood joined together. The picture below briefly describes the stages of development of the wheel. Stage one: Early men placed rollers beneath heavy objects so that they could be moved easily. Stage two: Early men began to place runners under a heavy load, which they discovered would make it easier for the load to drag. This was the invention of the sledge. Stage three: Men began to combine the roller and the sledge. As the sledge moved forward over the first roller, a second roller was placed under the front end to carry the load when it moved off the first roller. A model of a sledge with such rollers is in the Smithsonian Institution. Stage four: Soon, men discovered that the rollers which carried the sledge became grooved with use. They soon discovered that these deep grooves actually allowed the sledge to advance a greater distance before the next roller was needed to come on! Thus, in Stage five: The rollers were changed into wheels. In the process of doing so, wood between the grooves of the roller were cut away to form an axle and wooden pegs were fastened to the runners on each side of the axle. When the wheels turn, the axle turned too in the space between the pegs. The first wooden cart was thus made. Stage six: A slight improvement was made to the cart. This time, instead of using pegs to join the wheels to the axle, holes for the axle were drilled through the frame of the cart. Axle and wheels were now made separately.