Key Concepts Political: Who controls what? What type of government is there? Anything to do with laws or war. Economic: What type of economy? How do people make a living? Geography: Where is it? Is the land mountainous? Desert? Oceanic? Social: Religious, intellectual, artistic

Key Concepts for Ancient Mesopotamia Oldest known civilization Cradle of Human Civilization Ur: Capital City (right top) Old Testament Nebuchadnezzar Ziggurat (right bottom) Hanging gardens

Key Concepts for Ancient Mesopotamia II This civilization rose in the valleys between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Some say this Fertile Crescent was the real Garden of Eden.

Babylon The ancient city of Babylon, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, must have been a wonder to the traveler's eyes. "In addition to its size," wrote Herodotus, a historian in 450 BC, "Babylon surpasses in splendor any city in the known world." Herodotus claimed the outer walls were 56 miles in length, 80 feet thick and 320 feet high. Wide enough, he said, to allow a four-horse chariot to turn. The inner walls were "not so thick as the first, but hardly less strong." Inside the walls were fortresses and temples containing immense statues of solid gold. Rising above the city was the famous Tower of Babel, a temple to the god Marduk, that seemed to reach to the heavensTower of Babel

Babylon II—The Tower of Babel

Written Language This is cuneiform. Babylonians wrote using this “wedge-shaped” writing this “wedge-shaped” writing on clay tablets. on clay tablets. The Sumerians invented writing. writing.

Trade Sumerians (Mesopotamians) were known to trade with the Egyptians and the Indus Valley civilizations. In later years, these trade routes became Silk Road.

Technology The wheel was invented by 6000 BC It helped military, farming and trade. Below, this is made of wood.

Law Code of Hammurabi “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”

5000 BC: First evidence of human culture in Mesopotamia This is the very beginning of the soon to be great civilization of Mesopotamia.

4400 BC: Halaf Period During this period pottery culture began to increase and knowledge of metal began 3900 BC: Ubaid Period The Ubaids were the first well know culture from southern Mesopotamia. They were the first to give evidence of temple and other advanced achitectures.

3600 BC: Warka Period The Warka were the first civilization after the Ubaids in southern Mesopotamia. This period also marks the beginning of the protoliterate period of ancient Mesopotamia BC: Pre-dynastic Sumerians This was the first movement of Sumerians in to Mesopotamia

2750 BC: First Sumerian Dynasty of Ur This was the beginning of the dynasty of Ur. The kings of Ur were the first kings of Sumerian society. The Sumerians

BC: Akkadians rule Mesopotamia The Akkadians led by Sargon the 1 st were the first to unify Mesopotamia and spread its culture through out the fertile crescent. Sargon the 1 st established his capital in Akkad. Sargon the 1 st

BC: Old Babylonian Period The Babylonians were the second group of Semitic people to unite Mesopotamia. Because of their central location they dominated all trade routs and eventually Mesopotamia. They were led by King Hammurabi.

BC: King Hammurabi’s rule King Hammurabi was the first known author of a code of laws. His laws were inscribed on a pillar for all to see.

BC: The Assyrian Period This is when the feared army of Assyria came and dominated Mesopotamia. Led by Assurnasirpal the 2 nd they established the first true empire the world had ever seen.

: Reign of Sennacherib When this Assyrian conqueror did his conquest of Judah it resulted in the first deportation of Hebrews BC: Neo-Babylonian Period The Babylonians once again regained control over Mesopotamia.

BC: Reign of Nebuchadnezzar This man also had a conquest of Judah. This led to the deportation of more Hebrews. This marked the beginning of the Hebrew Exile. 539 BC: Fall of Babylon The Fall of Babylon marked the beginning of Persian dominance in Mesopotamia.

BC: Reign of Darius the 1 st During king Darius’ reign the Persian empire reached its fullest extent. It reached from Macedon to Egypt, and Palestine to India BC: Greek Rebellion against Persia Greece began to Rebel against the ruling Persians. This was the beginning of Greece’s fight against Persia.

BC: Invasion of Greece by Xerxes Greece was then invaded by Xerxes, ruler of the Persian Empire at that time, after Greece’s rebellion. 479 BC: Defeat of Persia’s army by the Greeks This event marked the downfall and eventually annihilation of the Persian Empire.

BC: Conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great This conquest led to the destruction of the Persian Empire and the liberation of many other cultures including Egypt.