Ancient Sumer 3300 – 1900 B.C.

Fertile Crescent

Today…

Mesopotamia Land “between the rivers” Literally: Tigris & Euphrates Why was this a good place to settle? What did the Sumerians have to get really good at?

Sumerian Society Organized into city-states Social Hierarchy: Each city-state was responsible for its own security, irrigation system, laws, taxes, record keeping and building its own walls. Social Hierarchy: Ruling family, officials, high priests Scribes, merchants, artisans, lesser priests Peasant farmers (about 90% of the pop.) ???

Sumerian Religion Polytheistic Meaning…? Gods controlled every aspect of their life A Sumerian’s job was to keep these gods happy at all times Each city-state built a ziggurat Afterlife?

Cuneiform! Sumerians were the first to invent a system of writing Cuneiform used symbols (called pictographs) to represent things, concepts, ideas, etc. Scribes went through rigorous study to master the art of cuneiform. Bad handwriting & talking during class was punished by caning. Oh how times have changed…

Sumer’s Legacy Culture spread through trade to Asian Minor, Egypt and as far east as the Indus River Valley Cuneiform Astronomy First to identify constellations 60 minutes in one hour; 24 hours in one day Epic of Gilgamesh First story to be written down, passed on

After Sumer… 2300 B.C. Sargon, the ruler Akkad, came down from the north and conquered Sumer By 1790 B.C. Mesopotamia was unified under the rule of Hammurabi, the King of Babylon

Hammurabi’s Code King Hammurabi’s greatest accomplishment was writing down (codifying) the laws of the land WHY? “Eye for an eye” Fair?

Many empires follow… Hittites: Ironworking Assyrians: Warriors; Libraries Babylon (again): Nebuchadnezzar Re-built canals and temples Fortified the city with a moat and giant wall Built gateways meant to please the gods and allow people to pass through the defensive wall Ishtar Gate 

Persia 539 B.C. Babylon falls to Cyrus the Great’s Persian army Built the largest empire to date, encompassing a wide variety of cultures and beliefs How do you think Cyrus treated the diverse groups in his empire? Emperor Darius I creates a complex system of government; built roads to unite the far-reaches of his empire Darius transitioned Persian from a barter economy to a money economy Linked his empire economically

The Phoenicians Small state on the Mediterranean Sea What was their main industry? “Carriers of Civilization” Set up trading outposts, or colonies, around the Mediterranean Sea Phoenician alphabet How is this different than cuneiform?