What is a Civilization? A look at the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia

6 Elements of a Civilization Cities Government Religion Art Class Division Writing

Farming Revolution Farming Revolution started about 10,000 years ago Domestication-tame plants and animals for human use Villages grew as nomadic life changed for farming Specialization-development of different types of job, not everyone needed for food collection

Mesopotamia-Cradle of Civilization “Land between 2 rivers” – Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – Floods once a year leaving behind rich soil good for farming – Travel, trade, – Irrigation

The Fertile Crescent

Rise of the First Civilization Between BC in Mesopotamia (Iraq today) Complex societies arose which had cities, government, art, religion, class division, and writing

Cities of Mesopotamia Sumer – City-state with own independent government and defenses (like a country) – BC

Government Organized to provide for basic needs of people – Food, buildings, laws, army Hammurabi – Ruler of Babylon in Mesopotamia – Created a code of laws which was a first step toward a fair system of justice

Religion Polytheistic-many gods – Had powers over natural forces and human activities Ziggurat – Temple – “mountain of god”

Art Developed after basic needs are met

Class Division Your place in society based on your job or power. king priest, govt. officials artisans, merchants, farmers, fishers slaves

Writing keep track of records, ideas -Sumer=cuneiform -oldest story, Epic of Gilgamesh

Do we live in a civilization today? How do you know that?