 Sumer was made of independent, city-states. They often fought with each other over things like land rights and water use. This lack of unity left them open to attacked by other people.

 The Akkadians came from northern Mesopotamia to conquer Sumer. They were led by a king named Sargon.

 Even though the Akkadians ruled, culture in Sumer continued. The Akkadians used the irrigation system to farm, cuneiform for recording laws and worshiped the same Gods and Godesses.

 Later kings found it hard to rule because it was such a large empire. It became weaker and weaker and finally fell to invaders 200 years after Sargon died.

 Hammurabi was the king of Babylon, a small city-state in the center of Mesopotamia. He soon conquered all of Mesopotamia and made Babylon the capital. His empire would become known as the Babylonian Empire.

 Hammurabi was best known for his code of laws. He used them to keep law and order in his empire.  His code of laws was very detailed. It covered every situation.  First found written laws on a stone pillar.

 If you could change the rules at your house would you? Would you change them all, just some, or none of them?  Take a piece of lined paper and fold it in half.  On the left write down the rules of the house right now.  On the right write whether you would keep that rule or not.  On the back write down any rules you would not keep and why. Then write any new rules you would put in their place.  Use complete sentences when writing on the back.

These laws seem harsh to people in modern times, but they were a great achievement because they applied to everyone equally. Lets judge which laws were fair and unfair. “Hammurabi Court activity”

 Life in Babylonia thrived under king Hammnurabi. He had many great achievements.  He created a postal system and built roads.  Farming was great! He kept the irrigation system working.  Babylonia was on the Euphrates River and it became known for trade.

 Babylonian society was a fair and just society. The same laws applied to everyone.  Even slaves had some rights. They could own property. They could work different places and keep the money they made, and if they made enough money they could buy their freedom.  Woman had many right as well. They could own property and keep money of their own.

 Hammurabi’s rule only lasted a few hundred years. The Assyrains were the next group of people to create and rule the empire.

 The Assyrians had a powerful military and everyone feared their military might. They were a cruel ruling people.  They made people they conquered leave their land.  Sometimes they cut off the heads of the rulers they conquered.  Their greatest achievements included military weapons and war strategies.  They perfected the use of horses in battle and used iron weapons.  They became experts at siege warfare, where they would attack a city over and over and over until they surrendered.

They built moveable towers and rolled them up to the city’s walls and climbed over.

At its most powerful it stretched from Egypt all the way to the Persian Gulf. However its size was ultimately it’s downfall. It became too large to control, the army was stretched thin, and eventually it fell to the Babylonians.

 The Babylonians again gained control of Mesopotamia 2 nd time. They established their empire once again under the name Neo-Babylonia. Neo means new.

 He decorated this palace with beautiful hanging gardens. They became known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This became one of the wonders of the ancient world.

 Neo-Babylonians were skilled at mathematics and astronomy.  They created the first sundial so they could tell time using the sun.

 There were four great empires that once ruled Mesopotamia. Each empire had its own ruler, its own achievements and its own challenges that eventually led to its failure.  The Akkadians  Hammurabi and the Babylonians  The Assyrians  The Neo-Babylonians

 Mesopotamia thrived during the early years. Early man and early civilizations flourished.  Outside Mesopotamia, other cultures were developed at the same time as Mesopotamia.  The Ancient Egyptians and the Hebrews were all thriving in their own ways.

 Pretend you are a world famous historian. You have been asked to write and present a report on the empires in Ancient Mesopotamia. You have been asked to answer the question:  Which Mesopotamian Empire made the greatest accomplishment?

 Each paragraph should follow the outline below:  Paragraph one: Introduction on which empire you picked.  Paragraph two: give at least two examples that are specific and detailed that support your opinion.  Paragraph three: Explain why one of the other empires is not as great and give reasons why.