1. MESOPOTAMIA
Civilization Begins

2. What is on the test? The Red Notes
A surplus of food from the rise of agriculture encouraged the rise of civilizations in Mesopotamia
The influence of the environment on Mesopotamian society and religion

4. Great City-States Sumer, Uruk, Babylon, Nineveh
The rise of Sumer was a mystery
By 3000 BC, City-States fought against each other supremacy of the region

5. Environment’s Impact
Mesopotamia - land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers encouraged cultural achievements and wealth building in the city states
Sumer Achievements – Cuneiform, wheel, plow, taxation, agriculture/wheat, domestication of animals

6. Environment’s Impact
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers were dangerous Mesopotamians never knew when or how much flooding would occur
Mesopotamians developed religious beliefs based upon their observations of the T & E Rivers. Mesopotamians viewed the gods as human-like, vengeful, and unpredictable, like the rivers, helping to explain the difficult and unpredictable nature of life

7. Mesopotamian Religion
Polytheism or Polytheistic (Multiple Gods)
Gods were human-like, vengeful, and unpredictable, helping to explain the difficult and unpredictable nature of life
City-state governments

8. Economy and Society Farming Wheat and Trade across Mediterranean
Social Classes: Nobles, commoners, peasants, and slaves – Social Hierarchy
Most were peasants

9. Ziggurats
Ziggurats were the biggest architectural structures – Temples to the gods - in Mesopotamian city-states
Ziggurats were the government buildings – city halls – and residences of the political leaders

10. The Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi: 282 laws governing the Mesopotamian City-State of Akkad
Greatest achievement of the Babylonian King – Hammurabi – first law code discovered in world history.