1. The Fertile Crescent Chapter 2
Ms. Garner
6th Grade
World History

2. Section 1: Land Between Two Rivers
The first schools were established in Sumer over 4,000 years ago. These schools taught writing to boys and a few girls. Scribes were professional writers. They kept records for kings and priests.
Sumer was located in a region called Mesopotamia. Three things attracted people to this area:
a. Rich soil
b. Rivers
c. Central location.

3. Mesopotamia means land between two rivers----Tigris and Euphrates
Mesopotamia means land between two rivers----Tigris and Euphrates. Mesopotamia is part of a larger area called the Fertile Crescent. It is called this because of its crescent moon shape and its fertile soil. Mesopotamia starts at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea and moves southward and stops at the Persian Gulf
Rivers of Life and Death—Tigris and Euphrates
Benefits/ advantages
1. Water
2. Reeds
3. Clay
4. Fish
5. Fertile soil
6. Natural highway
7. Civilizations started there

4. Disadvantages/problems
1. Unpredictable
2. Deadly
3. Destructive
Cities existed in Sumer around 3,500 B.C. They had high thick walls for protection, temples, houses, and shops. These cities were separated by long distances and deserts. They formed independent cities called city-states. Each city had its own gods, government, and king. These cities had narrow streets, flat roofs, and clay pipes (plumbing) to carry away waste.

5. Religion
The ziggurat was located at the center of every Sumerian city. At the top of the ziggurat was a temple. They believed the gods descended to earth using the stairs as a ladder. The Sumerians believed in many gods (polytheism). A myth is a story that explains people’s beliefs. Sumerians believed if they were good, they would be rewarded. If they were bad, they would be punished.
The Sumerians loved their cities, the land, and the rivers. The land and the rivers were wealth to the Sumerians. Sumerian city-states fought each other over land and water. This made them weak and open to invaders. Sumer was conquered by Babylonia in 1759B.C.

6. The Fall of Sumer
The Sumerians loved their cities, the land, and the rivers. The land and the rivers were wealth to the Sumerians. Sumerian city-states fought each other over land and water. This made them weak and open to invaders. Sumer was conquered by Babylonia in 1759B.C.

7. Section 2- Babylonia and Assyria
The kingdoms of Urartu and Zikirtu rebelled against King Sargon II of Assyria. Sargon allowed the king of Urartu to escape to serve as a warning to others who might oppose him. The history of Mesopotamia is filled with conquest; one group seeing the wealth of the land and conquering the people for it. Then they became the target to be conquered.

8. Babylonia and Assyria were the two largest and most important Mesopotamian civilizations. Babylonia and Assyria had three things in common: both had vicious warriors, built grand cities, and valued culture and learning.
King Hammurabi united the cities of Sumer to form the Babylonian Empire. Babylon was located at a crossroad of trade between Sumer and Assyria. Caravans would stop in Babylon on their way through.

9. Empire-many territories and people controlled by one Caravan- a group of traders traveling together
Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Assyrians became great warriors because they had to constantly defend themselves from attack.
Contributions of Assyria:
a. Library (clay tablets-history of Mesopotamia)
b. War (geniuses at waging war—invented the battering ram).

10. Medes and Chaldeans
In 612BC, the Medes and Chaldeans joined forces to defeat Assyria. New Babylonia rose under the Chaldeans.
Nebuchadnezzar was Babylon’s greatest king: rebuilt Babylon, rebuilt walls of Babylon, built grand palace, and hanging gardens (for his wife). Babylon was conquered in 539BC.
Contributions of Chaldeans—New Babylon
a. Center for science and learning
b. Charted the path of stars
c. Measured the length of the year
d. Raised wild bees.

11. Section 3- The Legacy of Mesopotamia
A code is an organized list of laws. The Babylonians gave us the idea that all laws should be written down and applied fairly. The Babylonians were the first to write down their laws. The purpose of the law was to let people know what was expected of them and what punishment they would receive if they disobeyed the law.

12. Hammurabi
Hammurabi, the king of Babylon from and creator of the Babylonian empire, set down rules for everyone to live by. They were the first written laws known as Hammurabi’s Code. This code contained 282 laws with different categories.
1. Trade
2. Labor
3. Property
4. Family
It included laws for adopting children, practicing medicine, hiring wagons, boats, and controlling dangerous animals.

13. Eye for an Eye
The Code of Hammurabi was based on an eye for an eye (punishment similar to crime committed) but was not applied equally. Punishment depended upon how important the victim was. A person who accidentally broke the law was just as guilty as a criminal. Results were what mattered.
The code was important for the following reasons:
1. first time laws written
2. people knew the laws and punishment
3. the code would apply to everyone

14. Writing
Writing was developed in Mesopotamia around 3,100B.C. Scribes recorded sales and trade, tax payments, gifts to gods, marriages, and deaths. Scribes wrote on clay tablets.
Each spring the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers washed clay down the mountain. The scribes shaped the wet clay into tablets.

15. Cuneiform
This form of writing was groups of wedges and lines used to write several languages of the Fertile Crescent.
Cuneiform was the oldest form of writing that developed in Mesopotamia.
Babylonians also used math to solve everyday problems. They learned to calculate the area of geometric shapes.