1. Geography of Mesopotamia

2. Today’s Discussion Questions 3-1 (Part 1)
1. Where is Mesopotamia located?
2. What was the Fertile Crescent?
3. Why were the Tigris & Euphrates so important to Mesopotamia’s development?
4. When did farming settlements appear in Mesopotamia?
5. Why was the flooding both a blessing and curse?
6. How did farmers adapt to the flooding of the rivers?
7. When did cities develop in Mesopotamia?

3. The Fertile Crescent
Mesopotamia is located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
The valley between the Tigris and the Euphrates River was known as the land "between the rivers" in Greek
The Fertile Crescent is an arc of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf called the Fertile Crescent .

4. “Land Between the Rivers”
Importance of Rivers:
Provided water and food.
Provided an easy way to travel and trade.

5. The Rise of a Civilization
Hunters-gatherer groups first settled Mesopotamia more than 12,000 years ago.
They were initially nomadic.
Over time these people learned to plant crops and grow food.
This allowed them to settle down in permanent residences.

6. Farming & Cities
The 1st farming settlements formed in Mesopotamia around 7000 BC.
They grew wheat, barley, and other grain.
Livestock, birds, and fish were also sources of food.
Plentiful flood led to population growth and villages formed.
Eventually, the villages would grow into the world’s 1st civilization.

7. Farming & Cities
Although Mesopotamia had fertile soil, farming was not easy.
They received little rain.
Every year, the Tigris and Euphrates would flood.
This proved to be both a blessing and a curse.

8. “A Blessing & Curse”
Floods were frequent and unpredictable but it left behind a rich substance called silt.
Silt is mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks which made the soil more suitable for farming.
Farmers learned to control the rivers with channels and dams
They developed irrigation to water their crops

9. Food Surpluses
Irrigation increased the amount of food farmers were able to grow.
As a result, farmers could produce a surplus, or more than what was needed.
Fewer people needed to farm.
This allowed people to develop different jobs.
This became known as division of labor (job specialization)
Over time, Mesopotamian settlements grew in size and complexity.
They gradually developed into cities between BC.

11. End of Part I Assignment:
Complete Vocabulary Builder Section 1 Handout in class
Read Section 1 of chapter 3 (pgs ) independently.

12. 3-2 The Rise of Sumer 1. Where was the city-state of Sumer located?
2. Describe the economy of Sumer.
3. When was the wheel invented? How did it change transportation?
4. List and describe the Social Class System in Sumer.
5. Describe the early religion of Sumerians.
6. List the achievements made by the people of Sumer.

13. Sumer Located in the southern region of Mesopotamia
Many early cities formed there.

14. Economy in Sumer The economy was based on farming and trade
The people of Mesopotamia were known for their metalwork, woolen textiles, and pottery
Copper, tin, and timber were imported goods exchanged for dried fish, wool, wheat, and metal goods
Around 3000 B.C. the invention of the wheel was created making transportation of good easier and quicker

15. Sumerian City-States Had their own governments Often fought each other
Built walls around themselves for protection

16. Social Classes 3 Classes
Upper: kings, priests, and government officials
Middle: artisans, merchants, fishers, and farmers
Lower: Slaves
Majority of the population were farmers

17. Religion Polytheistic- a belief in many gods
Each city-state had a ziggurat, or grand temple, to honor gods
Gods and Goddesses had supernatural powers and controlled nature
Looked to religion for questions about life, death, good and evil
Believed in divine order

18. Buildings/Structures
The most famous and important building in the Sumerian city was the temple dedicated to the gods and goddesses of the city.
The temple was called a ziggurat and was built atop a massive stepped tower
Housing were built by sun-dried bricks A small portion of buildings were made by stone or wood

19. Achievements of a skilled people
Writing system called cuneiform
Number system based on 60
First wheeled vehicles
Irrigation systems
Sailboat
12 month calendar

21. End of Part II

22. 3-3/3-4 (Part I)
What form of written communication was used before the invention of cuneiform?
What is the most famous work of Sumerian literature?
What did their healing drugs consist of?
Why did Sumerian city-states become weak?
Who was Sargon?
Why did Sargon’s empire finally fall?
Who was Hammurabi?
What parts of life did Hammurabi’s Code cover?

23. 3-3 The Arts of Sumer
Sumerians are credited with inventing the first written language.
Before cuneiform, Sumerians used pictographs.
Pictographs are picture symbols.
Each pictograph represented an object, such as a tree or an animal.
Eventually they began to combine pictographs to form ideographs.

24. Cuneiform
In cuneiform, symbols can also represent syllables, or basic parts of words.
As a result, Sumerian writers could combine symbols to express more complex ideas.

25. Scribes Sumerians first used cuneiform to keep records.
A scribe, or writer, would be hired to keep track of the items people traded.
Government officials and temples hired scribes as well.
Becoming a scribe was a way to move up in society.

26. Early Literature
Sumerian students went to school to learn basic reading and writing.
As education improved, Sumerians eventually began writing works on history, law, grammar, and math.
They also created literature.
The most famous epic is “The Epic of Gilgamesh”.

27. Other Technical Advances
Wheel, Plow, & Irrigation
They also made significant advances in medicine.
They used ingredients from animals, plants, and minerals to produce healing drugs.
We call that herbal medicine today.
Items used in these medicines included: milk, turtle shells, figs, and salt.
They even cataloged their knowledge, listing treatments according to symptoms and body parts.

28. Architecture & Art
Sumerians were skilled in the art of building (architecture)
They were the first people in Mesopotamia to build large temples called ziggurats.
Sculptors produced many artistic works:
Rare ivory/golden objects
Gold & Silver Jewelry adorned with gems
Cylinder Seals were their most famous works of art.

29. Section 4: Invasion of the Fertile Crescent
Various peoples invaded the Fertile Crescent.
A series of kings conquered the lands between the rivers.
The city-states grew weaker due to constant fighting making them vulnerable to outside invaders.
Akkadians from Northern Mesopotamia become a constant threat

30. Sargon
King of Akkad
Conquered all of Mesopotamia by 2340BC building the 1st empire.
Begins his reign in 2334 BC.
His empire lasted for more than 200 years
Eventually foreign attacks drained the empire’s strength.
By 2000 BC, Ur lay in ruins giving rise to other powerful groups such as Babylon

31. Hammurabi King of Babylon from 1792 BC – 1750 BC
First king of the Babylonian Empire
Conquered cities in the north and south and created the Babylonian Empire
Best known for his law code, or collection of laws
Codes covered crimes, farming, family, business, and even marriage. (All parts of life!)

32. Invasion of Mesopotamia Continues
Hammurabi ruled for 42 years until his death causing Babylon’s power to decline.
Faced with constant invasion, the empire came to an end.

33. Hammurabi’s Code: Fair or Cruel?
If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole and be buried.
If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death.
If a son strike his father, his hands shall be cut off.
If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public

34. Hammurabi’s Code
If during a quarrel one man strike another and wound him, then he shall swear, "I did not injure him wittingly," and pay the physicians.
If a man strike a free-born woman so that she lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss and if the woman die, his child shall be put to death.

35. Homework: Changing the Code
Choose one of the laws taken from Hammurabi’s Code that you considered to be “unfair”.
Rewrite the law in a way that you feel is more acceptable or fair to the people of Babylon.

36. Hammurabi’s Code: Fair or Cruel?
If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he shall be put to death before that hole and be buried.
If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death.
If a son strike his father, his hands shall be cut off.
If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public
If during a quarrel one man strike another and wound him, then he shall swear, "I did not injure him wittingly," and pay the physicians.
If a man strike a free-born woman so that she lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss and if the woman die, his child shall be put to death.

37. 3-3/3-4 (Part II)
What two advantages did the Hittite soldiers have over their opponents?
Who was Nebuchadnezzar?
What were the main achievements of the Phoenicians?
List in order the peoples who ruled Mesopotamia.

38. Hittites
Several other civilizations developed around Mesopotamia after the Babylonians.
Armies battled for control of the fertile land passing control of the region from one empire to another.
The next group was the Hittites.
The Hittites built an empire in Asia Minor (Turkey)
Two military advantages were: Iron-weapons & Use of the chariot.

39. Assyrians From Northern Mesopotamia
Briefly gained control of Babylon but was soon overrun by invaders.
Nearly 300 years later, in 900 BC they recaptured nearly all of the Fertile Crescent
Key to success:
Strong army
Use of iron weapons

40. Chaldeans From the Syrian Desert
Attacked the Assyrians and destroyed their empire in 612 BC.
Nebuchadnezzar was the Chaldeans’ most famous king.
Known for rebuilding Babylon and the “Hanging Gardens”

41. Phoenicians
From the Western portion of the Fertile Crescent (Lebanon today)
Phoenicians had little resources other than cedar so they had to trade and import outside materials.
Because of their vast cedar, they were able to create some of the finest ships of that time.
They became excellent sailors.
As they sailed along the Mediterranean, they set up many new colonies along the trade routes.
Their greatest achievement was the development of one of the world’s first alphabets.
It is the basis of the English language today.

42. Rulers of Mesopotamia Fertile Crescent: Hittites Assyrians Chaldeans
Phoenicians

43. End of Chapter 3 Remainder of class do…
Work on the Study-Guide if you are not finished
Study for tomorrow’s Map Quiz