1. Objective
Examine the impact of location and geography on the people and culture of the Middle East

2. Early Civilizations of the Middle East
Big Ideas
Early Civilizations of the Middle East

3. First Civilizations Developments & Achievements
Fertile Crescent: Mesopotamia – Crash Course
Successful farming settlements had grown into powerful city-states:
large town that has its own gov’t and controls the surrounding country side
Sumer: 3500BC
Built Ziggurats
System of writing - cuneiform
Used a wheel
Sailing ships = trade
Developed plow and accurate calendar
Built dams to control floods
System of measurement
All Influenced later people - Rap

4. Gilgamesh is one of the oldest recorded stories in the world
Gilgamesh is one of the oldest recorded stories in the world. It's about an ancient King of Uruk who may have actually existed and whose name - Gilgamesh - is on the Sumerian King List
Sumer Website

5. Sumerian Irrigation Canal and Plow
An artist's rendition of one type of Sumerian sailboat. The rope indicates where the sails would have hung on the wooden mast. The body of the boat is made of bundled reeds covered with leather

6. Lack of natural barriers around the Fertile Crescent
King Hammurabi conquered much of the Fertile Crescent - Babylonians
Drew up a code of law – single system of justice - laws
Mastery of iron: iron weapons - Hittites
Phoenicians known as carriers of civilization = trade
Developed an alphabet that evolved into ours

7. Map showing the Babylonian territory upon Hammurabi's ascension in c
Map showing the Babylonian territory upon Hammurabi's ascension in c BC and upon his death in c BC
Royal portrait - Hammurabi - King of Babylon BC
Figures at top of stone "fingernail" above Hammurabi's code of laws.

9. Persian Empire’s Influence
Conquered the vast empire from Asia Minor to Indus Valley – Iran – Darius I – ruled at peak
Gov’t
Divided into provinces
Governor/Satrap was responsible for collecting taxes and for keeping order
Tolerance of other peoples
Trade/Communication
Improved & expanded the road system
Uniform system of coinage

10. Darius the Great (526 – 485 B. C. E.)
Established a tax-collecting system.
Divided the empire into districts called SATRAPIES.
Built the great Royal Road system.

11. Greece and Rome addition to the Middle East
Hellenistic civilization: 330’s BC
Blended Greek culture with cultures of ancient Middle East
Alexander the Great conquered Persian Empire
Pursued research in science mathematics, medicine and philosophy
Rome: by 115 AD ruled much of ME:
trade and diffusion flowed
split Byzantine Empire next 1,000 years from Constantinople – 330 AD

12. Alexander the Great
Macedonian (Greek) King that laid the final death blow to the Persian Empire and conquered it.

15. Constantine’s City--Constantinople

16. Even BIGGER Idea:
Over thousands of years, migrating people, traders, and conquerors have brought many ethnic groups and their ideas to the region.