1. Mesopotamia

3. Many historians believe that the earliest civilizations began in a region known as Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia was an ancient region in the eastern Mediterranean between the Zagros Mountains and the Arabian Plateau
Mostly modern day Iraq
Parts of Iran, Syria and Turkey

5. Mesopotamia was a collection of many separate civilizations and small city-states
Mesopotamia is a region, not a united empire such as Egypt, Greece and Rome
Ancient Cities
Map of Mesopotamia
Ancient Cities

6. Mesopotamia is located mostly in which modern day country?
Was Mesopotamia a collection of several small city-states or a united empire?

7. The Fertile Crescent
Mesopotamia is often referred to as the Fertile Crescent, because of the valuable farmland surrounded by desert
The valuable farmland allowed ancient hunter-gatherers to settle in Mesopotamia and eventually develop cities

8. The Fertile Crescent provided some of the best farmland of the ancient world

9. Impact of the Tigris and Euphrates
Mesopotamia means “between two rivers” in Greek
Tigris and Euphrates River
When the Tigris and Euphrates would flood, the floods would leave behind silt for farming

10. The floods of the Tigris and Euphrates were also destructive and unpredictable
Devastating floods would regularly wash away top soil and destroy villages
Villages had to work together to channel water to the fields and store water for the dry season

11. Why is Mesopotamia often referred to as the Fertile Crescent?
What allowed ancient hunter-gatherers to settle in Mesopotamia and eventually develop cities?
What does Mesopotamia mean?
What was one positive of the floods of the Tigris and Euphrates?
What were two dangers of the Tigris and Euphrates?

12. Use a textbook or iPad to quietly complete the following… If using an iPad, log into Quia.com/web and go to the Mesopotamia Class Page /or/ go to Username: firstnamelastname402 Password: student Open the link at the top of page named Mesopotamia Text and complete the map on the front page of your notes When you are done with the map, use the text to complete the last two pages of your notes using the text After you finish the reading guide (last two pages of your notes), play academic games from the Mesopotamia class page or go to Quizlet (link at the bottom of the page)

14. The Cradle of Civilization
Mesopotamia is also referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization”
Many important developments occurred in Mesopotamia

15. 12 month calendar
agriculture
astronomy
chariots
common tools
domestication of animals
hours, minutes, seconds
irrigation
leather tires
math
rise of the city
sophisticated weaponry and warfare
the arch
the plow
the sail and sailboats
trade
wheel
wheeled vehicles
wind power
writing

16. Why is Mesopotamia often referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization”?
What were at least 6 important developments that occurred in Mesopotamia?

17. Writing
An early form of writing, called cuneiform, developed in Sumer, a civilization in Mesopotamia
Cuneiform is the earliest known writing system
Cuneiform carved wedge-shaped characters onto clay tablets using a stylus

18. What is cuneiform?

20. Literature
The Epic of Gilgamesh was the oldest written story in the world.
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh, a powerful Sumerian king.

21. The Epic of Gilgamesh was the oldest written story in the world.
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh, a powerful Sumerian king.
adventures
encounters with gods, spirits and demons
search for immortality

22. Epic of Gilgamesh and the Cedar Forest

27. Math
Math developed in Mesopotamia for many reasons, largely related to farming and trading
creating a lunar calendar
measuring plots of lands
tokens for trading
taxation

28. Sumerians and Babylonians used number system based on 60

29. Babylonian numbers used a true place-value system, where numbers in the left column represented larger values
Tablets were found showing students practicing arithmetic and geometry in ancient Babylon

30. Evidence of Mesopotamian’s influence on math today
360 degrees in a circle
180 degrees in a triangle
60 minutes in a hour
60 seconds in a minute
12 months in a year
dice

34. Economy
Most people in Mesopotamia grew crops and raised livestock

35. In addition to farming, Mesopotamia relied heavily on trade
Mesopotamians traded fish, wool and wheat for materials not available in Mesopotamia, including lumber

36. Other common jobs in Mesopotamia included scribes, healers, artisans, weavers, potters, shoemakers, fishermen, and teachers
The most powerful people in Mesopotamia were the kings and priests 

37. Religion
Mesopotamians were polytheistic, meaning they worshipped many gods
Citizens were expected to honor the gods through the jobs they performed every day

38. Mesopotamians also prayed, offered sacrifices and built temples to please the gods

39. A ziggurat is pyramid-shaped temple that soared towards the heavens, common in Sumerian civilizations
At the top of the ziggurat stood shrines to the chief god or goddess of the city

40. Cities and Government
Mesopotamia also gave birth to the world’s first cities
Most cities developed their own governments, becoming city-states

41. Kings were the leaders of the government
A king was responsible for protecting the people, overseeing farming and making laws

42. Hammurabi the Lawgiver
Around 1790 B.C., Hammurabi took steps to unite the Babylon empire by publishing the Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi was the first important attempt by a ruler to write down the laws of the kingdom

43. Goals of Hammurabi’s Code:
Protect the weak
Eliminate evil doers

45. The Code of Hammurabi called for strict justice, an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth and a life for a life

46. “If a son strike his father, his hands shall be cut off.”
“If he break another man’s bone, his bone shall be broken...”

47. Mesopotamian cities
Mesopotamian cities were well planned
At the center of the city was the temple

49. Since water was the most important resource, most cities were built along a river
Irrigation ditches, canals and aqueducts were used to move water throughout the city

50. Since Mesopotamia lacked stone and lumber, sun-dried clay bricks as well as reeds were commonly used for construction 

51. Walls were built around the city to protect the people from attack
Ishtar Gate

52. Mesopotamians made many advancements in architecture
Mesopotamians also created the world’s first columns, arches, and roofed structures

53. Hanging Gardens
Tower of Babel