1. Mesopotamia and The Sumerians

2. The Fertile Crescent
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers form a narrow strip of fertile land in the Middle-East
This region, called the Fertile Crescent, attracted settlers beginning around B.C.E. due to the good agricultural conditions
The Sumerians moved in around 3300 B.C.E.

3. The Fertile Crescent

4. Problems and Solutions
The fertile crescent had the following disadvantages:
Unpredictable flooding and frequent drought
Poor natural defenses
Limited natural resources
The Sumerians devised these solutions:
Irrigation ditches were created to provide a stable water source
Walls were constructed around cities using mud bricks
Trade networks were established to get resources that didn’t occur naturally in the Fertile Crescent

5. City States Emerge
These public projects required organization, which led to the emergence of local governments
Initially these governments were organized into City States, a single city with its own independent government and laws
The various city states of Mesopotamia were frequently at war with each other

7. Religion and Government
Most of the time the priests were in charge, ruling from a large temple called a Ziggurat
Mesopotamians believed in a large number of gods who controlled various aspects of their lives
Each city state had its own gods, and in order to please their gods they fought with other city states, built large temples, and made sacrifices
During times of war the priests would turn control of the military over to a strong warrior
Over time some of these military leaders began to lead the government even in times of peace

8. Ziggurat

9. Life in Sumerian Society
Society was divided into social classes
Kings, landholders, and Priests
Wealthy Merchants
Laborers
Slaves
Women generally had the same rights as men; they could work, own property, and be priests
Both men and women could learn to read and write, though most scribes were men

10. Science and Technology
The Sumerians made the following innovations
Invented the wheel, the sail, and the plow
Used bronze to create tools and weapons
Developed a base 60 mathematical system (which is why there are 60 seconds in a minute and 360 degrees in a circle)
Created arches, columns, ramps, and stairs for their ziggurats
Created a system of writing known as cuneiform (which means wedge-shaped)
Kept records about history, trade, science, astronomy, medicine, and chemistry

12. The Empire Strikes…
Between 3000 and 2000 BCE the Sumerian city states were constantly at war
This left them weak and easy to conquer
Around 2350 BCE Sargon of Akkad conquered all of the Sumerian city states and established the Akkadian Empire, which lasted about 200 years
Around 2000 BCE nomadic warriors called Amorites conquered the Sumerians and set up the Babylonian Empire

13. Hammurabi Hammurabi ruled the Babylonian Empire from 1792-1750 BCE
He established a code of laws that has influenced most law codes ever since
About 200 years after Hammurabi’s reign the Babylonian empire fell, and the Fertile Crescent began playing host to a number of new civilizations (Assyria, Phoenicia, Israel)
Sumerian culture influenced all of these groups, and still does in many ways