1. Section 3.1 - The Civilization of Sumer
Chapter 3, Fertile Crescent

2. Key Terms
Fertile Crescent- a region in the Middle East that stretches in a crescent-shaped curve from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea
Mesopotamia- a wide flat plain in present-day Iraq. (In the Fertile Crescent)
Irrigate- to supply water to [crops]
City-state- an independent state that includes a city and its surrounding territory
Barter- a trading system in which people exchange goods directly without having to use money.
Polytheism- the belief in more than one god.
Ziggurat- pyramid-shaped brick temples
Cuneiform- a system of writing that uses triangular-shaped symbols to stand for ideas or things.

3. Agriculture in Mesopotamia
Geography
Mesopotamia is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Each spring, the rivers flood the land and spread silt across the plain
North Meso. includes mountains, where the rivers flow from
South Meso. is hot, dry, little rainfall
Tigris and Euphrates come together and form the Shatt-al-Arab
Challenges: heavy floods could wash villages away, summers could be bad without rain

4. Agriculture in Mesopotamia
Farming
Sumerians used irrigation to water crops
They dug canals from river to crops
They developed a funnel that automatically dropped seeds as they plowed

5. City-States of Sumer Cities Emerge
Around 3400 BC, cities began to form in S. Meso.
Uruk, Ur, Lagash, Nippur
Large , powerful cities became city-states
Had their own gov’t, laws, and main god
Trade
Sumerians had to trade for wood and metal ores
Bartering
Used rivers and canals, pulling barges with rope
Technology: wheels on carts, sails on boats
Social Classes
Upper: ruler, powerful priests, wealthy merchants, landowners
Middle: farmers and skilled workers

6. Sumerian Religion Polytheistic
Gods controlled every aspect of life: rain, wind, nature, luck, etc
Believed the gods ate, drank, slept like people but lived forever
Believed that if the gods were happy with prayers and offerings, their city would prosper
Priests lived in ziggurats
Priests were the only ones who could communicate with gods

7. Sumerian Writing Writing developed from the need to track stored goods
Cuneiform
Uses triangular shaped symbols
By pressing wedge-shaped marks into wet clay tablets with a stylus
Epic of Gilgamesh
Around 2000 BC, this long poem appeared
Adventures of the king of Uruk
Mesopotamians were using writing for more than just recordkeeping!

8. Sumerian Government Development of Kingship
At first, priests were the leaders of cities
Priests would choose someone to lead them in battle
These military leaders didn’t always step down, became kings
Kings and Priests
Kings needed the support of priests
Priests declared the kings were chosen by gods
Together, they created religious ceremonies
Took over many responsibilities:
Hired workers, acted as lawmakers and judges
What does it mean to “step down”?

9. Sumerian Government Written Laws (Law code)
Earliest known law code- by Ur-Nammu, King of Ur, around BC
Included laws about marriage, slavery, harming one another, etc
Achievements
Irrigation
Seed funnel
Wheel
Sail
Bronze
What does it mean to “step down”?