1. Early River Valley Civilizations
WHI: SOL 3b Sumer
Early River Valley Civilizations

2. Timeline Identify on your timeline the following:
Sumer (3200 b.c b.c.)
Akkad (2300 b.c b.c.)
Babylon (1790 b.c b.c.)
New Babylon (626 b.c.-539 b.c.)
Hittite (1650 b.c b.c.)
Assyria (1350 b.c.-609 b.c.)
Israel (1000 b.c b.c)

3. ____________________________________________

4. On your maps, identify the following:
Map B
Red Sea
Mediterranean Sea
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Persian Gulf
Nile River
Tigris River
Euphrates River
Arabian Peninsula
Asia Minor
Map A
Egyptian Civilization
Mesopotamia
Indus River Civilization
Chinese Civilization

7. What type of area did ancient peoples often choose to settle in? Why?
These river valleys offered rich soil and irrigation water for agriculture, and they tended to be in locations easily protected from invasion by nomadic peoples.

8. Mesopotamia means, “The land between the rivers.”
Section 1
Mesopotamia means, “The land between the rivers.”
Mesopotamia is formed between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
The oldest civilization was found in this region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Iraq.
This area was part of the Fertile Crescent, a fertile arc of land from the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, through Mesopotamia, to the Persian Gulf (Arabian Sea)

9. Lifestyle and Agriculture
Rich soil and a lot of crops led to the development of civilization
Fertile Crescent

10. Regions Hittites Assyria Akkad Israel Sumer City States Sumer
First civilization, in
S. Mesopotamia
Akkad
To the north
Assyria
Further North
City States of Ancient Mesopotamia
Ur, Uruk, Babylon
City States
A city and its surrounding territory.
The cities were surrounded by great walls to offer protection.
Stone was scarce, so most building were made of mud bricks.
Hittites
Assyria
Akkad
Israel
Sumer
Babylon Ur

11. Sumer (Social)
Each city-state had a distinct hierarchy (system of ranking groups)
Kings, royals, officials, high priests
Lesser priests, artisans, scribes, merchants
Peasant farmers
Slaves

12. Sumer (Political)
Ruler(king) was responsible for maintaining city walls and irrigation systems
Hereditary Rule- when power passes from father to son (within one family)
Led armies in war
Enforced laws
Collected taxes
Kept records
Chief servant of the gods (theocracy-blend of government and religion)

13. Sumer (Religious) Polytheistic- belief in many gods
Belief in afterlife
Ziggurat- a large stepped temple dedicated to each city-states chief god or goddess
Priests performed ceremonies and processions

14. Sumer (Intellectual/Artistic)
Cuneiform-wedge writing
System of pictographs
Mathematics
Astronomy
Epic of Gilgamesh

15. Sumer (Technological)
Wheel
Irrigation
Bricks made of clay/mud
Bronze
Swords
Plow
Clothing made from flax (wool)
Boats

16. Sumer (Economic) Farming Trading Bronze tools
World’s first cities (Ur, Uruk, Babylon)