1. Early River Valley Civilizations Mesopotamia

2. Why build a civilization by a river? People of Mesopotamia were called Sumerians

3. Location : Fertile Crescent  right between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (present day Middle East area  Iraq)

4. Religion Polytheistic  More than one God

5. Problems Faced: Few resources Uncontrollable Flooding or No rain Hard to defend (flat land)

6. How did they fix these problems? Irrigation systems Build Walls with mud bricks Trade with others for needed materials

7. Science and Technology Building of Ziggurat (pyramid type structures, no point) Used for worship Architecture- ramps, columns

8. Science and Tech: Building City-States City of Ur City of Sumer

9. Babylon: Famous King: Hammurabi Hammurabi’s code of law Hammurabi’s code of law

10. Science and Tech Cont. Arithmetic and Geometry # system based on 60 60 seconds in a min 60 seconds in a min 360 in a circle 360 in a circle****Cuneiform**** Writing systems to record history Writing systems to record history Wheel Wheel