1. Ch. 2-1 City-States of Ancient Sumer

2. Early civilizations arose in the Fertile Crescent Fertile Crescent: Region of the Middle East named for its rich soil and golden wheat fields Become an area for many people to collide.

3. Geography Influences Fertile Crescent Civilization Fertile Crescent curves from the Persian Gulf to the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea Greeks called it Mesopotamia “Between the rivers” Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers First civilization developed in Sumer around 3300 B.C. in Mesopotamia

4. Organizing for Floods and Irrigation Euphrates often flooded 1st recorded orally in The Epic of Gilgamesh Priests or royal officials organized people to build dikes to control the rivers Also built irrigation ditches

5. Sumerians Build Thriving Cities Had few natural resources Built with clay and water Ur and Uruk were built with these bricks Trade brought riches to the cities of Sumer Traded with Egypt and India

6. Sumerian Civilization Takes Shape After a few hundred years, 12 separate city-states were born Often went to war Military leaders protected the people

7. Complex Government Unfolds In the city-state, the ruler was in charge of the walls and irrigation Also led his armies to war Used scribes to collect taxes and keep records Leader was supposed to be close to the gods and keep them happy This could be real bad for the leader or real good

8. Sumerians Structure Their Society Each city-state had a distinct social hierarchy Ruling family, officials, and high priests Small middle class = scribes, artisans, and merchants Many farmers at the bottom with occasional slaves Women had more power in Sumer then they would later. Still had no legal power

9. Sumerians Practice Religion Believed in many gods Gods and goddesses lived like ordinary people Gods reason for violence and suffering Sumerians believed they had to keep the gods happy Built ziggurats, or large stepped platforms, topped by a temple dedicated to the city’s chief gods Believed in an afterlife

10. Sumerians Invent Writing 3200 B.C. Sumerians invented the earliest known writing Cuneiform---based on pictographs Used to keep records, exchange myths, prayers, laws, etc… Difficult to learn the writing and required intense schooling

11. Lasting Legacy of Sumer 2500 B.C. others came in By 1900 B.C. Sumerians were replaced by other civilizations Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians Most of their ideas lived on Created 60 minute hours, 360 degrees in a circle, basic algebra and geometry