Ancient Mesopotamia

River Valley CivilizationsThe discovery of farming during the Neolithic

Revolution allowed nomadic people to settle into civilizations

The world’s first civilizations all began in river valleys

The first civilization began in an area known

as Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia means “land between the rivers” & is

often called the “Fertile Crescent” or as the “Cradle of Civilization”

The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded once per year, leaving

behind fertile soil ideal for farming

The first civilization developed in the Fertile Crescent: Sumer

But, surrounding deserts & the lack of natural barriers attracted outsiders to Mesopotamia

made the Sumerians vulnerable to attack

Geography of Mesopotamia

►“Land between rivers”

▪ Tigris and Euphrates

►Fertile land allowed villages to grow

►Several disadvantages

▪ Unpredictable flooding

▪ No natural protection

▪ Natural resources were limited

Solution to Problems

►People of Sumer addressed these problems through organization

▪ Irrigation ditches to carry water

▪ Built mud walls for defense

▪ Trade

Sumerians

►Arrived on the scene (Mesopotamia) around 3300 BCE

►Built city-states

►Governments were controlled by priests

►Development of dynasties

▪ Series of rulers from a single family

Sumerian Culture

►Believed in more than one god

►Emergence of social classes

Advanced in Science and Technology

►Arithmetic and geometry

►Architectural achievements

▪ Arches, columns, ziggurats

►Cuneiform

▪ System of writing

▪ Epic of Gilgamesh

Babylonian Empire

►Amorites invaded Mesopotamia around 2000 BCE

►Established their capital at Babylon

►Empire reached peak under King Hammurabi

▪ Wrote a code of laws

▪ Significant because it unifying his empire

Hammurabi's code

►Dealt with family relations, business conduct, and crime

► Set different punishments for rich and poor and for men and women

Babylonian Empire

► Language – Cuneiform

►Religion – Polytheistic

► Similar social structure as the Sumerians

► Economy was based on farming and trade

► Empire eventually became smaller after Hammurabi

► Fell to Kassites

►Over years, new groups dominated the Fertile Crescent…

Hittite Empire

►By about 2000 BCE Hittites occupied Anatolia

►Controlled most of Southwest Asia for 450 years

▪ Borrowed ideas from Mesopotamians

Hittite Empire

► Language – Cuneiform►Government – Monarchy►Accomplishments:

▪ Excelled in technology of war►Superior chariots►Iron weapons

▪ First to work with iron

►Relied on farming► Tribes from Persia attacked and the empire fell

quickly

Assyrians

►Came from the

northern part

of Mesopotamia

►Began around

850 BCE

Assyrians

► Language – Cuneiform

►Government – Monarchy

►Religion – Polytheistic

Assyrians

►Accomplishments included:

▪ Constructing ancient world’s largest library(Nineveh)

▪ Known for their strong and powerful military

►Army, cavalry, and navy

►Eventually, overrun by Chaldeans

Chaldeans►Around 612 BCE overthrow Assyrian Empire

Chaldeans

► Language – Cuneiform

►Government – Monarchy▪ King Nebuchadnezzar

►Religion – Polytheistic

►Accomplishments:▪ Hanging gardens

▪ Arch

▪ Astrology

►Empire fell to Persia

Persian Empire

►Persian Empire began to rise around 1000 BCE

Persian Empire

► Language – Persian

►Government – Monarchy

▪ King Cyrus known for his tolerant diplomacy

►Religion – Polytheistic

▪ Prophet – Zoroaster

►Accomplishments:

▪ Road system (Royal Road)

▪ Coins

►Conquered by Alexander the Great

Phoenicians

►On the scene

about 1100 BCE

► Formed wealthy

city-states around

the Mediterranean

► TRADE essential

to Phoenician

way of life

Phoenicians

► Language – Alphabetic symbols▪ Developed to speed transaction quickly▪ Used symbols to represent sounds

►Government – City-states►Religion – Polytheistic

▪ Human sacrifice

►Accomplishments:▪ 22 symbols within alphabet▪ Purple dye▪ Glass beads

►Overran by Assyrians

Hebrews

►Date back to 2000 BCE

►Abraham father of the Jewish people

▪ Moved from Mesopotamia to Canaan

►Hebrews were monotheists

Hebrews

► Language – Hebrew

►Government – Monarchy▪ King Saul

▪ King David

▪ King Solomon

►Accomplishments:▪ Monotheism

▪ Ten Commandments-Torah

►Overran by Assyrians▪ Left region

Write one paragraph answering this question

Which ancient Mesopotamian civilization do you think was the most successful and explain why.

Give examples