ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ““THE LAND BETWEEN TWO THE LAND BETWEEN TWO

RIVERS”RIVERS”

Goal 2 The learner will assess the relationship between physical environment and cultural characteristics of selected societies and regions of Asia.

ANCIENTANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA-MESOPOTAMIA-GEOGRAPHYGEOGRAPHY

LOCATED BETWEEN THE TIGRIS LOCATED BETWEEN THE TIGRIS andand EUPHRATES RIVERS EUPHRATES RIVERS

BOTH RIVERS FLOW INTO THE BOTH RIVERS FLOW INTO THE PERSIAN GULFPERSIAN GULF

LOCATED IN PRESENT DAY IRAQLOCATED IN PRESENT DAY IRAQ

Fertile CrescentFertile Crescent

MesopotamiaMesopotamia

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- GEOGRAPHYGEOGRAPHY

POSITIVE POSITIVE

abundant amount abundant amount of clayof clay

easy till-able soileasy till-able soil

water supply from water supply from Tigris and the Tigris and the Euphrates RiversEuphrates Rivers

NEGATIVENEGATIVE

few natural few natural resourcesresources

minimal protection minimal protection from deserts and from deserts and mountainsmountains

Mesopotamian Civilization

Sumeria

Akkadians Babylonians

Lydians

Hittites

Chaldeans

Persians

Phoenicians Assyrians

City-StatesCity-States

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- DEFINITIONSDEFINITIONS

CITY STATES- self-governing unit CITY STATES- self-governing unit made up of a city and its surrounding made up of a city and its surrounding villages and farmland.villages and farmland.

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CIVILIZATIONSUMERIAN CIVILIZATION

HELPED DEVELOP THE FIRST HELPED DEVELOP THE FIRST ORGANIZED RELIGIONORGANIZED RELIGION

CREATED THE EARLIEST FORMS OF CREATED THE EARLIEST FORMS OF WRITINGWRITING

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CITY-STATESSUMERIAN CITY-STATES

ALWAYS IN CONFLICT ALWAYS IN CONFLICT OVER WATER AND LANDOVER WATER AND LANDCREATED WALLS FOR CREATED WALLS FOR PROTECTION, WITH A PROTECTION, WITH A MOAT ON THE OUTSIDEMOAT ON THE OUTSIDEFARMS WERE LOCATED FARMS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITYTHE CITY

Sumerians invented:Sumerians invented:TO NAME A FEW:TO NAME A FEW:

WheelWheel

archarch

RampRamp

swordsswords

ReligionReligion

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN RELIGIONSUMERIAN RELIGION

Ziggurats: pyramid Ziggurats: pyramid structure that was a structure that was a “center for learning and “center for learning and religion”religion”– Each city-state had their Each city-state had their

own gods and goddessesown gods and goddesses

Believed in life after Believed in life after deathdeath

Ziggurat – Holy MountainZiggurat – Holy Mountain

ZigguratZiggurat

ReligionReligion

Monotheism: Monotheism: worshiping one god.worshiping one god.– ““Mono” – means oneMono” – means one

Polytheism: worshiping Polytheism: worshiping many gods.many gods.– ““Poly” – means manyPoly” – means many

Writing:Writing:CuneiformCuneiform

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN WRITINGSUMERIAN WRITING

Written on clay Written on clay tabletstablets

created by pressing a created by pressing a pointed tool into a pointed tool into a clay tabletclay tablet

CuneiformCuneiform

EconomyEconomy

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMYSUMERIAN ECONOMY

Make, sell or Make, sell or barterbarter (trade) goods (trade) goods

Trade helped expand citiesTrade helped expand cities

Development of money over timeDevelopment of money over time

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN ECONOMYSUMERIAN ECONOMY

RICHRICH

government government officialsofficials

religious leadersreligious leaders

traderstraders

POORPOOR

FarmersFarmers

Craftsman (middle Craftsman (middle class)class)

The invention of Agriculture The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived.changed the way people lived.

Agriculture (Farming)Agriculture (Farming)

Growth of CitiesGrowth of Cities

Division of Labor Division of Labor (Specialization)(Specialization)

TradeTrade

Writing and MathematicsWriting and Mathematics

BabyloniansBabylonians

King HammurabiKing Hammurabi

Hammurabi’s CodeHammurabi’s Code– Earliest code of lawEarliest code of law– Based on equal Based on equal

retaliation.retaliation.

Hammurabi’s CodeHammurabi’s Code282 total laws282 total lawsHarsh punishmentsHarsh punishmentsBased on equal consequenceBased on equal consequence– If you kill, you will be put to deathIf you kill, you will be put to death– “ “ If a man bring an accusation against a man If a man bring an accusation against a man

and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death”prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death”

– ““If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off”freed man, his ear shall be cut off”

Laws were varied for the wealthy and Laws were varied for the wealthy and powerful.powerful.

What do you think?What do you think?

– ““If a man bring an accusation against a man If a man bring an accusation against a man and charge him with a capital crime, but and charge him with a capital crime, but cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to cannot prove it, the accuser, shall be put to death”death”

– ““If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a If the slave of a freed man strike the body of a freed man, his ear shall be cut off”freed man, his ear shall be cut off”

– ““If a man strike a free-born woman so that she If a man strike a free-born woman so that she lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels lose her unborn child, he shall pay ten shekels for her loss.”for her loss.”

– ““If the woman die, his daughter shall be put to If the woman die, his daughter shall be put to death.”death.”