Chapter 2, Section 1

“City-States in Mesopotamia”

The Fertile Crescent

An area of fertile land in Southwest AsiaMesopotamia – the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.The rivers of Mesopotamia flooded the land yearly and left behind fertile silt

New Developments in Sumer

Irrigation ditchesWalled cities made with mud brickTrade for grain, cloth, and crafted tools

Characteristics that Separated Sumer

1) Advanced cities2) Specialized workers3) Complex institutions4) Record keeping5) Improved technology

The Sumerian City-State

A city surrounded by fields of barley and wheatEach city had its own government and rulers and functioned as its own governmentIn the center of every city-state was a walled temple with a ziggurat in the middle

Ziggurat

Sumerian Religious Beliefs

Polytheism (belief in many gods)Belief in gods who controlled the weather and demons who caused disease, misfortune, and miseryBelieved the gods did many human activities (fall in love, have children, argue, etc.)Belief that humans were the gods’ servants

Sumerian Belief in the After-Life

The souls of the dead went to the “land of no return,” a joyless place between the Earth’s crust and the sea.

Anu – Sumerian god of heavens and judgment

Sumerian Social Classes

1) Kings, landowners, and priests2) Merchants3) Farmers and artisans4) Slaves

Sumerian Inventions

The wheel, sail, and plowFirst to use bronzeDeveloped a number system based on 60Architectural innovations: arches, columns, ramps, and pyramid shapesCuneiform – the system of writing

Sumerian Empires

Sarga of the Akkadians – about 2350 BCBabylonian Empire – about 2000 BC– Hammurabi ruled at the peak

of the Babylonian Empire and established Hammurabi’s Code, a written set of 282 laws that defined legal retaliation for wrongs (“an eye for an eye”)