Mesopotamia

Chapter 4

Introduction

• Throughout history, the need to have water for drinking and growing crops influenced where people settled.

• The earliest known civilization, Mesopotamia, developed in what is now Southern Iraq

Mesopotamia-Mesopotamia means “land between the two rivers”-Mesopotamia began on the plain between the Tigris and the Euphrates

Mesopotamia

• Timeline from Hunters and Herders to village farmers

• 7000B.C.-Hunters/Herders began to settle in Mesopotamia

• 4000B.C.- Farming villages are being built along the two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)

Love-hate relationship with the River

• Early Mesopotamian farmers used water from the 2 rivers to water their fields, however, farmers could not always rely on the rivers

• In summer, little or no rain would leave the farmers with no water to plan crops in the fall

• In the spring, rains and melting snow from the Mountains caused river to flood (sometimes sweeping away crops, homes, and livestock)

Love-hate relationship with the River

• These sometimes violent and damaging floods were also helpful. When floods ended, silt was left on banks and plains. Silt is very good for farming!

• Overtime the people of Mesopotamia learned to build dams to control these floods. They also dug canals that let water flow from a water source to the fields (Irrigation)

Timeline from Hunters and Herders to village farmers

• Irrigation led to a surplus of food!!• Surplus of food allowed people to specialize in

other jobs• By 3000 BC, Several farming villages in Sumer

(region in southern Mesopotamia) had grown into cities

Sumer

Sumer’s Civilization• People of Sumer were

known as Sumerians. They built the first cities in Southwest Asia including:

• Ur• Uruk• Eridu

City-States Arise

• The harsh landscape that surrounded the cities of Sumer made it hard to travel by land and communicate with other groups.

• As a result, Sumerian cities became independent. They grew their own crops and made their own goods. They gained political and economical power over the lands around them

• By doing this, they formed their own city-states

City-States Arise

• Each city-state had its own government and was not part of any larger governing state.

• The population of each city-state ranged from about 5000-20000 people.

City-States Arise

• Ruins and artifacts have led historians to believe that each Sumerian city-state was protected by a large wall

• Wood and stone was in short supply for the Sumerians used mud and crushed reeds from the river to make bricks for building

• The city gate would stay open during the day and would close at night

• Public building were located in the center of the city

City-States Arise

• Often, city states would go to war with each other over resources and political borders.

• During times of peace, city-states would trade with other groups and would help each other by forming alliances to protect their common interests.

Gods, Priests, and Kings

• The Sumerian people worshiped many gods, a type of belief known as polytheism

• Some gods had power over forces of nature• Some gods guided the things people did.• Sumerian people honored whatever god

would help their activity

Gods, Priests, and Kings

• Sumerian people honored all gods, however each city-state claimed 1 god as its own

• To honor its god, a city-state would build a large temple called a ziggurat (meaning “to raise high”)

Who ruled?

• In early days these special priests ruled the city-state before they became monarchies

• Review from chapter 3!

Social ClassesUpper Middle Lower

•Kings•Priests•Warriors•Government Officials

•Merchants•Farmers•Fishers•Artisans

•Enslaved people•Criminals•People who could not pay their debts

Gender Roles

Men Women•Head of home•Boys went to school and trained for a special job

•Ran the home•Taught their daughters how to run the home•Raised children

Law required parents to care for their children and also for adult children to take

care of their parent if they should ever need help

Farmers and Traders

• Most people who lived in Sumer were farmers• They grew:-Wheat-Barley-Dates• They raised:-Sheep-Goats-Pigs

Trade

• Trade was an important part of Sumer’s economy

• Trade routes linked Sumer to places as far as India and Egypt

• They traded wheat, barley, and tools for timber, minerals, and metals

Mesopotamia

• Mesopotamia has been considered the beginning of organized human society

• They came up with the first known writing system (cuneiform) in order to keep records, share information, and pass along stories to later generations.

Cuneiform

• Cuneiform consisted of 1200 characters and was written on clay tablets with sharp reeds

• Only a few people-mostly boys from wealthy families- learn how to read and write cuneiform

• Some students became scribes

Epic of Gilgamesh

• The Sumerians gave us the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is the world oldest known Epic (or long poem that records the deeds of a legendary or real hero)

• It was written more than 4000 years ago

Technology and Mathematics

• The Sumerians were the first to use the Wheel

• The created Carts• Developed the chariot• Developed the sailboat• Developed the wooden

plow• They were the first to

develop Bronze

Technology and Mathematics

• Came up with the 60 second minute• Came up with the 60 minute hour• Came up with the concept of a 360 degree

circle• Developed the 12 month calendar based on

the moon