MESOPOTAMIA

Geography of Mesopotamia• Mesopotamia, which means “between the rivers” in Greek. • The Fertile Crescent is the fertile land between the Tigris

and Euphrates rivers in southwest Asia• Starting in present day Turkey and Kurdistan, flowing

through Iraq and into the Persian Gulf.• The land is flat, with small scrubby plants.

Map of Mesopotamia

Fertile Soil

• Rain and melting snow in the mountains cause the rivers to swell.

• As the water flows down the mountain it picks up soil.

• Although it was dry, crops were still grown due to the rivers and the fertile soil.

• By 4000 B.C. farming villages spread across the land.

Controlling the rivers

When the water came and flooded the river, people dug irrigation canals (like

ditches) for the water to flow away from the river and get to

their fields.

Finding Resources• Mesopotamians lacked resources.

• They did not build with wood or stone, Mesopotamians used mud for bricks and plaster.

• However, mud buildings crumbled easily and often needed repair.

• There were no natural barriers such as mountains, so attack was always a worry.

• Consequently, Mesopotamians built mud walls around their villages.

• Mesopotamians traded their surplus of grains for stone, wood and metals.

The Cradle of Civilization• Mesopotamia is called the cradle of civilization

because the first civilizations began there, about 5,500 years ago.

Ancient Mesopotamia (4000 B.C.)

“land in between the rivers”• Why was this a perfect place for the 1st

civilization?1. Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in the

Middle East.2. Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for

farming3. Cattle, pigs, goats & sheep were accessible.

Ancient Mesopotamia (4000 B.C.)

• WHAT CHALLENGES DID PEOPLE FACE IN MESOPOTAMIA?

1. Unpredictable floods destroyed crops, homes & people.

2. Some areas were marshy and unsuitable for farming.

3. This land was vulnerable to attack and invasion

The Many People of Mesopotamia• THE MANY PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA:

1. Sumerians (ancient Sumer’s city-states)

(3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.)

2. Babylonians (Babylonian Empire)

( 1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.

3. Assyrians (Assyrian Empire)

(1200 B.C. - 539 B.C.)

4. Persians (Persian Empire)

(539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)

Mesopotamian Civilization

Sumeria

Akkadians Babylonians

Lydians

Hittites

Chaldeans

Assyrians

Persians

Phoenicians

Sumerians

Civilization• The first Sumerian cities emerged in southern

Mesopotamia around 3200 B.C. • The Sumerians used clay and water to build their

cities.• Besides farming, trade was the main focus of

their economy.• Trade goods have been found in places as far

away as Egypt and India.

The City-State• By 3000 B.C. Sumer had at least 12 city-states.• The most popular were Kish, Ur, and Nippur.

Sumer Homes• Sumerian cities had

narrow winding streets, much different than today’s cities.

• Houses were built out of mud walls several feet thick.

• A house consisted of a several rooms surrounding a courtyard.

• The courtyard was covered with palms, which protected the people from the sun and allowed a place for cooking.

Writing• By 3200 B.C., Sumerians had invented

cuneiform.• Written on clay tablets• The Sumerian language contained over

600 different symbols• It grew out of pictographs used to record

goods brought to temple storehouses.• As time went on, the Sumerians used it to

record myths, prayers, laws, and business contracts.

• Sumerian Scribes went through years of difficult schooling to acquire their skills.

• Learned in school by males.

Sumerian ScribesSumerian Scribes

“Tablet House” “Tablet House”

How is cuneiform created?

by pressing a pointed stylus into a clay tablet

cuneiform

Legacy• Their accomplishments:

1) Number system based on an hour being 60 minutes and a circle being 360 degrees.

2) The beginnings of basic algebra and geometry.3) An accurate calendar – 12 month lunar calendar4) Units of time – 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in

a minute5) Writing System.6) Eclipses of the Sun and Moon.

Sumerian Science and Technology

• Early inventions included the plow and the wheel.

• A special kind of wheel, the potter’s wheel enabled Sumerians to make pottery much quicker.

• Bronze, a mixture of copper and tin was used to make sharper tools that lasted longer.

Sumerian Religion• Sumerians were Polytheistic• God controlled forces of nature• Gods favored truth and justice but were responsible for

violence and suffering as well.• Each city-state had their own gods and goddesses, but the

Sun god was the most important.• They believed that the gods would reward them for good

service. They also believed that the gods would punish the people who made them angry.

• Life after death was an extension of life.

Anu – father of gods and god of the sky (similar to Zeus)

Enlil – god of the air

Utu – sun god;

lord of truth and justice

Ziggurats• Located in the city center – “Center for learning

and religion”• Large and most important pyramid shaped

structures.• First build in 2200 B.C.• temples of the main gods• thought to be connected to heaven and earth.

The Role of Women• Women’s social positions varied widely.• Women could own land and work as merchants

and artisans.• However, their main role was to raise the

children.

The Legend of Gilgamesh

• The legend of Gilgamesh is the oldest known literary writing.

• The story was written in cuneiform on 40,000 clay tablets around 2000 B.C.

• Gilgamesh was an actual name of a king in Sumer, but there is no evidence that the events actually happened.

The Legend of Gilgamesh

• The tablets, although in poor condition, still exist.

• The Epic of Gilgamesh shows the values and qualities that were important to this culture.

• An Epic is a long narrative poem that focuses on the adventures and achievements of a heroic person.

The Epic of Gilgamesh• The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of King

Gilgamesh of Uruk. Gilgamesh is a ruthless and oppressive leader, and the gods punished his prideful behavior by killing his best friend (Enkidu). Horrified by Enkidu’s death and the prospect of his own demise, Gilgamesh undertakes a

quest for immortality which brings him to the home of

Utnapishtim, the only mortal saved from the Great Flood and granted immortality. There he finds the truth about life and death.

The Downfall of Sumerians • Each of the Sumerian city-

states had a ruler, and these city-states began fighting each other.

• They fought over land and the use of river water.

• Since the Sumerians were constantly at war with each other, they became weak.

• By 2000 BC, Sumer was a weakened area, and by 1759 BC, Sumer was conquered by another group of people - the Babylonians, who were from the north.

Check Point• The Fertile Crescent was the land located

a) along the Nile river. b) between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. c) between the Euphrates and the Nile rivers. d) between the Tigris and the Nile rivers.

Check Point• The Fertile Crescent was the land located

a) along the Nile river. b) between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. c) between the Euphrates and the Nile rivers. d) between the Tigris and the Nile rivers.