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1 3.1 THE CIVILIZATION OF

2 & uFertile Crescent, Mesopotamia (Defs) uMesopotamia- present day Iraq, lies between Tigris & Euphrates rivers means- “land between the rivers” Where the 1 st civilization began to form. Sumer

3 Agriculture in Mesopotamia uFertile Crescent- rich soil, some of the most productive land in the region. Allowed farmers to grow many grains and veggies, Farmers also raised sheep, goats and cattle.

4 Geography of Mesopotamia uNorthern M- foothills of Taurus and Zagros mountains uSouthern M- Hot/dry soil irrigated by Tigris and Euphrates uHeavy spring flooding could ruin crops/houses

5 Farming the Land uThey dug irrigation canals to feed water to the crops. uUsed a plow pulled by Oxen to cut trenches where the farmers dropped seeds.

6 Oxen with Plow

7 Sumerian Religion uGods controlled every aspect of life; rain, wind, crops, etc. uIf gods were not happy… war, floods, poor harvest, disease, death uPriests- communicated with gods uVocab… Polytheism, ziggurats

8 Sumerian Writing uNeeded a system to keep track of goods. First just pics, then transformed into symbols uCuneiform- new system of writing. 1000’s of symbols uGilgamesh- ancient poem written on 12 tablets. Proof writing more than records. u

9 Sumerian Government u1st leaders were Priests, not kings. Priests picked leaders, military leaders often later became kings. uKings needed support of priests, so they were respected, in turn priests said gods had sent king to rule the city (partnership) uKing- chief lawmaker and judge.

10 Sumerian Government Cont. uLaws needed to control the people, laws about slavery, marriage, harming others, etc. Fines were paid in goods or silver. uMany advances in technology in Sumeria. Plow, irrigation, wheel, sail. Though trade these spread to other lands.

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to other lands. uBronze- mixing copper and tin, harder medal, made better tools and weapons. Led to growth of city states.

11 3.2 THE FIRST EMPIRES

12 The First Empires uFor hundreds of years the city-states of Sumer fought among themselves for power and land. In time Rulers created the worlds first empires, but they didn’t last long.

13 The conquest of Sumer uYears of fighting made city states grow weaker and eventually lead to their conquest. uUmma and Lagash are great examples, they fought over many years with Lagash initially winning, but then Umma winning later. uEach war came at a price, many dead soldiers, and the losing side taken as prisoners and made slaves.

14 uAkkadian People lived to the Northwest of Sumer uSargon became king of Kish and changed the language to Akkadian uUnder Sargon’s rule the army conquered many meso city-states. He chose his closest advisors and family for government jobs to solidify power. uSargon created the first empire, Akkadian Empire u

15 Akkadian Culture uThe Akkadian and Sumerians shared some cultural traits, ie: religion and cuneiform. uAs Sargon moved though Mesopotamia he brought Akkadian cultural traits with them. uAs trade spread so did the Akkadian culture

16 Akkadian Empire Ends uSargon ruled for 50 years, conquering many city states. uAfter his death the empire faced many rebellions and invasions. Within 100 years the empire collapsed causing more infighting between the city states.

17 Babylonian Empire uMany groups invaded Sumer including the Amorites. uBabylon started small and unimportant but that changed under the king Hammurabi. uBabylon located near present Day Baghdad, Iraq and became the center of the Mesopotamian empire.

18 Empire Forms uHammurabi was an excellent military leader and skilled ruler. He united southern Mesopotamia and solidified his power. uHammurabi created a strong govt. He sent his people to collect taxes and rule distant cities. He encouraged public works and trade.

19 Hammurabi’s Code uHammurabi best remembered for his code: Laws that governed life in the Babylonian Empire. u300 laws and punishments for each crime. Some considered these to be cruel but the purpose

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300 laws and punishments for each crime. Some considered these to be cruel but the purpose was to encourage social order. u

20 Hammurabi’s Code uThe laws treated various groups differently. Harming someone of same or higher class worse than harming someone of lower class. uEstablished “rule of law” and first major attempt to organize and write laws that governed society.

21 Daily Life in Babylonia uHistorians have a great deal of info about Babylonia due to writings. Life revolved around agriculture, and trade. uArtists were know for stone and bronze sculptures and gold jewelry.

22 Legacy of Sumer uLike the Akkadian Empire, The Babylonian empire collapsed after Hammurabi’s death. The empire brought about cultural traits, customs and advancements in technology, farming, and writing that lived on.

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