Ancient MesopotamiaThe Sumer Civilization

A study in cause and effect

The Fertile CrescentThe Cradle of Civilization

The Stone Age• Paleolithic Age: Old Stone Age– 2 million-20,000 (?) BCE– Primitive small tools– Small bands—hunters/gatherers—family, 20-50 members– Nomadic

• Mesolithic Age: Middle Stone Age– 20,000(?)-6,000 BCE– Similar to Paleolithic, some contact between bands– Gradual move to settlement

• Neolithic Age: New Stone Age= REVOLUTIONARY!

What happened in the Neolithic Age?

• People began to farm and raise animals– Food Collectors Food Producers

• Farming Staying in one place instead of nomadic life (settlements)

• Food production and settlementspopulation growth

• Population growth CIVILIZATION

What makes a ‘Civilization’?

• Advanced Cities• Social classes/variety of occupations• Organized Government• Formal Religion• Institutions• Record Keeping• Technology

Stop and Review

• With your table, try to answer these questions:– What is the difference between life in the

Paleolithic age and life in the Neolithic age?– What are the 7 elements of a civilization?

Q: Where do the first Neolithic Settlements occur?

A: Zagros Foothills

• 8500 BCE—farming and settlement• Stone for tools, Forests for shelter, enough

rainfall, mild climate population grows quickly over next 2000 years

• But…by 5000 BCE, there is not enough land to grow enough food for everyone.

• What to do??

Problem 1: To stay or go?

• Move to the open plains below the foothills of the mountains

• Pros: – 2 Rivers (Tigris and the Euphrates)– There is no one there so the land is available– Fish, fowl, plenty of water for drinking

• Cons:– Soil is hard and dry for much of the year– Then rivers flood– No timber or stones

What would you do? Why?

• A: Stay in the foothills and increase the number of times the farmers plant their crops and hope to have enough food for everyone

• B: Move to the river plains and try to grow crops there

• C: Abandon farming and return to hunting and gathering

• D: Attack neighboring villages and steal their food

Decision? At least some moved to the river plains

Mesopotamia=Cradle of CivilizationSumer Civilization (Sumerians)

Multiple settlements arise in the area between the rivers. These settlements are known as SUMER and the people are SUMERIANS

Big challenge? CLIMATE– Hot– Windy– Dust covered ground– Dry soil because not enough rain– Spring—rivers would flood—irregularly due to snowfall and

snowmelt• Must control the water—how?

Problem 2: How to control the water?

• Create a plan for controlling the water so your crops can survive both the drought and the floods

• Think about where you will place fields in relation to the river? Where will your villages be in relation to the fields and the river?

How did the Sumerians tame the rivers?

• Carry the water by hand in containers to the fields• Large banks of dirt or ‘Levees’ to keep the river

from flooding• When they needed water—poked holes to let the

water trickle through• Built canals to bring water to their fields• Built dams• Built water-collection pools at places along the

river

The Result?

• Farmers could grow more crops More population.

Sumer Boomed!

Villages popped up all over which led to….

…Problem 3

• The water system is working but it demands constant maintenance. The river carries silt and mud and clogs the dams and reservoirs. Your village works well together to keep the water flowing but all the other settlements are on the same river. One clogged system could destroy the whole thing.

• What would you do?

Options…

• Maintain only the canals around your own village’s fields

• Force members of another village to maintain the entire irrigation system throughout the year

• Cooperate with other villages to regularly maintain the entire irrigation system

• D. Abandon irrigation and return to collecting and carrying water from the river to the field

What happened?

• Most villages worked together to keep the irrigation systems working properly

• So between 3500 and 3000 BCE, the villages grew into towns and cities

• Sumer grew into a far-reaching civilization with multiple cities

• 12 big cities, Ur was the largest-24,000 people

This leads to Problem 4…

• As the towns and the population grows more and more water is needed. Cooperation between the towns began to break down. Some cities upriver used more water which left less for the cities downriver causing conflict.

• Battle began to occur between Sumerian cities over access to water

The Problem with Battle…

• Sumerian cities were vulnerable because there was no natural barriers (mountains, deserts)

• Also vulnerable to nomad groups from both sides of the rivers

• What do the cities do?

Solution?

• The Sumerians built high walls around their cities

• They had canals that ran through the city to make sure they had a water supply inside the walls

• Fields were inside and outside of the city walls• These walled cities became known as City-

states—each with their own identity, government, religion, and loyal army.

Can you answer this question?How did geographical challenges lead to the rise

of city-states in Mesopotamia?

With your table, answer these questions:1. What made the Neolithic settlements move from

the Zagros mountains?2. What challenge faced the farmers in Mesopotamia

and how did they deal with it?3. How did early Sumerian villages cooperate and why

did that change?4. How did the Sumerian cities ensure their safety?