ivilization in Ancient Mesopotamia

The earliest known civilization, Sumer. and the world's first

empire. the Akkadian Empire, both developed in Mesopotamia.

The Sumerians developed the first written language and

the first laws. They also traded with places as far away as

Egypt and India.

Each Sumerian city-state was independent. Each had its

own ruler, own special god, and own army.

people from the neighboring region of Akkad later

conquered Sumer and the rest of the area around the

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Once conquered, city-states

were simply cities.

Sumerians Develop Writing

7000-3000 B.C. Sargon was the firstruler of

Word Token Pictograph7000 B.C. 3500 B.C.

Sheep

Metal

Cuneiform3000 B.C.

People in Mesopotamia first used objects, or tokens,

to record trades. Sumerians then drew the same

shapes on clay tablets. Later they used triangular

reeds to draw these shapes. These wedge shapes, or

cuneiform, became the basis of written languages

the AkkadianEmpire. He conqueredall of Mesopotamiaand beyond.

Is it a city or is it a state?

Early civilizations weren't part of alarge country. Instead, people weregoverned by their own city-state. Acity-state included a city and thesurrounding countryside. There are afew city-states today, such as Monacoin Europe and Singapore in Asia.

in Mesopotamia.

Fertile Crescentand Meso otamia

Fertile Crescent

Mesopotamia

Map shows present-dayboundaries and names in gray.

o 100 200 mdes

0 100 200 Wometers

TURKEY

TAURUS MTS.

Eu

00SYRIA

ISRAoé

The Fertile Crescentincludes Mesopotamia.

IRAQ

IRAN

+0

Area shown inmaps C, D, and E

ROPE ASIA

AFRICA

Mesopotamia, the areabetween the Tigris andEuphrates Rivers, means"between the rivers."Mesopotamia was partof an area of goodfarmland, called theFertile Crescent.

River water and good soil allowfarming in the Fertile Crescent. coastline

today—e.-•

SINAI JORDAN•DESERT SAUDI

ARAB•ARABIADESERT

KUWAIT PersianGuff

Early Settlements and Civilizations I UNII

Caspian Sea

0

TAURUS MTS.

siNA/DESERT

2900 B.C. Semitic herders seizeNomadic herders often Sumer,raid Sumerian city-states. which

city-states becomes

in northern region of Akkad.

Ebla

ar

Sumerians gainfame as traders.

shur

2.

ksh

Uruk

Ur

Each city-state has itsown army and leader.

Susa

coastlinetoday

ARABIAN

DESERT

Sumerians all spoke the same language and had the same customs, but their

Semitic and Elamite neighbors spoke different languages and had different

customs. Even so, trade was common.

2250 B.C. Akkadian Empire

Sumer3500-2350 B.C.

Sumerian culture region,3500

City-States, 2900 B.C

@ Sumerian

@ SemiticElamite

Area of nomadic herders

Invasion or raid

Trade route

Wetland

Desert

Caspian Sea

conquers Ebla and reachesthe Mediterranean.

TAURUS MTS.

2190 B.C. Guti overthrowAkkadian Empire.

Ashur

Mari

toe

Akkadian Empire2350-2190 D.C

Akkadian Empire, 2350 B.C.

Land gained by 2250 B.C.

o Semitic city

o Sumerian city

o Elamite city

Invasion

ELAM Culture region

Wetland

Desert

100 200

o 100 200 kilometes

ksha

Akkad KAD OSusa

2350 B.C. Sargon unites Akkad,then conquers Sumer and Elam, UrukOcreating world's first empire. o

coastlinetoday

ARABIAN

DESERT

The Akkadian Empire spanned most of the Fertile Crescent.Compare maps D and E. Empires rule many different people.What groups were ruled by the Akkadian Empire?