Mesopotamia

Lesson 1 – Civilization in Sumer

92-Advances in Farming- Sumer, in the southern part of Mesopotamia, depended on agriculture. -Developed innovations for large-scale farming-Sumerians built dikes, or dams to control river flooding -The built canals to bring water to the fields in dry season. -They had a division of labor so everyone could help share a big job.

92 – Innovations - New ways of doing things.93 – Division of Labor – The sharing of a

large job so that each worker does only part of it.

93 – Surplus – The amount of a product that is left needs have been met.

94-Government in Sumer

- In each city-state one person, the en, ruled as king.- The Sumerians had a monarchy (governing system ruled by a king or queen)- The en held absolute authority, complete control.- They created the worlds first known bureaucracy (a governing group made up of non-elected officials).

94 – Monarchy – A governing system ruled by a king or a queen.

94 – Absolute Authority – complete control95 – Bureaucracy – a governing group made

up of nonelected officials.

What form of government did the Sumerians have?

Monarchy

95 – Writing and Other Innovations- __________became the world’s first __________

- They used ____________________ on wet clay- Eventually came to use __________, wedge-shaped writing. Used for __________ or __________- One innovations of the writing is being able to __________, they were then able to have the ____________________ (iku=acre).- Another innovation was developing a __________ divided into 12 months (28 day cycle)- They also built the first __________, first to mix copper and tin to make __________ and __________, also invented the ____________________ to help them form bowls, vases and jars from clay.

Sumerian Written languageNumbers & pictographs

cuneiformwords sounds

Keep recordsMeasuring system

calendar

sailboatsBronze tools weapons

Potter’s wheel

95 – Pictographs – picture writing.95 – Cuneiform – wedge-shaped writing.

What innovations did the Sumerians develop for measure?

Standard units for area, the acre, and for volume, the

quart; a calendar for months and

years.

96 – Divisions in Society- People belonged to different ____________________

- Highest (or ruling) Class made up of the __________, _________________________, __________ and __________. Also included their families.- Next was the __________– less important government officials, craft workers, farming supervisors, merchants, doctors, carpenters, potters or bricklayers.- The lowest was the ____________ – made up of ___________ and __________(most slaves were prisoners of war)- Slaves were not always slaves for life…those who owed debt could gain their freedom when the ____________.

Social Classes

King Important government officialspriests warriors

Middle Class

Working ClassFarm workers slaves

Debt was paid

96 – Social Classes – grouping people of the same level of importance in their society.

96 – Merchant – a person who buys and sells or trades goods.

What were Sumer’s Social Classes?

Ruling ClassMiddle Class

Working Class

Lesson 1 Review

• Complete number 3 – 5• Complete this chart with what

you have learned about innovations in Sumer:

Sumerian InnovationsFarming Government Other

Lesson 2 – Conquests & Empire Building

98-Sargon the Great-Early empires were built by conquest. - Sargon conquered the Sumerians and built the world’s first empire.- He then ordered that every boundary pillar and city wall be brought down.- The lands united by Sargon became known as the Akkadian Empire.- He developed a standing army (an army with paid, full-time soldiers).- He is remembered because his empire lasted more than 200 years after his death.

98 – Conquer – take over99 – Empire – consists of the vast lands and

varied people that come under the control of a single government

99 – Standing Army – an army with paid, full-time soldiers

100-The Rise of Babylon- Leaders in the Sumerian city-state of UR rebelled against Akkadian rule and brought an end to it.- Eventually, the Amorites gained control of southern and central Mesopotamia.- The Amorite empire was named for its capital city Babylon. Called now, the Babylonian Empire.- Kings created a system of taxation…officials traveled to collect tax among the empire.

100 – Taxation – where people are made to pay for the running of their government.

Who were the Amorites?

Rulers of the Babylonian

Empire

AKKADIAN EMPIRE

BABYLONIAN EMPIRE

BOTH

Lasted about 300 yrs

Centralized gov.Governed under

One central authority

Had a system of taxCapital was Babylon

Began 1900 B.C.

Battles caused end of empire

Began 2350 B.C. Were empires named for their capital city

Included Sumerian city-states

First empire in world

Had laws

Lasted more than 200 yrs

Ruler appointed Officials to govern Conquered city-states

Established by Sargon

Kept a standing armyAkkad was capital

Compare & Contrast

101 – The Code of Hammurabi- Most important innovation was the centralized government-the national government maintains power.- Hammurabi created a set of laws for the Babylonian empire known as the Code of Hammurabi.- Hammurabi based his code laws on older collections of Sumerian and Akkadian laws.-The Code consisted of 282 laws that dealt with almost every part of daily life.- Code was carved into stone and placed in public location.

101 – Centralized Government – national government maintains power.

101 – Code – a set of laws written down in a clear and orderly way.

101 – Principle – important belief.

What is the principle of an eye for an eye?

The punishment for an injury is

the same injury.

102 – The Hittites and the Kassites- The Kassites were among the people who conquered Mesopotamia after the Babylonian Empire collapsed.- Then the Hittites came and attacked Babylon.-The Chariots that the Hittites used made it possible for them to move quickly and with force…which made it easy to capture Babylon.- After the Hittites left with everything they wanted, the Kassites were finally able to conquer Babylon. - Rule lasted for more than 500 years.- By adopting the laws, religion and literature of the conquered peoples, they continued the long heritage of Babylonian civilization.

103 – Chariots – carts drawn by horses and used to carry soldiers in battle.

What event allowed the Kassites to conquer

Babylonon?The Hittites

robbed Babylon and left it in a

weekend condition.

Lesson 2 Review

•Complete numbers 1 -6

Lesson 3 – Later Empires

106 – The Assyrian Empire-The Assur people learned warfare from their neighbors, the Hittites.-Their Army was a fearsome army due to the innovations they used from the Hittites.-The army was organized by assigning specialized jobs to the soldiers.

- Skilled chariot drivers carried archers- Cavalry fought on horseback.- There were also foot soldiers

-By early 700s B.C. , Assyrian army was largest and most destructive standing army ever seen. Because of this, they attacked and destroyed Babylon.-Assyrians ruled the largest empire in the world at that time.

What did the Assyrians learn from the Hittites?

How to make iron weapons

and how to use chariots.

106 – Warfare – Skill in war

108 – Assyrian Achievements-Built the worlds first system of paved roads.-Developed the first postal system.-Built large monuments carved with scenes of life in the Assyrian Empire.-First to make locks that opened with keys-First to use magnifying glass.-Some people they were the first to have pluming and flush toilets along with running water to their city.-One of the first libraries-Divided lands into territories and local leaders governed these territories and reported back to the king.

What innovations helped to unite the people of the

Assyrian Empire?A system of

paved roads; postal system;

local government.

108 – Decree – An official order or a decision made by a ruler.

109 – Territory – A large division of a country.

109 – Glorious Nineveh-King Sennacherib made Nineveh the capital of the Assyrian Empire.-The capital of Nineveh became a beautiful city with wide boulevards, large squares, parks, and gardens.-The kings palace was covered with stone reliefs.-They built temples for their many gods.-At it’s largest, Nineveh was enclosed by a wall that stretched 7.5 m miles around the city.-In time, the city was destroyed and the mighty Assyrian Empire fell to the people of Medes.

How did Nineveh change after becoming the Assyrian

Capital?Nineveh became a beautiful city of gardens and

palaces.

109 – Reliefs – Wall carvings that stand out from the surface of the building.

109 – Scribe – A person who wrote things for others.

110 – The New Babylonian Empire-Free of the Assyrians, Babylon became the center of civilization once again.-The rebuilt city of Babylon became the empire’s capital.-Nebuchadnezzar was one of the empire’s best-known kings that ruled for 44 years. He is remembered for his building projects (palace, temples & a ziggurat monument later known as the Tower of Babel, and what is now known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon). -A short time after Nebuchdnezzar died, Nabonidus gained control of the New Babylonian Empire.-Eventually, Nabonidus was forced to surrender his land to Persia.

By what two names do people today know

Nebuchadnezzar’s Empire?Neo-Babylonian

Empire;New Babylonian

Empire

Lesson 3 Review

• Complete numbers 1-4• HW - Complete the

Performance – Draw a Building Plan (your building should be appropriate for the period in history and include innovations that were used at that time…no modern day technology.

Ach

ievem

ents

/

Acc

om

plis

hm

ents

Created worlds first beauracracy

Eastern Shore of the Mediterranean Sea to the

Persian Gulf

Waterfront living

Fertile Soil along river banks

Dry & Hot

Monarchy Rich food growing areas between rivers

Tigris River

Euphrates River

For good fertile soil between rivers...good for crops

Worlds 1st civilization (city-state)

Writing system

Sailboats

12 month calendar based on Lunar cycles

The wheel

Plow

Potter’s Wheel

Mesopotamia

Loca

tion

Landsc

ape

Clim

ate

Govern

ment

Reso

urc

es

Ori

gin

Majo

r Sea