Mesopotamia: Mesopotamia:

“The Cradle of “The Cradle of Civilization”Civilization”

Earliest Civilization: the Earliest Civilization: the Fertile CrescentFertile Crescent

earliest of all civilizations earliest of all civilizations – permanent settlementspermanent settlements

Mesopotamia Greek for Mesopotamia Greek for “between the rivers”“between the rivers”– Tigris River and Euphrates RiverTigris River and Euphrates River – present day Iraqpresent day Iraq

Lasted for approximately 3000 yearsLasted for approximately 3000 years

Its peoples were the first toIts peoples were the first to

–irrigate fieldsirrigate fields–devise a system of writingdevise a system of writing–develop mathematicsdevelop mathematics

–invent the wheelinvent the wheel–work with metalwork with metal–devise a written law codedevise a written law code

Geographic ConditionsGeographic Conditions Little rainfall Little rainfall

Hot and dry climate Hot and dry climate

Wind and rain stormsWind and rain storms– muddy river valleys in wintermuddy river valleys in winter

catastrophic flooding in springcatastrophic flooding in spring

Arid soil containing little mineralsArid soil containing little minerals

No stone or timber resourcesNo stone or timber resources

Then why live in Then why live in Mesopotamia?Mesopotamia?

NATURAL LEVEESNATURAL LEVEES: : embankments produced by build-up of sediment embankments produced by build-up of sediment over thousands of years of floodingover thousands of years of flooding

Natural LeveeNatural Levee

create a high and safe flood plain create a high and safe flood plain

make irrigation and canal construction easy make irrigation and canal construction easy

provide protectionprovide protection

the surrounding swamps were full of fish & waterfowl the surrounding swamps were full of fish & waterfowl

reeds provided food for sheep / goats reeds provided food for sheep / goats

reeds also were used as building resourcesreeds also were used as building resources

Political structure - early Political structure - early form of democracyform of democracy

Frequent wars led to the Frequent wars led to the emergence of warriors as emergence of warriors as leadersleaders

Eventually rise of Eventually rise of monarchymonarchy

Followed leadership of Followed leadership of god of the city god of the city – interpreted by a council of interpreted by a council of

leading citizens or priests leading citizens or priests or leader of the city - kingor leader of the city - king

Government

SumeriansSumeriansSouthern Mesopotamia 3500-2000 BCESouthern Mesopotamia 3500-2000 BCE

Irrigated fields and produced 3 mainIrrigated fields and produced 3 main crops crops

– barley, dates and sesame seedsbarley, dates and sesame seeds– built canals, dikes, dams and drainage built canals, dikes, dams and drainage

systemssystems developed developed cuneiformcuneiform writing writing invented the invented the wheelwheel Abundance of food = increase of populationAbundance of food = increase of population First First citycity of the world of the world Developed a Developed a trade systemtrade system with with barteringbartering

– mainly barley but also wool and cloth for mainly barley but also wool and cloth for stone, metals, timber, copper, pearls and ivorystone, metals, timber, copper, pearls and ivory

Individuals could only Individuals could only rent landrent land from priests from priests– controlled land on behalf of godscontrolled land on behalf of gods– most of profits of trade went to templemost of profits of trade went to temple

The Sumerians were not successful in The Sumerians were not successful in uniting lower Mesopotamiauniting lower Mesopotamia

Ruins of Babylon in present day Baghdad

Sumerian city of Lagash

AkkadiansAkkadiansAkkad- northern Mesopotamia 2340 – 2180 BCEAkkad- northern Mesopotamia 2340 – 2180 BCE

Leader Sargon the GreatLeader Sargon the Great– unified lower Mesopotamia after conquering Sumerians in 2331 unified lower Mesopotamia after conquering Sumerians in 2331

BCEBCE Established capital at AkkadEstablished capital at Akkad Spread Mesopotamian culture Spread Mesopotamian culture Akkadians conquered by invading barbarians by 2200 Akkadians conquered by invading barbarians by 2200

BCEBCE

Bronze head of Sargon

BabyloniansBabylonians1830-1500 BCE 1830-1500 BCE

KING HAMMURABIKING HAMMURABI

Conquered Akkad and Assyria Conquered Akkad and Assyria Built Built

– walls to protect the city walls to protect the city – canals and dikes to improve cropscanals and dikes to improve crops

Economy based on agriculture and Economy based on agriculture and wool wool

Individuals could own land Individuals could own land Artisans and merchants could Artisans and merchants could

keep most profits and even keep most profits and even formed guilds formed guilds

Grain used as the medium of Grain used as the medium of exchange exchange – emergence of emergence of currencycurrency: :

shekel = 180 grains of shekel = 180 grains of barley;barley;

mina = 60 shekelsmina = 60 shekels Mina was eventually represented Mina was eventually represented

by metals - one of first uses of by metals - one of first uses of money money – still based on grainstill based on grain

Hammurabi’s LegacyHammurabi’s Legacy– law codelaw code

• Babylonians reunited Babylonians reunited Mesopotamia in 1830 BCEMesopotamia in 1830 BCE

• central location dominated trade central location dominated trade and secured controland secured control

• YET AGAIN, Mesopotamia was not YET AGAIN, Mesopotamia was not unified for long…unified for long…

Code of HammurabiCode of Hammurabi1800 BCE1800 BCE

To enforce his rule, Hammurabi collected all the To enforce his rule, Hammurabi collected all the laws of Babylon in a code that would apply laws of Babylon in a code that would apply everywhereeverywhere

First and most extensive law code from the First and most extensive law code from the ancient world ancient world

Code of 282 laws inscribed on a stone pillar placed Code of 282 laws inscribed on a stone pillar placed in the public hall for all to seein the public hall for all to see

Set of divinely inspired laws; as well as societal Set of divinely inspired laws; as well as societal lawslaws

Punishments were designed to fit the crimes as Punishments were designed to fit the crimes as people must be responsible for own actions people must be responsible for own actions

Origin of “eye for an eye…” Origin of “eye for an eye…” – If a son struck his father, son’s hand would be cut If a son struck his father, son’s hand would be cut

offoff

Consequences for crimes depended on rank in Consequences for crimes depended on rank in society society – Poor = hand off, nobles = pay a finePoor = hand off, nobles = pay a fine

Hammurabi receiving law code from sun god Shamash

ReligionReligion Polytheistic Polytheistic

– over 3600 gods and demigodsover 3600 gods and demigods Kingship created by gods Kingship created by gods

– king’s power was divinely king’s power was divinely ordainedordained

Gods lived on the distant Gods lived on the distant mountaintops mountaintops

Each city was ruled by a Each city was ruled by a different god different god

Kings and priests acted Kings and priests acted as interpreters as interpreters – they told the people what they told the people what

the god wanted them to do the god wanted them to do – by examining the liver or by examining the liver or

lungs of a slain sheeplungs of a slain sheep Ishtar, goddess of fertility, war, sex

Enki, god of water, life, mediation

Enlil – supreme god of air

Shamash sun god and giver of law

ZigguratZigguratss

Temples dedicated to the Temples dedicated to the god of the citygod of the city

Made of layers of mud Made of layers of mud bricks in the shape of a bricks in the shape of a pyramid pyramid – On platforms due to On platforms due to

constant floodingconstant flooding

Temple on top god’s homeTemple on top god’s home– beautifully decoratedbeautifully decorated– a room for offerings of a room for offerings of

food and goodsfood and goods Temples evolved to Temples evolved to

zigguratsziggurats – a stack of 1-7 platforms a stack of 1-7 platforms

decreasing in size from decreasing in size from bottom to topbottom to top

Famous ziggurat was Famous ziggurat was Tower of BabelTower of Babel – over 100m above ground over 100m above ground

and 91m baseand 91m base

Ziggurat of Ur -2000BCE

Development

Of

WRITING

Development of WritingDevelopment of Writing

Click Click herehere to see the to see the development of writingdevelopment of writingfrom from pictograms to pictograms to cuneiformcuneiform

Pictograms: picture to show meaning Pictograms: picture to show meaning Ideograms: signs to represent words / ideasIdeograms: signs to represent words / ideas Phonetics: signs to represent soundsPhonetics: signs to represent sounds

*Phonetics are the basis of most writing *Phonetics are the basis of most writing systemssystems

Writing - Writing - 3500 BCE3500 BCE AllowedAllowed

– transmission of knowledgetransmission of knowledge– the codification of lawsthe codification of laws– records to facilitate records to facilitate

trade/farmingtrade/farming

CUNEIFORMCUNEIFORM meaning “wedge meaning “wedge shaped”shaped”– Wet clay tablets with the point of Wet clay tablets with the point of

a a reedreed– dried in the sun to make a tabletdried in the sun to make a tablet

ScribesScribes only could read and write only could read and write – served as priestsserved as priests– record keepersrecord keepers– accountantsaccountants

Spread to Persia and Egypt Spread to Persia and Egypt – vehicle for the growth and vehicle for the growth and

spread and exchange of ideas spread and exchange of ideas among culturesamong cultures

How to do How to do CuniformCuniform

Gilgamesh - The First Epic Gilgamesh - The First Epic PoemPoem Over 4000 thousand Over 4000 thousand

years old, written on years old, written on 12 clay tablets12 clay tablets

Epic battle between Epic battle between Enkidu -wild man, good Enkidu -wild man, good heart and Gilgamesh – heart and Gilgamesh – controlling kingcontrolling king

The two became The two became friends and had friends and had adventuresadventures

Made the gods angry Made the gods angry so they killed Enkidu – so they killed Enkidu – Gilgamesh wanders Gilgamesh wanders the underworld in griefthe underworld in grief

Why important?•Earliest known author – Sin-leqi-unninniEarliest known author – Sin-leqi-unninni•Mentions great flood similar to story of Mentions great flood similar to story of Noah’s ArkNoah’s Ark

Royal Royal TombsTombs of Ur of Ur

Excavated from 1922 to 1934 Excavated from 1922 to 1934

Extravagant jewelry of gold, Extravagant jewelry of gold, cups of gold and silver, bowls cups of gold and silver, bowls of alabaster, and extraordinary of alabaster, and extraordinary objects of art and culture objects of art and culture

Jewellery from Royal Tombs of Ur 3000 BC

Great Death PitGreat Death Pit • mass grave mass grave

containing the bodies containing the bodies of 6 guards and 68 of 6 guards and 68 servantsservants

• drank poison to drank poison to accompany the kings accompany the kings and queens in the and queens in the afterlifeafterlife

Mathematics and ScienceMathematics and Science Mesopotamia, specifically Babylon used a Mesopotamia, specifically Babylon used a

mathematical system based on sixty mathematical system based on sixty Some parts of the ‘base-sixty’ system still Some parts of the ‘base-sixty’ system still

remain todayremain today– 360 degrees in a circle360 degrees in a circle– 60 seconds in a minute 60 seconds in a minute – 60 minutes in 1 hour60 minutes in 1 hour

Calendar based on cycles of the moonCalendar based on cycles of the moon– number of days between the appearance of number of days between the appearance of

two new moons was set as a monthtwo new moons was set as a month– 12 cycles made up a year12 cycles made up a year

Legacies of MesopotamiaLegacies of Mesopotamia

Codified lawsCodified laws Ziggurats – places Ziggurats – places

of worshipof worship Cuneiform writingCuneiform writing IrrigationIrrigation Metal working, Metal working,

toolstools

Trade networksTrade networks Transportation – Transportation –

the wheelthe wheel Mathematics and Mathematics and

calendarcalendar Prosperous living Prosperous living

based on large based on large scale agriculturescale agriculture