Mesopotamia

The Impact of Geography

•Greeks called the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers Mesopotamia

•The area lies in The Fertile Crescent, a crescent shaped area from The Mederteranian Sea to the Persian Gulf with fertile soil

Cont.

•Little rain fell in the area but deposits of silt from the rivers made the land fertile.

•Silt is a thick black mud with nutrients that is good for farming

Cont.

•Irrigation ditches were dug to water crops

•The result a surplus or more food than the civilization needed

The City States of Mesopotamia

•All cities were surrounded by wals for defense

•The city of Urk for example had a wall 6 miles long, with defense towers every 30-35 feet.

Sumerian Cities•All walls and

dwellings were built of sun dried mud bricks.

City of Uruk Wall

Gods Godesses and Rulers.

•The most important building was the ziggurat or temple.

•All town functions whether social, religous, or political took place at the ziggurat.

Gods Godesses and Rulers Cont.

The Ziggurat of Ur.

Gods Godesses and Rulers Cont.

•Gods and Godesses owned the cities.

•People donated their time and wealth to building houses for the priests who served the Gods.

Gods Godesses and Rulers Cont.

•The Sumerians believed that the Gods ruled the cities.

•A city ruled by a divine figure is a theocracy.

Gods Godesses and Rulers Cont.

•Eventually priests gave away power to kings.

•Kings would raise an army, and protect the empire.

•Priests worked with kings to solve problems in the empire.

Economy and Society

•Economy based on trade.

3 major social classes

•Nobles- Priests and Royalty•Commoners- worked for palace

and temple estates. 90% were farmers.

•Slaves- Belonged to palace officials and were used for building projects.

Empire

•Around 2340 BC Sargon of Akkad defeated the Sumerian city states and set up the 1st empire.

•An empire is a large country or state under one ruler.

Sargon of Akkad•His empire fell

around 2100 BC

• In 1792 BC Hammurabi created the new empire of Babylon

Hammurabi•Created the first uniform code

of laws known as Hammuarbi’s Cod

•Penalties were severe and were dictated by social class

•A crime against a noble by a commoner or slave had the strictest punishment.

Hammurabi Cont.•Society was

patriarchal or male dominated.

•Woman’s place was in the home

•Men could divorce women who did not bear them a child

•Adultery by a woman was punishable by death

Religion•Gods and Godesses controlled

the universe•They believed in about 3,000

gods and godesses•A belief in many gods is called

Polytheism.

Religion Cont.•Most powerful god Was Enlil.•Evuil Gods were known as the

Wicked Udugs.•After death all people

regardless of life went to the land of no return.

Technology•Created a system

of writing called cuneiform, which created impressions on clay and then allowed the clay to dry.

Technology Cont.• Invented the wheel

• Invented the sail

• Invented the plow

• First to use bronze

•Created a base 60 number system