MESOPOTAMIAMESOPOTAMIA

What culture gave this region What culture gave this region between the Tigris and Euphrates between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers the name Mesopotamia?Rivers the name Mesopotamia?

Code of HammurabiCode of Hammurabi““An eye for an eye and a tooth for a An eye for an eye and a tooth for a

toothtooth””

The FertileThe Fertile Crescent Crescent

Modern day IraqModern day Iraq Meso (Greek) = middleMeso (Greek) = middle Potamos (Greek) = riverPotamos (Greek) = river ““The land between the riversThe land between the rivers””

CivilizationCivilization

What is Civilization?What is Civilization? Society with a developed knowledge of Society with a developed knowledge of

farming, trade, government, art and farming, trade, government, art and science.science.

““Cradle of CivilizationCradle of Civilization”” First known civilization in human historyFirst known civilization in human history 5,000 B.C.E. - Earliest evidence of 5,000 B.C.E. - Earliest evidence of

civilizationcivilization

AncientAncient Sumer Sumer

Each Sumerian city was considered a state Each Sumerian city was considered a state in itself with its own god and governmentin itself with its own god and government

The Sumerians were the first city builders The Sumerians were the first city builders in Mesopotamiain Mesopotamia

•Earliest Earliest known known civilization.civilization.•Southern Southern MesopotamiaMesopotamia

LeveesLeveesSumerians where the first people Sumerians where the first people to attempt to control their natural to attempt to control their natural environment: Levees and environment: Levees and IrrigationIrrigation

–Wet Season

–Control flood waters

–Dry Season

–Irrigate crops

VocabularyVocabulary

City-StateCity-State: A city and surrounding : A city and surrounding territory which also has itterritory which also has it’’s own s own independent governmentindependent government

ZigguratZiggurat:: A Sumerian temple which A Sumerian temple which means means ““mountain of god.mountain of god.”” They They served as the city center.served as the city center.

Ziggurat: Ziggurat: Modern IraqModern Iraq

Recent Events in Ur (Iraq)Recent Events in Ur (Iraq)

Religious and Family LifeReligious and Family Life Ziggurats Ziggurats

served as the served as the center of center of Sumerian cities Sumerian cities around them around them were courtswere courts

The Sumerians The Sumerians believed that the believed that the forces of nature such forces of nature such as wind, rain and as wind, rain and flood were gods: flood were gods: There were over There were over 3,000 Sumerian Gods3,000 Sumerian Gods

Sumerians believed Sumerians believed that the gods created that the gods created humans from the humans from the mud of rivers to do mud of rivers to do their worktheir work

SumerianSumerianPriestsPriests

They were very They were very powerfulpowerful

All of a All of a Sumerian city-Sumerian city-statestate’’s land was s land was controlled and controlled and administered by administered by the citythe city’’s priestss priests

Also, priests Also, priests controlled the controlled the schoolsschools

Tablet SchoolsTablet Schools

Only the sons of the rich could attend Only the sons of the rich could attend school: students sat on stone benches and school: students sat on stone benches and wrote with sharp edged reeds on wrote with sharp edged reeds on clay clay tabletstablets. Only the sons of the rich could . Only the sons of the rich could attend school: students sat on stone attend school: students sat on stone benches and wrote with sharp edged reeds benches and wrote with sharp edged reeds on clay tabletson clay tablets

Schools were referred to as Schools were referred to as tablet housestablet houses because students learned how to writebecause students learned how to write

Sumerian writing was called: Sumerian writing was called: CuneiformCuneiform: it : it was made of hundreds of markings shaped was made of hundreds of markings shaped like wedgeslike wedges

CuneiformCuneiform

WritingWriting

Writing developed as a result of the development Writing developed as a result of the development of businessof business

Initially, Sumerians used pictures to represent Initially, Sumerians used pictures to represent objects. Then they used pictures to represent objects. Then they used pictures to represent ideas. Finally the used pictures to represent ideas. Finally the used pictures to represent syllables.syllables.

When a student graduated from school he When a student graduated from school he became a became a scribescribe: or a writer.: or a writer.

Scribes worked for the Temple, the palace, the Scribes worked for the Temple, the palace, the government or the army.government or the army.

Some scribes set up their own businessesSome scribes set up their own businesses

Priests and KingsPriests and Kings

At first Sumerian Priests were the Kings of city-At first Sumerian Priests were the Kings of city-statesstates

Priest-Kings received advice from an assembly Priest-Kings received advice from an assembly made of free menmade of free men

When war broke out with another city-state the When war broke out with another city-state the assembly would select one of its members to assembly would select one of its members to serve as military leader until the war was over.serve as military leader until the war was over.

As time went on these leaders stayed in charge As time went on these leaders stayed in charge even after the war was over: 3000 B.C. the took even after the war was over: 3000 B.C. the took the place of priests as permanent kingsthe place of priests as permanent kings

At the same time kingship became At the same time kingship became hereditaryhereditary: or : or passed from parent to child.passed from parent to child.

Priest-Kings to KingsPriest-Kings to Kings

Free men took power from the Free men took power from the priests during times of warpriests during times of war

After the war was over, the newly After the war was over, the newly appointed kings remained in powerappointed kings remained in power

Their power passed through a Their power passed through a hereditaryhereditary system system Parent to childParent to child