sumerians & early empires
TRANSCRIPT
River ValleysCradles of
Civilization
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Critical IntroDescribe some problems, historically, you might see
with using the “5 Characteristics” to describe a
people as “Civilized”
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Critical IntroDescribe some reasons why the
region of Mesopotamia was a desirable place to control.
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Critical IntroThesis statement:
Why did early civilizations first emerge in river valleys?
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Critical IntroUse terms 11-15 in a comprehensive
paragraph about Mesopotamia.
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Critical IntroDescribe an example of regional trade
involving Sumer, and describe an example of interregional trade involving
Sumer.
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Critical Intro
Write a diary entry/paragraph describing a day in your life as a
Sumerian teenager.
Remember to incorporate the aspects of life from your
homework.
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Critical Intro.Creative Writing
Create/Write a myth explaining a naturally
occurring phenomenon.
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Critical Intro.Explain how Hammurabi’s Code reflected the social stratification
of Mesopotamia.
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zigguratPyramid-shaped Sumerian religious
temple
Civilization
River Valleys
Economic Patterns
Political Patterns
Religious Patterns
Social Patterns
• Hereditary rulers
• Dynasty – line of rulers from same family
• Class systems + slavery
• 1st city-states, kingdoms & empires
• City-state = city & surrounding land
• Centralized gov’t• Law codes
• metal tools + weapons
• increasing agricultural surplus
• increased river & sea trade
• Polytheism = belief in many gods.
• Priests• Organized
religion
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World Map - LabelAfricaAsiaEuropeAtlantic OceanIndian OceanPacific OceanMediterranean Sea
Make Key and Shade pp.4-54 River CivilizationsMesopotamia (green in atlas)Egypt (green in atlas)Indus Valley (green in atlas)Shang China (purple in atlas)
AmericasOlmecsChavin
Southwest Asia Map - LabelAnatoliaZagros MountainsArabian PeninsulaArabian DesertSyrian DesertEgyptMesopotamiaMediterranean SeaRed SeaPersian GulfTigris River (R.)Euphrates R.Nile R.
Cities - .UrLagash
Make Key and ShadeSumer (green area in atlas)Fertile Crescent (purple in atlas)
Olmec
Chavin
Southwest Asia
Anatolia
Syrian Desert
Arabian Desert
Arabian Peninsula
Eastern Hemisphere
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River Valley CivilizationsI. Mesopotamia - “Land between the rivers”A. Fertile Crescent = arc of land from Persian Gulf to Med. Sea
1. Mesopotamia - area of land within Fertile Crescent, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.2. Flooding rivers deposit silt (thick bed of river mud)= fertile soil3. Irrigation systems carried river water to the fields.4. Mesopotamia is located in modern-day Iraq.
B. Rise of Sumerian city-states1. city-state pops. of 5,000– 25,0002. Centered around ziggurats = religious temple3. Walled for protection
C. Sumerian Government1. city-states governed independently2. Powerful military leaders became kings/Priest kings = Theocracy3. Priests held high rank & gov’t power4. city-states ruled by dynasties (line of rulers from same family)D. Sumerian Writing = Cuneiform “wedge-shaped”1. 1st writing2. Press symbols into soft clay then dry or bake3. Keep records + trade documents4. Epic of Gilgamesh = world’s 1st literature
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E. Sumerian Religion1. Polytheism = belief in many gods; explained natural events2. Thousands of deities (gods and goddesses) controlled nature + life3. People felt they had little control; bleak view of death
F. Sumerian Inventions1. Wagon wheel2. arch3. sundial4. potter’s wheel5. number system6. 12 month calendar7. sail8. plow
II. World’s 1st EmpiresA. Akkadian Empire
1. Created when Sargon of Akkad conquered Sumerian city-statesB. Babylonian Empire
1. Created when Babylonians conquered Mesopotamia.2. Hammurabi = Powerful Babylonian king3. Hammurabi created first written law code –
Hammurabi’s Code
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Mesopotamia
Egypt
Tigris R.Euphrates R.Anatolia
Mediterranean Sea
Nile R.
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Sumer
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Sumerian wheel
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Southwest Asia
Iraq Iran
Saudi Arabia
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Mesopotamian Deities
Polytheism = belief in many gods
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Irrigation• Moving water from
rivers to fields
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Cuneiform = Sumerian writing
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Yearly floods deposit silt on the land.
River floods Plow and plantWater recedes,
leaves silt behind
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The Sumerian Ziggurat “Mountain of God”religious temple
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The Epic of GilgameshWorld’s Oldest work of literature
Gilgamesh – King of UrukApprox. 2700 B.C.
Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third human, is the greatest king on earth and the strongest super-human
that ever existed; however, he is young and oppresses his
people harshly.
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Hammurabi – “The Law Giver”Babylonian king created law code of 282 laws and punishments
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Complete “Code” link
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Sumerians develop the arch.
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sundial sail
plowOther Sumerian Inventions
calendar
Potters Wheel
Number system
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Sargon of Akkad creates world’s first empire = Akkadian Empire
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Hammurabi rules Babylonian Empire
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Economic Patterns
Political Patterns
Religious Patterns
Social Patterns
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The Sumerian Ziggurat “Mountain of God”religious temple
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Behistun Inscription in Turkey
(Deciphered Cuneiform)
