Susan M. PojerHorace Greeley HS

Chappaqua, NY

Additions by D. Brady

Susan M. PojerHorace Greeley HS

Chappaqua, NY

Additions by D. Brady

The Fertile CrescentThe Fertile Crescent

• The word 'Mesopotamia' is in origin a Greek name (mesos `middle' and The word 'Mesopotamia' is in origin a Greek name (mesos `middle' and 'potamos' - 'river' so `land between the rivers'). 'Mesopotamia' translated 'potamos' - 'river' so `land between the rivers'). 'Mesopotamia' translated from Old Persian from Old Persian MiyanrudanMiyanrudan means "the fertile cresent". means "the fertile cresent".

The Land Between Two RiversThe Land Between Two Rivers

• Some of the best farmland of Some of the best farmland of the Fertile Crescent is in a the Fertile Crescent is in a narrow strip of land between narrow strip of land between the Tigris and Euphrates the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The Greeks later called Rivers. The Greeks later called this region Mesopotamia, this region Mesopotamia, which means "between the which means "between the rivers." Many different rivers." Many different civilizations developed in this civilizations developed in this small region. First came the small region. First came the Sumerians, who were replaced Sumerians, who were replaced in turn by the Assyrians and in turn by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.the Babylonians.

Indo-European Migrations: 4m-2m BCE

Indo-European Migrations: 4m-2m BCE

The Middle East: “The Crossroads of Three Continents”

The Middle East: “The Crossroads of Three Continents”

The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area

The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area

The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

Mesopotamia does not refer to any particular civilization. Over the course of several millennia, many Mesopotamia does not refer to any particular civilization. Over the course of several millennia, many civilizations developed, collapsed, and were replaced in this region including the civilizations developed, collapsed, and were replaced in this region including the Sumerians -- --

Akkadians -- Babylonians and Assyrians. -- Babylonians and Assyrians.

SumeriansSumerians

The SumeriansThe Sumerians• The people who established the world's The people who established the world's

first civilization around 3500 B.C. in first civilization around 3500 B.C. in southern Mesopotamia were known as the southern Mesopotamia were known as the Sumerians. Sumerians.

• The Sumerians learned to control the The Sumerians learned to control the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers by Tigris and Euphrates Rivers by constructing levees and irrigation canals. constructing levees and irrigation canals. As a result, a stable food supply existed, As a result, a stable food supply existed, and the Sumerian villages evolved into and the Sumerian villages evolved into self-governing city-states. self-governing city-states.

• At the center of each city-state was a At the center of each city-state was a temple surrounded by courts and public temple surrounded by courts and public buildings. Radiating from the all-important buildings. Radiating from the all-important city center were the two-story houses of city center were the two-story houses of the priests and merchants, or the upper the priests and merchants, or the upper class; the one-story homes of government class; the one-story homes of government officials, shopkeepers, and craftspeople; officials, shopkeepers, and craftspeople; and the lower class homes of farmers, and the lower class homes of farmers, unskilled workers, and fishermen. The unskilled workers, and fishermen. The city-state also included the fertile farming city-state also included the fertile farming land outside the city wall. land outside the city wall.

• Since there wasn't any building stone Since there wasn't any building stone and very little timber in Sumer, the and very little timber in Sumer, the

people constructed their homes, public people constructed their homes, public buildings, and city walls out of sun-buildings, and city walls out of sun-dried mud brick. dried mud brick.

• The Sumerians took great pride in their The Sumerians took great pride in their city-states. Many times city-states city-states. Many times city-states would war with each other because would war with each other because boundary disputes existed. Sometimes boundary disputes existed. Sometimes a city-state would attack a neighboring a city-state would attack a neighboring city-state just to prove its strength.city-state just to prove its strength.

Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic

Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic

Enki

Enki

Innana

Innana

Anthropomorphic Gods

Anthropomorphic Gods

Mesopotamian TradeMesopotamian Trade

“The Cuneiform World”

“The Cuneiform World”

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

CuneiformCuneiform

• As the Sumerian city-states' As the Sumerian city-states' wealth increased, government wealth increased, government officials realized that an efficient officials realized that an efficient method of keeping records had to method of keeping records had to be developed. Evolved from be developed. Evolved from simple pictographic writing, simple pictographic writing, Sumerian cuneiform emerged as Sumerian cuneiform emerged as the world's first writing system. the world's first writing system. The term cuneiform means The term cuneiform means "wedge-shaped." It was made up "wedge-shaped." It was made up of hundreds of word signs that of hundreds of word signs that were "wedge-shaped" due to the were "wedge-shaped" due to the shape of the reed pen, or stylus, shape of the reed pen, or stylus, that was used. The Sumerians that was used. The Sumerians wrote on clay tablets that would wrote on clay tablets that would either be dried in the sun or fired either be dried in the sun or fired in kilns to make the writing in kilns to make the writing permanent. permanent.

Cuneiform WritingCuneiform Writing

Deciphering Cuneiform

Deciphering Cuneiform

Sumerian ScribesSumerian Scribes

“Tablet House” “Tablet House”

Sumerian Cylinder Seals

Sumerian Cylinder Seals

GilgameshGilgamesh

• Gilgamesh is an ancient poem Gilgamesh is an ancient poem written in Mesopotamia more than written in Mesopotamia more than four thousand years ago. The four thousand years ago. The poem tells of a great flood that poem tells of a great flood that covers the earth many years covers the earth many years earlier, making it similar to the earlier, making it similar to the story of Noah in the Old Testament story of Noah in the Old Testament of the Jewish and Christian holy of the Jewish and Christian holy books. books.

• Modern science has discovered Modern science has discovered that there was a marked increase that there was a marked increase in the sea levels about 6,000 in the sea levels about 6,000 years ago as the last ice age years ago as the last ice age ended. The melting ice drained to ended. The melting ice drained to the oceans causing the sea level the oceans causing the sea level to rise more than ten feet in one to rise more than ten feet in one century.century.

GilgameshGilgamesh

Gilgamesh Epic Tablet:Flood Story

Gilgamesh Epic Tablet:Flood Story

The ZigguratThe Ziggurat

• Originally the temples at the Originally the temples at the center of each city-state were built center of each city-state were built on a platform. As time passed, on a platform. As time passed, these platform temples evolved these platform temples evolved into temple-towers called into temple-towers called ziggurats. The ziggurat was the ziggurats. The ziggurat was the first major building structure of the first major building structure of the Sumerians. Constructed of sun-Sumerians. Constructed of sun-baked mud bricks, the ziggurats baked mud bricks, the ziggurats were usually colorfully decorated were usually colorfully decorated with glazed fired bricks. with glazed fired bricks.

• The ziggurat housed each city-The ziggurat housed each city-state's patron god or goddess. state's patron god or goddess. Only priests were permitted inside Only priests were permitted inside the ziggurat; as a result, they were the ziggurat; as a result, they were very powerful members of very powerful members of Sumerian society.Sumerian society.

Ziggurat at UrZiggurat at Ur

Temple

“Mountain of the Gods”

Temple

“Mountain of the Gods”

The Royal Standard of Ur

The Royal Standard of Ur

Mesopotamian HarpMesopotamian Harp

Board Game From UrBoard Game From Ur

Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills

at Ur

Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills

at Ur

Sargon of Akkad:The World’s First Empire

[Akkadians]

Sargon of Akkad:The World’s First Empire

[Akkadians]

The Babylonian Empires

The Babylonian Empires

HammurabiHammurabi• Hammurabi was the king of the city-Hammurabi was the king of the city-

state of Babylon. About 1800BC, state of Babylon. About 1800BC, Hammurabi conquered the nearby city-Hammurabi conquered the nearby city-states and created the kingdom of states and created the kingdom of Babylonia. He recorded a system of Babylonia. He recorded a system of laws called the Code of Hammurabi. laws called the Code of Hammurabi. The 282 laws were engraved in stone The 282 laws were engraved in stone and placed in a public location for and placed in a public location for everyone to see. Hammurabi required everyone to see. Hammurabi required that people be responsible for their that people be responsible for their actions. Some of Hammurabi’s laws actions. Some of Hammurabi’s laws were based on the principle “An eye were based on the principle “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” This for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” This means that whoever commits an injury means that whoever commits an injury should be punished in the same should be punished in the same manner as that injury. If someone put manner as that injury. If someone put out another person’s eye, their eye out another person’s eye, their eye would be put out in return. would be put out in return. Hammurabi’s Code may seem cruel Hammurabi’s Code may seem cruel today, but it was an early attempt at today, but it was an early attempt at law. law.

Hammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750

B. C. E.] CodeHammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750

B. C. E.] Code

Hammurabi, the JudgeHammurabi, the Judge

Babylonian MathBabylonian Math

Babylonian NumbersBabylonian Numbers