the earliest civilization! ancient times weather was good, the soil fertile and the irrigation...
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Fertile CrescentThe Earliest Civilization!
➢ Climate not what it is like today. ➢ In Ancient times weather was good, the soil fertile and the irrigation
system well managed, civilisation grew and prospered.➢ Deforestation - The most likely cause of climate changing in the fertile
crescent. ➢ Massive forest have their weather patterns. Ground temperature is lower.
More biodiversity.
Climate Change … For Real.
Today vs. Ancient Times
Map of the Fertile Crescent
Rivers Support the Growth of Civilization
Early peoples settled where crops would grow. Crops usually grew well near rivers, where
water was available and regular floods made the soil rich. One region in Southwest Asia
was especially well suited for farming. It lay between two rivers.
The early civilizations of Mesopotamia depended on the region’s two great river the Tigris
and the Euphrates. In this photo, two men fish in the Euphrates River in what is now Iraq.
Near the Tigris and Euphrates
Surplus Lead to Societal Growth
Summary Mesopotamia’s rich, fertile lands supported productive farming, which led to the development of cities. In the next section you will learn about some of the first city builders.
Where was Mesopotamia?
How did the Fertile Crescent get its name?
What was the most important factor in making Mesopotamia’s farmland fertile?
Why did farmers need to develop a system to control their water supply?
In what ways did a division of labor contribute to the growth of Mesopotamian civilization?
How might running large projects prepare people for running a government?
Early Civilizations By Rivers.
Mesopotamia The land between the rivers.
Things to pay attention to...
Religion: Great Ideas: Great Men:
Geography: Major Events: Cultural Values:
Farming Lead to Division of Labor
Although Mesopotamia had fertile soil, farming wasn’t easy there. The region received little rain.This meant that the water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers depended on how much rain fell in eastern Asia Minor where the two rivers began. When a great amount of rain fell there,water levels got very high. Flooding destroyed crops, killed livestock, and washed away homes.When water levels were too low, crops dried up. Farmers knew they needed a way to control the rivers’ flow. So Sumerians created the irrigation you saw earlier.
Farmers could produce a food surplus, or more than they needed.Farmers also used irrigation to water grazing areas for cattle and sheep. As a result, Mesopotamians ate a variety of foods. Fish, meat,wheat, barley, and dates were plentiful.
This caused a Division of Labor. Some people became free to do other jobs. As a result, new occupations developed. For the first time, people became crafters, religious leaders, and government workers.
Jobs In Sumer:
Animal husbandryBoatmakingFarmingConstructionPotteryMetalworkingLeather workingTax collectingClothes makingWeavingWeapon MakingPriestsStudents
*Gender Roles*
ReligionThe people of Mesopotamia were polytheistic and believed that every aspect of their world was controlled by supernatural forces. The great gods dominated religion in ancient Mesopotamia and many gods maintained their importance throughout the region's history.
Each city had its own patron deity, some of which were connected to specialized occupations. There were also gods and goddess, the rulers of the sky, air, and more, which received more attention from worshipers. To worship the gods and goddesses, the people of Mesopotamia built large structures, called Ziggurats that served as temples.
Great IdeasWriting - Cuneiform
The Wheel - The Plow
Lunar Calendar
Math - 60 second minute and a 60 minute hour.
Mesopotamian astronomers were able to follow the movements of the stars, planets, and the Moon.
Medical history to be able to diagnose and treat illnesses with various creams and pills.
They invented the potter's wheel to make better pottery, they used irrigation to get water to their crops, they used bronze metal (and later iron metal) to make strong tools and weapons, and used looms to weave cloth from wool.
Main Man of Mesopotamia
Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sargon the Great "the Great King", was a Semitic Akkadian emperor famous for his conquest of the Sumerian city-states in the 24th and 23rd centuries BC
GeographyAs you can saw on your map, the region called Mesopotamia lies between Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf. The region is part of a larger area called the Fertile Crescent, a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland. The Fertile Crescent extends from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
River flow from their source in the Zagros Mountain Range begins in northwestern Iran and roughly corresponds to Iran's western border, and it spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau, ending at the Strait of Hormuz.
Mesopotamia: Civilization Formula
Sargon … Short lived. Sargon was a great king and some great kings followed him. But in terms of history the Akkadians had a short rule.
They didn’t last long and lost control in 2200 B.C. That is only 170 years after they took over.
That is a far cry from the Chinese Dynasties we studied. But only about 50 years shorter than the United States has been in existence.
Blueprint for Future Generations. All the Mesopotamian civilizations to follow – Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian – adopted Sumerian culture and made it their own. The Sumerians were the originators whom everyone copied.
In addition to creating the first forms of writing, the Sumerians invented the plow, the wheel, and used bronze tools. Their impact was so great that we feel it today when we hear about the Great Flood. The story of the Great Flood can be found in the Torah, Koran, and the Bible. This flood story appeared 1st in the Sumerian legend The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Babylon - With the fall of the Akkadian Empire, a power vacuum existed throughout Mesopotamia. No lasting empire established itself until the coming of the Amorites out of the Arabian Desert. The Amorites were better known as Babylonians – named after the city they founded in central Mesopotamia called Babylon. Babylon became the most well known city in all of Mesopotamia. It was supposed to have been breath-taking. Its ziggurat was immense. The walls surrounding the city were said to be so thick that chariots could easily ride atop them. A king of Babylon would have one the ancient wonders of the world built there – The Hanging Gardens. The most famous king of the Babylonians was, however, not this man, but one of its earliest kings – Hammurabi.
Hammurabi One of the first kings of babylon.
Hammurabi was a great conqueror, and basically reconquered the old Akkadian Empire. Under his rule, Babylon controlled all of Mesopotamia. Hammurabi is not remembered mostly as a conqueror, however. His legacy was in the law code he established.
Code of Hammurabi c. 1780 BCBabylonianBasalt
This is the upper part of the stele that is approximately 7' 4" tall. The laws, written in cuneiform, are inscribed on the lower part of the monument.
Hammurabi, King of Babylon reunited Mesopotamia and instituted the Code of Hammurabi, a comprehensive set of laws addressing nearly all aspects of both civil and criminal offenses.
Hammurabi is portrayed receiving the laws directly from Shamash the sun god. (a parallel to Moses can be made here). Shamash is the dominate figure—he is seated on his throne, wears a crown composed of four pairs of horns, holds a ring and staff, and has flames issuing from his shoulders. Although Hammurabi is subservient to the god he still makes a powerful authority statement by addressing the god directly. Even though he has his hand raised in reverence he shows that he has a personal relationship with the gods while mere mortals do not.
Assyrians After the Babylonian Empire fell the next mesopotamian empire was the Assyrians.
The Assyrians were known as the most warlike and cruel of the Mesopotamian peoples.
They were geniuses in war. They had a well-organized and well-equipped army. They made use of chariots and simple siege equipment. Plus, they relied on their reputation for brutality to get people to surrender without much of a struggle. Ashurbanipal, 669-626 (the last of the powerful Assyrian kings) was especially known for his cruelty. The Assyrians conquered all of Mesopotamia, Palestine, and Egypt.
Assyrians built permanent roads to move troops quickly. They established the first postal system to allow communication between the capital of Nineveh (in northern Mesopotamia) and the outskirts of the empire.The Assyrians spread themselves too thin and could not control their empire for very long. Various enemies attacked and the empire collapsed. The Chaldeans were the strongest of Assyria’s enemies and they assumed control.
Warlike Assyrians
Infantry Weapons
Slings and Arrows
Cavalry Weapons and Chariots
Siege Engines
Primary Source: There are several accounts of their warfare.
They were known for their fast chariots.
They killed everyone.
They made fear a weapon.
Beheaded their captives.
Were extremely brutal when they defeated cities killing women and children.
The Chaldeans are also known as Neo-Babylonians, because the capital of their empire was Babylon.
The Neo-Babylonians greatest king was Nebuchadnezzar. He was the Babylonian king who had the Hanging Gardens built.
The Persians destroyed the power of the Neo-Babylonians in 539 B.C. under the leadership of Cyrus the Great. The king of Babylon at the time of the invasion was a man called Nabonidus. Nabonidus may have been mentally ill. He stayed many years away from his kingdom, was cruel, and forced the people of Babylon to remove the images of their gods. Nabonidus preferred the god Sin over the traditional god of the Neo-Babylonians, Marduk. Needless to say, Nabonidus was not popular in Babylon. Cyrus defeated Nabonidus in battle, and Nabonidus fled back to Babylon. Cyrus had no trouble in getting Babylon’s inhabitants to open the city’s gates. Cyrus entered Babylon without a fight, and Nabonidus was presumably executed. Cyrus made his son Cambyses the new king of Babylon
Neo-Babylon
ISHTAR GATE
Hanging Garden of Babylon
One of the 7 ancient wonders of the world.
New Babylon.
Disclaimer
All information in this document is from internet and text sources.