Unit 4: Mesopotamia- The Land Between the Rivers

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1 Unit 4: Mesopotamia- The Land Between the Rivers 1

2 Copy only the words that are in red! 2

3 Fertile Crescent The Fertile Crescent is a strip of well watered soil shaped like a quarter moon. The fertile crescent covers the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. 3

4 Geography Fertile Crescent Large arc of rich, fertile farmland Extends from Persian Gulf to Mediterranean Sea Ideal for farming fertile soil and water supply 4

5 Mesopotamia Mesopotamia means, land between the rivers and got its name because it was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. 5

6 Tigris and Euphrates Rivers The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers begin in Eastern Turkey, and flow southeast, converge in Iraq and empty in the Persian Gulf. The Tigris and Euphrates are the two great rivers of ancient Mesopotamia. The two rivers run parallel to each other. 6

7 Geography Mesopotamia u Mesopotamia was approximately 300 miles long and 150 miles wide. u The two rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates. u It is located between Asia Minor and Persian Gulf. u Mesopotamia is now located in the presentday Middle Eastern country of Iraq. 7

8 Think About: How did geographic features influence the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent? 8

9 Tigris Now Euphrates now 9

10 Then and Now! 10

11 Geography Early Mesopotamian farmers used water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to water their fields. The rivers would often flood, causing massive damage to crops, homes and livestock. However, the Mesopotamians knew the floods were also beneficial, as they caused the silt (small particles of soil found in rivers) to rise and end up on banks after the flooding went down. The silt was very good soil for farming Over time, the people of Mesopotamia learned to build dams or levees, which helped control the water during floods. They would use and direct this controlled water to water their fields. This method of watering crops is called irrigation. 11

12 Geography One of the benefits of the development of irrigation was that it eventually created a surplus (extra amounts) of food/crops. u This meant that some of the farmers were not needed and could go into more specialized fields such as making clothes, pottery, tools and weapons. u As more and more people began to make different goods, people s lives changed «They began to live together in places that favored certain trades (where they could sell more of their product). u By 3000 B.C., Sumer was developed in Southern Mesopotamia. 12

13 The Sumerian City-Sates ( B.C.E.) 13

14 Sumerian City-States ( B.C.E.) The Sumerians were the first people to develop an advanced civilization in Mesopotamia. The Sumer s built the first cities in Southwest Asia: Ur, Uruk, and Eridu. Sumer civilization was made up of several city-states, small, independent cities with surrounding villages and farms. The cities are thought to have been protected by a large city wall, with the gates open during the day but closed at night. These cities often went to war with one another for resources and political borders. 14

15 Religion The Sumerian people worshipped many gods, a type of belief known as polytheism. The Sumerians thought that different gods had different roles, such as some having the power over rain or wind, or even things like brick-making. Each city-state worshipped all gods but claimed one as its own. 15

16 Religion To honor its god, each city-state often had a large temple, called a Ziggurat. Means to rise high Largest building in each city Located in the center of each Sumerian city-state Only priests were allowed to go to the Ziggurat In the early days, the priests ruled the city-states; later on, the Sumerian city-states became monarchies. The Sumerian kings claimed that their right to rule came from the gods. 16

17 Social Sumerian Social Class Hierarchy Upper Class: Kings, priests, warriors, government officials Middle Class: Merchants, farmers, fishers, artisans Largest social group Lower Class: Enslaved people This included- Workers that had been captured in war Criminals People who could not pay their debts Enslaved men and women worked for the upper class 17

18 Social Women and men had different roles in Sumer Men were the head of the home (they were in charge of decision making) Boys went to school and were trained for a specific job. Women ran the home (cleaned, cooked, etc.) and cared for children Girls were taught to do the same as their mothers (run the home and care for children) Women had a few civil rights; some owned businesses If you lived in Sumer, you were most likely a farmer In order to get the things they needed, the Sumerians traded with people as far away as Egypt and India 18

19 Contributions The Sumerians created the first civilization that had a great influence on society. Many of the later civilizations copied and improved the ideas and inventions that began in Sumer. Sumer is called the cradle of civilization because it was the beginning of organized human society. 19

20 Contributions Writing Technology and Mathematics Sailboat Wheel Wooden Plow Used geometry to measure the size of fields and to plan buildings Math system based on the number minute hour, 60 second minute, and 360 degree circle we use today (geometry) Potter s wheel to shape clay into bowls and jars Bronze for tools, weapons and jewelry 12-month calendar based on the cycles of the moon 20

Contributions Of all the contributions made by the Sumerians to the world, writing is perhaps the most important. The writing system they developed was the earliest known system in the world.

21 Contributions Of all the contributions made by the Sumerians to the world, writing is perhaps the most important. The writing system they developed was the earliest known system in the world. Developed cuneiform: a way of writing The word cuneiform means wedge. A form of writing using wedge- shaped symbols They were first used to keep business records. 1,200 different characters were used, representing things such as names, objects, and numbers. The symbols looked like the object 21

22 Contributions Only a few people learned how to read and write cuneiform, mostly the wealthy After years of training, some students became scribes, or official record keepers Sumerians told stories for centuries and after developing writing, were finally able to record these stories The world s oldest known story, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is from Sumer Written more than 4,000 years ago and is still studied today An epic is a long poem that tells the story of a hero 22

23 The Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh ruled Uruk in southern Mesopotamia sometime around According to mythology, he was a god and a human. It is believed that Gilgamesh was a harsh ruler until his friendship with Enkidu (EN kee doo) taught him to be fair and kind. In this epic poem, Gilgamesh faces many challenges. He suffers many losses and must confront his biggest fear: death. Eventually, Gilgamesh learns he cannot avoid death. This excerpt tells the story of when Gilgamesh and his friend, Enkidu, decide to become heroes. They set out to kill Humbaba (hum BAH bah), a monstrous giant who ruled the cedar forest where gods lived. Humbaba has the face of a lion and his breath ignites fire, while his roar unleashes floods. Don't be afraid, said Gilgamesh. We are together. There is nothing We should fear from Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative tr. Herbert Mason 23

24 The Epic of Gilgamesh Enkidu was afraid of the forest of Humbaba And urged him [Gilgamesh] not to go, but he Was not as strong as Gilgamesh in argument, And they were friends: They had embraced and made their vow To stay together always, No matter what the obstacle. Enkidu tried to hold his fear... Don t be afraid, said Gilgamesh. We are together. There is nothing We should fear. I learned, Enkidu said, when I lived with the animals never to go down into that forest. I learned that there is death in Humbaba. Why do you want to raise his [Humbaba s] anger?... After three days they reached the edge of the forest where Humbaba s watchman stood. Suddenly it was Gilgamesh who was afraid, Enkidu... reminded him to be fearless. The watchman sounded his warning to Humbaba. The two friends moved slowly toward the forest gate. When Enkidu touched the gate his hand felt numb, He could not move his fingers or his wrist, His face turned pale like someone s witnessing a death[.] He tried to ask his friend for help Whom he had just encouraged to move on, But he could only stutter and hold out His paralyzed hand. from Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative, tr. Herbert Mason 24

25 Akkadian Empire ( B.C.E.) 25

26 Akkadian Empire ( B.C.E.) By around 2400 B.C., Sumer s city-states were weakening due to conflict. u As Sumer s strength faded, powerful kingdoms arose in northern Mesopotamia and their neighbor, Syria. Akkad was a city located on the banks of the Euphrates River, in northern Mesopotamia. Akkad was founded by Sargon, who rose to power after defeating one of Sumer's kings. Sargon then expanded his powerful army and began to conquer the other city-states of Sumer one by one. The people of Akkad were known as Akkadians. 26

27 Akkadian Empire ( B.C.E.) He united these conquered city-states to create the world's first empire, or large group of cities or regions governed by one supreme leader. Under Sargon's rule, Akkadian became the common language of Mesopotamia, and Sumerian language was used only for religious purposes. 27

28 Akkadian Empire ( B.C.E.) The Akkadians rule over Mesopotamia lasted for over 200 years before invaders conquered it. After Sargon's death, the Akkadian Empire fell from power, and various city-states battled for control of Mesopotamia. 28

29 Babylonian Empire ( B.C.E.) 29

30 Babylonian Empire ( B.C.E.) A group of people called the Amorites conquered Mesopotamia around the 1800s B.C. They built many cities, with the grandest of these cities called Babylon. This was the old Babylon. u It was located on the eastern bank of the Euphrates river in what is current day Iraq. Hammurabi was the city's sixth king, as he conquered cities to the north and south that were controlled by the Amorites (around 1792 B.C.) He won control over all of Mesopotamia after a series of swift battles and created the Babylonian Empire. 30

31 Babylonian Empire ( B.C.E.) Hammurabi s Code Hammurabi was thought to be a just (fair) ruler. His most famous accomplishment is creating a set of laws for his empire, called Hammurabi s Code. Hammurabi s Code was stricter than the old Sumerian laws. The code essentially created the expression, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The code protected the less powerful such as women (i.e. abuse from their husbands) The code influenced later law codes, such as those of Greece and Rome. 31

32 Babylonian Empire ( B.C.E.) The Hammurabi Code dealt with crimes, farming, business, marriage, and the family---almost every aspect of life. The code listed a punishment for each crime. Following Hammurabi s death, his empire fell apart and Babylonia dwindled in size (became smaller) and scope until Babylon was easily overtaken by the Hittites. 32

33 Assyrian Empire ( B.C.E.) 33

34 Assyrian Empire ( B.C.E.) The Assyrian Empire arose about 1,000 years after the Empire of Hammurabi. Assyria was a large empire, extending into four modern-day countries: u Turkey u Syria u Iran u Iraq Around 900 B.C., their powerful military began to take over the rest of Mesopotamia. 34

35 Assyrian Empire ( B.C.E.) u u u u The Assyrians ruled with a combination of organized government and terror. The army of Assyria was well trained and disciplined. u In battle, troops numbered around 50,000 soldiers. u They fought with slingshots, bows and arrows, swords and spears. They often completely destroyed the cities they captured, and either killed or enslaved the residents. Their weaponry was a key factor in their success, as they learned to use iron weapons. u They learned this from the Hittites, a group of people to the north who had mastered iron production. Developed: u Standing Army: Army as a career u Citizen Army: Would fight when needed 35

36 Assyrian Empire ( B.C.E.) Assyria extended from the Persian Gulf in the east to the Nile River in the west. The capital of Assyria was located at Nineveh along the Tigris river. Because Assyria was so large, the leaders split up the empire into provinces, or political districts. The lives of the Assyrians were based on what they learned from the Mesopotamians. They had law codes but their punishments were harsher (worse). They worshipped many of the same gods. Based their writing on Babylonian writing. One of the ancient Assyrian kings, Ashurbanipal, built one of the world s first libraries in Nineveh. u u It contained 25,000 tablets of stories and songs to the gods. Historians have studied and learned much about civilizations based on this library. 36

37 Assyrian Empire ( B.C.E.) For 300 years, Assyria ruled the area from the Persian Gulf to Egypt. u Because of their very strict rules and punishments, people often rebelled against the rulers. u In about 650 B.C., Assyria was in turmoil deciding who would be the next leader. u This is when the Chaldeans took power. 37

38 Chaldean Empire ( B.C.E.) 38

39 Chaldean Empire ( B.C.E.) Chaldea was another name for Babylonia. Centuries before they actually took power, they were living in southern Mesopotamia, under the control of the Assyrians. They hated the Assyrians and their harsh rulers. In 627 B.C., while the Assyrians were fighting each other, Chaldean King Nabopolassar led a revolt against the Assyrians. Within a year, he was crowned the king of Babylonia. Because most of the Chaldeans were descendants of Hammurabi s Babylonia, the new king and his son, Nebuchadnezzar, created the new Babylonian Empire. Once Nabopolassar died, Nebuchadnezzar became king. He rebuilt Babylon and made it the capital of his empire. 39

40 Chaldean Empire ( B.C.E.) Huge palaces and temples were built in the center of Babylon. A gigantic ziggurat stood more than 300 feet tall, being able to be seen for miles when the sun hit its golden roof. Just as impressive as the ziggurat, the king s palace had a giant staircase of greenery, better known as the Hanging Gardens. One of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World The Babylonians also built many new canals, which helped to make the land even more fertile. The Babylonian empire had a very efficient government due to its size. This included high taxes and tributes (forced payments) from citizens. Outside the center of Babylon, there were houses and marketplaces were people made and sold pottery, cloth, and baskets. Merchants came in through various trade routes in caravans (traveling groups). They bought Babylonian goods, making Babylon an extremely wealthy empire. 40

41 The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 41

42 Chaldean Empire ( B.C.E.) The people of Babylonia/Chaldeans also made many scientific advancements including: Mapping the stars, planets and the phases of the moon as it changed. They studied astronomy-the study of the heavenly bodies They also invented one of the first sundials to measure time. They were the first to follow a 7-day week. After Nebuchadnezzar died, a series of weak kings ruled the Chaldean Empire (New Babylon/Babylonia). Poor harvests and weak trade were also to blame for the decline of the empire. In 539 B.C., the Persians saw that the Chaldeans were weak and took aim. They took advantage and made Mesopotamia part of their empire. Thankfully, they were smart enough not to destroy it upon their conquest, like so many before them. They recognized the distinct culture that abounded Mesopotamia; they did not want to destroy all that the Chaldeans had accomplished. 42

43 Persian Empire ( B.C.E) 43

44 Persian Empire ( B.C.E) The Persian people, were originally cattle herders, who lived peacefully until they were conquered by warriors from the Mesopotamia. This attack infuriated Cyrus, a Persian general. In 550 B.C.E., he organized armies and began a long series of conquests of Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Canaan, Egypt, India, and parts of southeastern Europe. The Persians were tolerant rulers who respected the different religions, languages, and customs of the people under their rule. The Persians divided their empire into provinces, and built a series of well-constructed roads to make rapid communication between the provinces possible. In the fourth century Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire. 44

45 Vocabulary Silt - Small pieces of very fertile soil, silt is left behind on the river banks after floods and is very good for farming Irrigation - A system that supplies dry land with water through ditches, pipes, or streams, this is necessary to farm in drier areas of the world Surplus - The amount of something left over after needs are met, a food surplus means that food can be stored for later use. Having a surplus means you can have more people come together in larger cities. City-state - A city that governs itself and the territory around it, famous examples include Athens, Sparta, Akkad, and Ur. Polytheism - Belief in many gods, most ancient religions had this form of religion Monotheism - The belief in one god, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are this type of religion 45

46 Vocabulary Ziggurat - A pyramid-shaped structure with a temple at the top, ziggurat means to rise high in ancient Akkadian, these were the type of pyramids built in the Middle East Cuneiform - A system of writing developed by the Sumerians that used wedge-shaped marks made in soft clay tablets Scribe - A person who copies or writes out documents, often a recordkeeper Epic - A long poem that records the deeds of a legendary or real hero Empire - A large territory or group of territories governed by one ruler Tribute - A payment made to a ruler or nation as a sign of surrender Province - A territory governed as a political district of a country or empire Caravan - A group of merchants traveling together for safety, usually with a large number of camels 46

47 Vocabulary Astronomer - A person who studies planets and stars Hammurabi s Code - A code of law written by the Babylonian King Hammurabi to create punishments for crimes and set up laws to control his people Fertile Crescent - A crescent shaped region in the Middle East between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers with great soil for farming where the Mesopotamian Civilization began Bronze Age - The period of ancient human culture when people began to make and use Bronze instead of stone for tools and weapons Monarchy - A government whose ruler, a king or queen, inherits the position from a parent. Theocracy - A government based on religion with laws also based on religious beliefs 47

6th Grade - Chapter 4 Mesopotamia. Sumerians & Mesopotamian Empires

6th Grade - Chapter 4 Mesopotamia Sumerians & Mesopotamian Empires Lesson 1: The Sumerians The Sumerians made important advances in areas such as farming and writing that laid the foundation for future