Western Asia and Egypt3500 – 500 BC

Chapter ObjectivesExplain the impact of geographyDescribe the significance of religionList major sets of lawsName the first empires and why they

declinedList characteristics of life in these societiesDescribe the effects of wars and conquestsIdentify the importance of early inventions

Lesson Essential QuestionWhat were the main features of Sumerian civilization?

Graphic OrganizerPolitical Life Cultural Life Inventions

Civilization begins in Mesopotamia The Impact of Geography The City-States of Ancient Mesopotamia Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia The Code of Hammurabi The Importance of Religion The Creativity of the Sumerians

The Impact of GeographyMesopotamia- valley between the Tigris and

Euphrates RiversEastern end of the Fertile Crescent

Fertile Crescent- arc of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian GulfHad rich soil and abundant cropsAble to support early civilizations

The Impact of Geography (cont)Mesopotamia had little rain, but soil had

been enriched by layers of siltTigris and Euphrates Rivers often overflowed

in late Spring, depositing their fertile siltDepended on melting snow from mountainsFloods were unpredictable

Irrigation and drainage ditches allowed for regular growing of cropsAbundance of food allowed for emergence of

civilization

Think-Pair-ShareLook at the map on page 38 answer the

geography skills questions regarding the map.

Talk about and answer the following question.What role did geography play in the

development of Mesopotamian civilization? The land between the two rivers was filled with silt,

making the soil rich enough for systematic agriculture

The City States of Ancient MesopotamiaSumerian citiesGods, Goddesses, and RulersEconomy and Society

Sumerian CitiesBy 3000 BC, Sumerian people had

established a number of cities in southern Mesopotamia

Cities were surrounded by wallsMud bricks were used for buildingInvented the arch and the domeBuilt some of the largest brick buildings in

the world

Gods, Goddesses, and RulersThe most prominent building in a Sumerian

city was the temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of the cityOften built atop a ziggurat- massive stepped

towerBelieved gods and goddesses owned the citiesPeople devoted much of their wealth to

building temples and elaborate houses for the priests or priestesses

Temples served as the center of the city physically, economically, and politically

Gods, Goddesses, and Rulers (Cont)Early on, the Sumerians believed gods ruled

the citiesTheocracy- a government by divine authority

Eventually, ruling power was passed to the hands of kingsBelieved kings derived their power from the

godsLed armies, supervised the building of public

works, and organized workers for irrigation projects

Economy and SocietySumerian economies based primarily on

farmingTrade and industry became important

Metalwork, woolen textiles, and potteryImported copper, tin, and timber in exchange for

dried fish, wool, barley, wheat and metal goodsTraders traveled by land to the eastern

Mediterranean and by sea to IndiaInvention of the wheel in 3000 BC made

transporting goods easier

Economy and Society (Cont)3 major social groups

NoblesCommonersSlaves

Nobles- royal and priestly officials and their familiesCommoners- farmers, merchants, fishers, and

craftspeople90% or more were farmers

Slaves- belonged to palace officialsUsed mostly for building projectsWomen slaves used to weave cloth and grind grainRich landowners also had slaves, whom they used to farm

their land

Think-Pair-ShareWhy were the Sumerian city states

considered to be theocracies?Sumerians believed gods and goddesses owned

and ruled the citiesWhich people had the most power in

Sumerian city states?nobles

Empires in Ancient MesopotamiaAs Sumerian city-states grew and expanded,

conflicts aroseFought each other for control of land and water

The Sumerian city-states were also open to outside invasionFlat land

Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia (Cont)Akkadians

Semitic people to the north of Sumerian city-states

Overran other Sumerian city-states around 2340 BC

Sargon-leaderWorld’s first empire- large political unit or

state, usually under a single leader that controls many peoples or territories

Fell around 2100 BC, due to attacks from neighboring hill peoples

Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia (Cont)Babylonians

Came into control of much of Mesopotamia by 1792 BC

Came from Babylon, city-state south of AkkadHammurabi- leaderGained control of Sumer and Akkad, creating a

new Mesopotamian empireAfter Hammurabi’s death, the empire

eventually fell due to a series of weak kings

Reading ActivityAs we read about the Code of Hammurabi, pay careful

attention to what aspects of Mesopotamian society are revealed by the Code of Hammurabi.

Identify at least 5 aspects of Mesopotamian society as revealed by the Code of Hammurabi, using examples to justify answersSevere penalties for criminal offenses; different social

classes treated differently under the law; officials held accountable for enforcing laws; consumers protected against shoddy workmanship; regulated marriage; patriarchal society; women had few rights and priveledges

The Importance of ReligionMesopotamians were convinced that their

world was being controlled by supernatural forces, which were not reliableFloods, heavy downpours, heavy winds, and

humidity were all part of the climateIdentified almost 3000 gods and goddesses

polytheisticHumans were supposed to obey and serve

their godsCreated to do the manual labor the gods were

unwilling to do for themselves

The Creativity of the SumeriansCreated cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) system

of writing around 3000 BCWriting primarily used for record keeping,

however, texts were used in schools to train scribes- member s of the learned class who served as copyists, teachers, and jurists

Writing also used to communicate ideas in new waysEpic of Gilgamesh

Inventions of the Sumerians

Inventions of the

Sumerians

1. Wagon Wheel

2. Potter’s Wheel

6. Number System

5. Bronze/Metalwork

3. Sundial

4. Arch

Exit TicketUsing your notes and the book, answer the

following question.

What were the main features of Sumerian Civilization?