Empires of Mesopotamia

3500 BCE to 530 BCE

Geography

The land between two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates

Modern day Iraq South was a flat flood plain with

unpredictable floods. The upside was rich fertile land.

North was more mountainous with resources of Iron, wood, gold and silver

Southern Iraq - Kish

Sumer 3500 - 1900

Migrated from the northeast (Iran) Established independent city-states (Define) Ur would be the largest city-state at 24 000

people The city-states of Sumer would unite under

Etana of Kish. Their success made them attractive to outsiders.

Enter Sargon the Great.

Sumerian Ziggurat

Sargon The Great

Sargon 2340-2305

Came from Semetic tribes in the mountains

He would rule over all of Sumerian and would conquer from the Persian Gulf to Egypt.

Sumerian Empire

Technology

Cuneiform- first written language using wedges and symbols.

The wheel – used chariots for warfare Math based on the number 60 The oldest piece of literature – The Epic

of Gilgamesh The shoulder yoke for using animals to

plough fields

Babylonia With the death of Sargon, Sumer would fight for

power. This made them weak and open to invasion. The Amorites were a Tribe from the west (Syria) The First great king was Hammurabi (1792-1750).

He created the first codified system of law. The Babylonians were seen as great traders,

trading as far away as India and Egypt. After Hammurabi there came a series of invasions.

The Hittites from Turkey, Indo Europeans from Russia and the Kassites from the east.

King Hammurabi

Assyria 1300-609

Capital is Ashur Sargon II attacks Israel (722) Esarhaddon captures Egypt Ashurbanipal is their greatest ruler A violent war like people who ruled through

fear Built the Palace of Nineveh, a library with

22000 clay tablets, sewage system, and a postal service.

Palace of Nineveh

Ashurbanipal

Neo-Babylonia- Chaldea

Combined forces with the Medes to defeat Assyria. Great ruler was King Nebuchadnezzar. It is said

that he built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Turned Babylon into a great walled city. Nebuchadnezzar would crush Jerusalem, destroy

the Temple and force the Hebrews into slavery. Belshazzar would be the last King of the

Mesopotamians. Cyrus the Great would establish the mighty Persian Empire.

Hanging Gardens

Ishstar Gate