The Cradle of Civilaztion

The Beginnings of the Middle East

In the Beginning...

The earliest city in the world can be found in the Middle

East. It is believed that Jericho was formed in 8,000 b.c.

Specialization started here!

Some people farmed, some hunted, others made cloth, pots

and tools. Trade developed because of this.

Mesopotamia became the center of the world!

The Tigris and Euphrates River formed a valley here.

Rivers were important for irrigation, freshwater, travel, trade and food.

BrainPop Break

Check out the movie about the first known civilizations, the Sumerians. Go to 549online.org and login. Go to PWMS, then Kovash Geography. Click on the Brainpop video link under the Middle East.

Go Sumerians!!

They dominated because...They had weapons!

They had a lot of food so they could do other cool things like arts and writing and trade!

They loved math! (60 and 360)

They invented writing!

Every city had their own government!

Other details

Every city was surrounded by a wall formed of river mud and reeds. They baked them in the sun and they became waterproof.

The walls still can be seen 6,000 years later!

Kings, Priests and Government Officials

Artisans, farmers, fishers, merchants (largest group)

Slaves who worked on farms on in temples.

Only men could go to school. Women could own land and businesses though.

Class System

Other Inventions...

In addition to the wagon wheel, they invented the sailboat,

plow, number system based on 60, and a 12 month calendar

based on the moon cycles.

And then came the Babylonians

They created the first EMPIRE (a group of many different lands under one ruler).

They were able to do this because of a strict set of laws created by their King Hammurabi. He took the best laws from the city states he conquered and made one “code”. These laws later influenced Greece and the Romans.

You be the Judge!

Caught in the act of robbery?

If a son strikes his father?

If someone strikes a man of higher rank?

If someone falsely accuses someone else?

Who was More harsh?

Caught in the act of robbery? Death

If a son strikes his father? Cut off his hand

If someone strikes a man of higher rank? Whipped 60 times in public

If someone falsely accuses someone else? Death

You Judge Again

If a contractor builds a house but a wall caves in?

If a judge makes an error in a case?

How did you do?

If a contractor builds a house but a wall caves in? The contractor must use his own money to repair.

If a judge makes an error in a case? He may never judge again and must pay a fine.

The Assyrians

• The first army to use IRON for weapons (way better than bronze)!

• Their armies dominated! They had ranks and specialists.

Charge!•Foot soldiers

first.

•Bow and Arrow experts.

•Chariot Riders

•Horseback Soldiers

ATTACK!• The Assyrians would

• Tunnel under the walls

•Climb over the walls with ladders (see the scene from Lord of the Rings)

• Load tree trunks and use them as battering rams on the gate.

• Burn the city and take the people as slaves.

However...

• They did have ancient libraries that contained 125,000 tablets of stories, songs to gods and knowledge taken from conquered people.

Conquered...

• Their cruel and unusual way of governing led to rebellions and they were conquered by the Chaldeans.

In come the Chaldeans

• They made Babylon the richest city in the world.

• There was a HUGE Ziggurat in the center that reached 300 feet.

Ahhh... what people do for love...

• King Nebuchadnezzar created the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in his palace for his wife who loved gardens and missed her home in the mountains (they were surrounded by deserts remember).

Money!

• Because Babylon was between the Persian Gulf and the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, they became rich from trade.

They also...

• Were the one of the first to create a sundial and follow a seven day week.

What? They were conquered too?

• They were conquered in 539 B.C. by the Persians. Mesopotamia was now controlled by the Persians... a whole new power.