WARM UP/ EQ

What are the five characteristics of a civilization?

MesopotamiaFertile Crescent

Geography

Fertile Crescent: Arc of land between Persian Gulf and Mediterranean

Mesopotamia: “land between the rivers”- Tigris and Euphrates flood yearly, leaving rich soil (Modern-day Iraq)

Map of Iraq

Environmental challengesAround 3300 BC Sumerians begin farming MesopotamiaFloods are unpredictable,

sometimes no rainLand has no barriers to

invasionLand has few natural

resources- lacks building materials

Solutions Build irrigation ditches to control water, produce crops

Build walled cities for defense

Trade grain, cloth, and tools for raw materials (stone, wood, metal)

Organization, leadership, and laws are beginning of civilization

Sumerians Create City-States

City-state: independent political unit

By 3000 BC Sumerians have built city-states surrounded by fields of crops

Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma, and Ur are largest

Ziggurat

Sumer

Priests and Rulers

Early governments are controlled by priests

After 2500 BC, military leaders become rulers, establish dynasties.

Dynasty: Series of rulers from a single family

By 2500 BC, many new cities in F.Crescent- Sumerians exchange products and ideas with other cultures

Cultural diffusion: process of one culture spreading to others

Religion

Polytheism: Belief in many different gods: this is what the Sumerians believe

Gods believed to control the forces of nature. They behave as humans do, but people are gods’ servants

Culture

Sumerians have social classes- kings, landholders, priests at the top

Merchants next, slaves are lowest

Women have many rights- become priests, merchants, artisans

Science/ Technology

Invent wheel, sail, plow, bronze

Develop arches, columns, ramps, pyramids

Study arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, chemistry, medicine

Empire builders

Constant war from 3000 to 2000

Sargon from Akkad defeats Sumer around 2350, creates Empire: independent states under control of one leader

Lasts 200 years

Babylonia

Amorites take control of region around 2000 BC, make Babylon the capital

Hammurabi- great leader (1792-1750) Code: Comprehensive code of laws for empire

282 laws cover all topics- Goal is for government to take responsibility for order and justice.

Ishtar Gate