MESOPOTAMIA

Tuesday, November 5, 13

MESOPOTAMIA

Mesopotamia: meaning “the land between the rivers”

Tuesday, November 5, 13

FOLDABLE WORDS

Cradle of Civilization

fertility

Fertile Crescent

cuneiform

Sumerians

ziggurat

Tuesday, November 5, 13

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

Today, The Fertile Crescent includes the countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Jordan, Palestine, Kuwait, the Sinai Peninsula, and Northern Mesopotamia. It is a big place. 

Tuesday, November 5, 13

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

identified as the sites of the emergence of civilization

Consisted of various cultures

Tuesday, November 5, 13

FERTILE CRESCENT

The Fertile Crescent is known is considered the birthplace of:

agriculture

urbanization

writing

trade

Science

organized religion

Tuesday, November 5, 13

RIVERS

Tigris and Euphrates rivers

Label rivers on your map

Tuesday, November 5, 13

FERTILE CRESCENT

Label the Fertile Crescent on your map

Tuesday, November 5, 13

FERTILE

the combination of RICH soil and WATER from the rivers made Mesopotamia the most FERTILE farmland in the region

Tuesday, November 5, 13

FERTILITY

Fertile: rich in materials to sustain plant growth

Tuesday, November 5, 13

SUMERIANS

Sumerians: “land of the civilized kings”

Many historians think that cities and towns were first formed in Sumer

Tuesday, November 5, 13

SUMERIANS

Nomads moved into the fertile land and began to form small villages

these villages slowly grew into large towns

Eventually these cities developed into the civilization of the Sumer. This land is one of the cradles of civilization

Tuesday, November 5, 13

SUMERIANS CONTRIBUTIONS

invented the first form of writing,

a number system,

the first wheeled vehicles

sun-dried bricks

irrigation for farming

All of these things were important for the development of human civilization.

Tuesday, November 5, 13

SUMERIANS CONTRIBUTIONS

Government: cities formed city-states

each state had its own ruler

city-states fought each other

Tuesday, November 5, 13

CONTRIBUTIONS: RELIGION

Each city-state also had its own god

In the center of each city was a large temple to the city god called a ziggurat

The ziggurat looked like a step pyramid with a flat top

Here the priests would perform rituals and sacrifices.

Tuesday, November 5, 13

CONTRIBUTIONS: WRITING

wedge-shaped marks in clay tablets

used for four thousand years in various languages

lost and undecipherable until the 1800s!

Tuesday, November 5, 13

THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

earliest known story!

about a hero-king and his adventures

based on a real king (maybe...)

Tuesday, November 5, 13