Mesopotamia Unit

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Settled community, w/ domesticated plants/animals
Could support large populations
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As population increase, so did complexity
One earliest village
Catal Huyuk

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Sumer 1 st civilization
5000 BCE develop city states S. Mesopotamia
Invented wheel, buildings, irrigation systems, plow, bronze weapons, writing (cuneiform)
Important:
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Each city state independent
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City states fought o/ irrigable land & trading rights
Future leaders would try unite lands/people into empire

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“Land b/t Rivers”
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Tigris & Euphrates
Flood April-June
Modern day Iraq
Arid climate
Very hot & dry, little rainfall
Regional differences however
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Resources
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Had water & fertile soil = “gifts”
Lacked stone, timber, copper, tin, iron, gold
Encouraged foreign trade
Geography/Climate caused people have pessimistic attitude

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Akkad
Sargon the Great
Babylonia
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Hammurabi
Assyria
Assurnasirpal
Sennacherib
Esarhaddon
Assurbanipal
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Babylonia II
Nabopolassar
Nebuchsdnezzar

Hammurabi Code Project

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282 percepts/laws
Dealt w/ social, family issues

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Healthcare
Criminal Justice System
Family Life
Jobs
Slaves
Military

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Was Hammurabi’s form of justice fair?
Were the laws appropriate for their time period?
Do you think these laws were actively followed and enforced?
Should laws promote punishment or reform?

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Polytheistic
Belief many gods
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Anthropomorphic
Human-like characteristics
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Had human emotions
Compassionate, cruel
Also envisioned darker powers
(demons/monsters)

Pazuzu
Lamashtu
Huwawa

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An/Anu
Father of Gods; God of
Sky
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Enlil
God of Air
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Utu/Shamash
Sun God; God of Truth and Justice
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Nanna/Sin
Moon God
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Inanna/Ishtar
Goddess of Love and War
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Ninhursag
Mother Earth
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Enki/Ea
God of Fresh Waters; God of Magic, Wisdom, Arts
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Marduk
National God of Babylon

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Tiered temple made of mud-bricks
Dwellings places of the gods
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Each city-state had a patron god
Only priests permitted inside ziggurat

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In earliest days, King chief priest
Later professional priesthoods
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Various duties:
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Ritual slaughter animals
Interpret omens
Singing songs
Provide regular offerings of food and refreshments to deity

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Practice of women offering sex for pay on the sacred grounds of the Temple of Ishtar

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Participated public festivals
Tried to predict “heaven’s will”
Exorcism

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No notion of an afterlife where the good were rewarded
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Life after Death was dismal and bleak
“Land of No Return”

Buddhas of Bamiyan Pyramid Menkaure

Mosel Museum Temple Bel

4 Horses St. Marks The Amber Room