Civilizations of
Mesopotamia Chart
Sumerians
 See Maps/Videos…
Location
Lower Mesopotamia
Tigris and Euphrates River Valley
Cities
 Ur and other Independent City-states
Leaders
 N/A
Religion
 Polytheism
Cultural Achievements
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Writing (Cuneiform)
City States
Ziggurats
Wheel/Carts
Sundial
Arch
Government
Calendar
Bronze Tools
“Epic of Gilgamesh”
Empire/Dynasty
 Not Really
Reason for Decline
 Warring among the independent Citystates…
 Weakened itself
 Then invaded by foreign armies
(Amorites)
Babylonians
Location
 Mesopotamia—Tigris Euphrates River
Cities
 Babylon
Leaders
 King Hammurabi
Religion
 Polytheism
Cultural Achievements
 Code of Hammurabi—1st written legal
code
 Astronomy and Astrology
 Babylonian Epics
 Based on Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh
 Similar to stories of the Old Testament
Empire/Dynasty?
 YES
 Concept of Monarchy and Kings
Reason for Decline
 About 1700 BC they were invaded by
foreign armies.
Phoenicians
 Eastern Mediterranean Coast—near
Lebanon
Cities
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Tyre
Byblos
Sidon
Carthage—located in northern Africa
Leaders
 King Hiram
Religion
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Polytheism
Harsh
Child Sacrifice for fertility gods
No belief in afterlife
Cultural Achievements
 Trading/Shipping Architects
 Purple Dye (Monopoly)—so rare that only
royalty could use it
 Phonetic Alphabet (22 letters)
 Colonies
Empire/Dynasty
 Trading Empire Only----confederation of
city states.
Reasons for Decline
 Competition?
 Series of defeats by invaders into
Canaan (Israelites)
 King David?
Hittites
Location
 Northern Asia Minor (Turkey)
Cities, Leaders, Religion
 N/A?
 Polytheistic?
Cultural Achievements
 Earliest Mastery of Iron Working (about
1500 BC)
 Cultural Diffusion with other Mid-East
Civilizations/Egypt (Iron Tools/Weapons)
Empire/Dynasty
 Yes—Anatolia (Asia Minor) and Northern
Mesopotamia and Northern Syria
 Height: c. 1350-1250 BC
Reason for Decline
 Invasions by foreign armies
Assyrians
Location
 Northern Mesopotamia
 Empire expanded into all of Fertile Cresent
and Egypt
Cities
 Asher
 Nineveh
Leaders
 King Assurbanipal
Religion
 Polytheistic
Cultural Achievements
 Government—had Governors and
Provinces
 Military Roads
 Powerful Kings
 Great Library at Nineveh
 Armies outfitted with Iron weapons
Empire/Dynasty
 Yes—Cruel and violent people
 Ruthless and Brutal Empire
 Terrorized their subjects
Reason for Decline
 Invaded by Babylonians (Chaldeans)
 Nineveh sacked in 612 BC
 Fall of the Assyrian Empire
Chaldeans
Location
 All of Fertile Cresent
Cities
 Babylon
Leaders
 King Nebuchadnezar
Religion
 Polytheistic
Cultural Achievements
 Hanging Gardens of Babylon (one of the
7 wonders of the ancient world)
 Astrology and Astronomy
 Extremely accurate calendar
Empire/Dynasty
 Yes
Reasons for Decline
 Invaded and Crushed by Persian Empire
(Cyrus the Great) in 539 BC.