Mesopotamia:
The Fertile Crescent
Chapter 3 Notes
Fertile Crescent
◊ Fertile Crescent =
moon-shaped strip of
land from the
Mediterranean Sea to
the Persian Gulf that
is excellent farm land
• Located in modern-day
Middle East
Mesopotamia
◊ Mesopotamia = located
within the Fertile Crescent,
between the Tigris &
Euphrates Rivers
• Rivers were NOT a reliable
source of water (unlike the
Nile)
• Ran dry in summer; flooded in
spring
• Villages joined together to
build dams, canals, and
ditches
The Sumerian Civilization
◊ People from Asia arrived
in Mesopotamia
◊ Formed 12 city-states =
the city and the land
surrounding it
• Considered the world’s 1st
cities
◊ Created ziggurats =
stepped pyramids with a
temple at the top
The Sumerian Civilization
◊ Sumerians shared common culture,
language, and religion
◊ City-states governed themselves
◊ Were theocracies = kings served as
both government leaders AND high
priests
◊ Laws regulated the roles of women &
men  men had far more rights
The Sumerian Civilization
◊ Cuneiform
= Sumerian
system of
writing
• The
symbols
represented
complex
ideas
The Sumerian Civilization
◊ Scribes were
trained to read
& write
documents and
stories
• Epic of
Gilgamesh =
oldest story in
the world
The Sumerian Civilization
◊ Practiced
polytheism = belief
in more than one god
• Each city-state had its
own god
• Negative outlook on
life and the afterlife
• Believed gods were
selfish and had no
regard for humans
Sumerian Inventions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Wagon Wheel
Arch
Potter’s Wheel
Sundial
12-month
Calendar
6. Metal Plow
First Mesopotamian Empires
The Akkadians
◊ Empire under Sargon I
◊ Kingdom was called
Akkad
◊ Conquered & united all
of the Sumerian citystates
◊ Empire fell apart after
his & his grandson’s
death
First Mesopotamian Empires
Babylon
◊ Ruled by Hammurabi
◊ Strict Code of Laws = Hammurabi’s
greatest achievement
• Rules and consequences that addressed
daily life
• Law code covered entire region of
Mesopotamia
• “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” type of
laws
• Government assumed the responsibility of
protecting its citizens
• People now had laws to protect their
rights & didn’t need to resort to violence
First Mesopotamian Empires
Babylon
◊ Social classes were similar to the
Egyptians, but they had far more slaves
◊ Hammurabi’s empire fell apart after his
death