Target 4: Mesopotamia
I can discuss the reasons how
became the place where civilization
began.
Part 1
THE DEVELOPMENT OF CITY-STATES
Problem 1 – Food Supply
The early humans are living in the
foothills of the Zagros Mountains.
Their population is growing too big,
too fast. They can not produce enough
food to feed the entire population.
So what is the solution?
They decide that they are going to
move south in the plains. There is
more land but the land is going to be
harder to farm.
Problem 2 –
Uncontrollable Water
Supply
After moving to plains, early humans
start to farm. But they realize that
getting water to irrigate their crops is a
problem. If it rains too much, their
crops will be flooded from the
overflow of the two rivers. If it rains
too little, all their crops will dry up.
So what is the solution?
They decide to create a basic irrigation
system. With the irrigation system,
they are able to give their crops
enough water without killing them.
Problem 3 – Maintaining
the Irrigation System
After creating the irrigation system, it
starts to break down frequently.
Communities are continuously sending
people to fix it and to unclog it.
So what is the solution?
Villages starting working together. As
they started working together to
maintain the irrigation system, bigger
communities were starting to form.
Problem 4 – Attacks
Neighboring Communities
Now that communities had complex
irrigation systems, other communities
became jealous. Communities who
wanted the irrigation system needed it
for their food.
So what is the solution?
They built walls around their city to
protect themselves from the invaders.
The walls were massive. This is how
the first city-state was created.
City-States
• Mesopotamia was made of several city-states.
• City-states were small, independent countries.
They each had their own ruler and provided
food for its own people.
Part 2
ACHIEVEMENTS OF SUMERIAN
CULTURE
7 Characteristics of a Civilization
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Stable Food Supply
Social Structure
Government
Religion
The Arts
Technology
Writing
Stable Food Supply
Irrigation Systems
• Able to control the water supply
even during the dry months of the
summer.
The Plow
• Allowed farmers to cultivate larger
areas of land quicker
Social Structure
Social Structure – a social class system
There were three social classes in
Sumer:
Upper class (Priests, landowners, and
government officials)
Common Class (merchants,
craftspeople, farmers, fisherman)
Slaves
Government
City-States/Kings
• Kings were “chosen by the Gods”
Organized Armies
• Well organized, killing machines.
They had chariot riders as well as
infantry.
Written Laws
• Included laws and punishments
Religion
Devotional Statues
• Used to express religious beliefs
Ziggurat
• Temple to worship their Gods.
Central focal point of the citystate.
The Arts
Games
• Played for entertainment to get
good luck
Medicine
• Used natural healing techniques
and surgery to cure diseases.
Music
• Used a lyre to praise the Gods.
Technology
Arch
• Added strength and beauty to
Sumerian Architecture
Mathematics
• Figured out how much to tax
based on how many crops they
were predicted to have
Metalworking
• Used bronze for a variety of
weapons
Sailboat
• Allowed to travel and trade by
water easier.
Wheel
• Allowed them to travel and trade
by land easier
Writing
Cuneiform
• The first written language. This
helped them with exchanging of
goods and keeping track of trades.