Mesopotamia
The Impact of
Geography
• Greeks called the area between the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Mesopotamia
• The area lies in The Fertile Crescent,
a crescent shaped area from The
Mederteranian Sea to the Persian
Gulf with fertile soil
Cont.
• Little rain fell in the area but deposits
of silt from the rivers made the land
fertile.
• Silt is a thick black mud with
nutrients that is good for farming
Cont.
• Irrigation ditches were dug to water
crops
• The result a surplus or more food
than the civilization needed
The City States of
Mesopotamia
• All cities were surrounded by wals
for defense
• The city of Urk for example had a
wall 6 miles long, with defense
towers every 30-35 feet.
Sumerian Cities
• All walls and
dwellings were
built of sun
dried mud
bricks.
City of Uruk Wall
Gods Godesses and
Rulers.
• The most important building was the
ziggurat or temple.
• All town functions whether social,
religous, or political took place at the
ziggurat.
Gods Godesses and
Rulers Cont.
The Ziggurat of Ur.
Gods Godesses and
Rulers Cont.
• Gods and Godesses owned the
cities.
• People donated their time and wealth
to building houses for the priests
who served the Gods.
Gods Godesses and
Rulers Cont.
• The Sumerians believed that the
Gods ruled the cities.
• A city ruled by a divine figure is a
theocracy.
Gods Godesses and
Rulers Cont.
• Eventually priests gave away power
to kings.
• Kings would raise an army, and
protect the empire.
• Priests worked with kings to solve
problems in the empire.
Economy and Society
• Economy based on trade.
3 major social
classes
• Nobles- Priests and Royalty
• Commoners- worked for palace and
temple estates. 90% were farmers.
• Slaves- Belonged to palace officials
and were used for building projects.
Empire
• Around 2340 BC Sargon of Akkad
defeated the Sumerian city states
and set up the 1st empire.
• An empire is a large country or state
under one ruler.
Sargon of Akkad
•
•
His empire fell
around 2100 BC
In 1792 BC
Hammurabi
created the new
empire of
Babylon
Hammurabi
• Created the first uniform code of
laws known as Hammuarbi’s Cod
• Penalties were severe and were
dictated by social class
• A crime against a noble by a
commoner or slave had the strictest
punishment.
•
•
•
•
Hammurabi Cont.
Society was patriarchal
or male dominated.
Woman’s place was in
the home
Men could divorce
women who did not bear
them a child
Adultery by a woman
was punishable by death
Religion
• Gods and Godesses controlled the
universe
• They believed in about 3,000 gods
and godesses
• A belief in many gods is called
Polytheism.
Religion Cont.
• Most powerful god Was Enlil.
• Evuil Gods were known as the
Wicked Udugs.
• After death all people regardless of
life went to the land of no return.
Technology
•
Created a system of
writing called
cuneiform, which
created impressions
on clay and then
allowed the clay to
dry.
Technology Cont.
•
•
•
•
•
Invented the wheel
Invented the sail
Invented the plow
First to use bronze
Created a base 60
number system