Mesopotamia
General History of Civilization
 First time humans formed permanent settlements
 Group of independent states that eventually united
 Domestication of animals occurred for the first time
Geography of Civilization
 Located in present-day Iraq
 Between Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Characteristic
Centralized
Leadership,
Government



Agricultural
Intensity /
Way of Life






Religion




Class
Structure


Sumerian
Kings viewed as agents
of
and
responsible to gods
Early government of
towns and villages was
democratic
Government built roads,
canals, enforced laws,
settled disputes
Fertile land
Most farmers considered
land their own
If they lost land they
might have become
sharecroppers
Sharecroppers work other
people’s land in
exchange for crops
Planting was major food
source
Made pottery, weaving,
metal work, trade with
other societies
Believed in many gods
Believed that the sun,
moon, stars were gods
Movement around them
considered magic of
spirits (their gods)
Explanation of how
things work
Lowest class was slaves
Next were “free clients”
– those who worked in





Akkadians
Ruled by Sargon the Great from
2334-2279 BCE
Capital city of Akkad
Fertile crescent on belt of farmland
Belt stretched from Mesopotamia to
Syria
Way of life similar to that of
Sumerians



Great Gods were the Seven Fates
Gods decided fate of civilization
Akkadians were very religious



Hierarchy
Sargon highest level of power
Most others equal



Science,
Technology,
Arts





Merchant
and Trade


Occupation
Specialization,
Gender Roles





Impact on

History/Society

Characteristic
Centralized
Leadership,
Government



Agricultural

exchange for land
Next were people who
owned their own land
Next were nobles
Highest were kings,
priests
Oldest full-fledged
writing ever found
(cuneiform)
Math
Kept records of supplies
Created pottery
Created first wheeled
vehicle
Farmers traded their
goods for other goods
First people to use form
of money
Most were farmers
Men dominant over
women, which was put
into law
If husband died, widow
was put under control of
his brother or father
No protection for women
under the law
Woman’s only power
was influence of her
personality within her
family
Start to basic way of life
that lived on for hundreds
of years
Many aspects of their
society are still seen in
societies today
Babylonians
King Hammurabi
Established control of
Mesopotamia because of
centralized location
Government structure
similar to Sumerian
Agriculture same as

Some positions appointed by King

Social, economic, intellectual
growth
Created pottery
Continued to develop writing







Traded merchandise such as
copper, silver, black stone
Traded these items in present-day
Turkey
Similar to Sumerians
Females were believed to have been
serving males


Legend of Sargon left a huge mark
on society
Affected archaeological inquiry
Way of life continued to evolve
government, civilization,
communications and technology


Assyrians
Same as Sumerian
Leader was Assurnasirpal II

Same as Sumerians
Intensity /
Way of Life


Assyrians were ruthless people
Large part of life was war




8600 gods and demigods
All shared same religion
Oldest recorded religion
Same as Sumerian


Gold work, ceramic bowls, board
games
Continued development of writing
System of keeping time developed
Religion


Sumerian
Similar jobs as
Sumerians
Life followed newly
developed laws
Same as Sumerian
Laws based on religion
Class
Structure
Science,
Technology,
Arts

Same as Sumerian

Developed first set of
written laws – Code of
Hammurabi
Laws divinely inspired
Continued development
of writing
Same as Sumerian


Same as Sumerian
Same as Sumerian

Same as Sumerian
Code of Hammurabi
influenced civilizations
and societies that
followed to keep written
record of laws
Many of laws and
ideologies developed by
Hammurabi still
followed today





Merchant

and Trade
Occupation

Specialization,
Gender Roles
Impact on

History/Society

Developed system of keeping
track of time to organize life
 60 second minute still used

Continued development of
civilization and government which
became dominant forces in the
successfulness of civilizations to
follow