Ancient Mesopotamia
Franceschini
Common Core SS Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:
6H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.
6H.2.1 Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions
6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society
6G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations,
societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).
6G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods, and ideas and the effects of that movement on
societies and regions over time
6G.1.4 Explain how and why civilizations, societies and regions have used, modified and adapted to their environments
6G.2.2 Construct maps, charts and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g., migration patterns and population,
resource distribution patterns.
6E.1.2 Explain how quality of life is impacted by economic choices of civilizations, societies and regions
6C&G.1.4 Compare the role (e.g., maintain order and enforce societal values and beliefs) and evolution of laws and legal systems
(e.g., need for and changing nature of codified system of laws and punishment) in various civilizations, societies and regions.
6C.1.1 Analyze how cultural expressions reflected the values of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., oral traditions, art,
dance, music, literature, and architecture).
Common Core Reading Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:
 Locate and cite details, State main ideas and summarize.
 Determine meanings of words and phrases.
 Determine how information is presented (sequentially, comparatively, etc.).
 Integrate and analyze visuals (maps, charts, pictures) etc. with text.
Common Core Writing Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:
 Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate for the task.
 Use technology and internet to produce writing.
 Informative and Explanatory Writing in the context of SS
Unit Vocabulary:
Students should write these words in their vocabulary journal and write their meaning with pictures
(when possible) as we come across them in our readings.
Neolithic Revolution
Agricultural
Revolution
Fertile Crescent
Civilization
Cradle of Civilization
Fertile
Mesopotamia
Irrigation
Tigris and Euphrates
Cuneiform
Innovation
City-States
Monarchy
Democracy
Babylonia
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ziggurat
Hammurabi
Caravan
Marduk
Tablets
Site
Phoenicia
dye
Mesopotamia > Geography
Objectives- SWBAT explain why the Fertile Crescent was the birthplace of civilization.
SWBAT ID 3 civilizations of Mesopotamia. SWBAT assess similarity between geography of
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
6G.2.1 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the
emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions
6G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of
civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of
culture.
6G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions (e.g., physical features, culture, political
organization and ethnic make-up
The Fertile Crescent is an area between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers in what is today the country of Iraq in Southwest Asia. Human beings
have been living in the Fertile Crescent for over 12,000 years. The first
people moved to the Fertile Crescent because of the available water and
good farmland between the two rivers. The first people moved around in
small groups sometimes hunting and sometimes farming. Beginning around
10,000 BC to around 4,000 BC there was the Neolithic Revolution. The
Neolithic Revolution was when these groups of people developed new farming
methods and made new stone tools. It is sometimes called the Agricultural
Revolution. Because of these new inventions, farming became easier. As a
result, people did not have to move around as much. They could stay in one
place and build large villages and towns. This was the beginning of some of
the world’s oldest civilizations. Civilizations are when people not only live
together, but they also build big cities, develop religion, develop government
and develop art and education.
The area between the Tigris and Euphrates is known as the “cradle of
civilization” because it was where some of the earliest civilizations in the
world began. Again, this was because the land between the Tigris and
Euphrates was so fertile (good for farming). The Greeks called the Fertile
Crescent Mesopotamia. Just like the Nile was a gift to the people of Egypt,
The Tigris and Euphrates were gifts to the people of this region. Many
thousands of years ago, early settlers wandered into the land between two
rivers. Natural vegetation and wildlife kept the people well fed. The rivers
provided fresh drinking water, and a place to bathe. These early people
settled down, invented a system of irrigation and began to farm.
Trade routes brought distant travelers into new lands. With them
they carried the technologies, ideas and cultures from one land to
another. Sitting in the middle of these trade routes were the civilizations
of the Middle East. Mesopotamia was the site of three great civilizations
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beginning around 3,500 BC and ending around AD 600. The three great citystate civilizations in order were Sumer, Babylonia and Assyria. A city-state
was a city with a government that controlled the land and people around it.
They were not as big as countries or empires.1
In Northern Mesopotamia, the land is fertile. There is seasonal rain.
The rivers and streams are fed from the hills and mountains of the region.
In Southern Mesopotamia, the land is mostly flat and barren. Temperatures
can rise over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. There is very little rainfall. Storms do
blow in from the Persian Gulf, which cools things off. The area does have
slight seasons. It can get quite cool at certain times of the year.
Essential Questions:
1) Why was the Fertile Crescent known as the cradle of civilization?
2) What were the three great civilizations of Mesopotamia?
3) How do you think the geography of Mesopotamia was similar to Ancient
Egypt and in what ways did the geography influence civilization?
Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers. Your questions must be
information questions. They must begin with a “Wh” word (who, what, when,
where, how, why or which)
The People and Civilizations of Mesopotamia
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided the perfect location for
these peoples to settle. These two large rivers run along side each other,
and span hundreds of miles. Between these rivers are found a crescent
shaped landscape where the soil is fertile. This area is known as the Fertile
Crescent.
Some of the first civilizations on Earth formed in the Fertile
Crescent. Many of these cities banded together forming small kingdoms.
Sumer, Babylonia and Assyria were the most prominent civilizations of the
land we call Mesopotamia.
Map Questions- Look at the map on the next page and answer the following
questions.
1. What body of water do the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers empty?
2. Where is Ancient Egypt in relation to Mesopotamia (What direction)?
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3. What desert is south of the Fertile Crescent?
4. What sea is to the west?
5. Which seas are north?
Sumer
Objectives- SWBAT list important inventions of Sumerians. SWBAT contrast Sumerian
loyalty to the city-state to our modern view of loyalty as nations.
6H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.
6H.2.1 Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions
6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society
6G.1.4 Explain how and why civilizations, societies and regions have used, modified and adapted to their
environments
6C&G.1.4 Compare the role (e.g., maintain order and enforce societal values and beliefs) and evolution of laws and
legal systems (e.g., need for and changing nature of codified system of laws and punishment) in various civilizations,
societies and regions.
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In about 3500 B.C., a people known as the Sumerians migrated from
Asia into Mesopotamia. These people founded a city located in the Sumer
Valley. In the beginning, they were an agricultural community. They grew
crops and stored food for times of need. The ancient Sumerians were very
smart. They invented the wheel, the sailboat, frying pans, razors and the
first written language called cuneiform.
Other important innovations
included plows and plow seeders for farming, hammers, axes, pottery, bronze
tools and kilns for cooking. They invented a system of mathematics based on
the number 60. Today, we divide an hour into 60 minutes, and a minute into
60 seconds. That comes from the ancient Mesopotamians.
By around 3000 B.C., the Sumerians had formed a number of complex
city-states. A city-state is a large city along with any surrounding territory
that is ruled by a single entity or ruler. It is believed that there were at
least 12 Sumerians City-States in the Fertile Crescent. The people of these
city-states shared a common culture and religion with one another. However,
their rulers had complete autonomy from one another. They ruled their citystates without any interference from the leaders of other city-states.
The ancient Sumerians built many cities along the Tigris and the
Euphrates Rivers. Archaeologists believe that their largest city, the city of
Ur, had a population of around 24,000 residents.
The ancient
Mesopotamians created a government that was a combination of monarchy
and democracy. Kings ruled the people. Elected officials who served in the
Assembly also ruled the people. Even kings had to ask the Assembly for
permission to do certain things.
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Law held a special place in their civilization. Sumerian laws were not
written down, but people knew what they were and they knew what could
happen to you if you broke the law. The Sumerian laws clearly said how you
had to behave and what your punishment would be if you did not behave
correctly. The laws that were later written down by the ancient Babylonians
were, for the most part, laws first created by the ancient Sumerians.
Around 2,000 B.C., the Sumerian city-states were conquered and
united by a succession of rulers and empire builders from Akkad. The first
great ruler was a man by the name of Sargon of Akkad. Legend suggests
that Sargon was abandoned by his mother. Placed in a reed basket, he was
pushed into the Euphrates River where he was found by a farmer in the
kingdom of Akkad. Eventually Sargon grew up and became the ruler of
Akkad. He immediately began a military campaign in which he united all the
Sumerian city-states. Following the death of Sargon’s grandson, the empire
that he had built collapsed.
About a thousand years later, the Babylonians took over Sumeria in
the south, and the Assyrians took over in the north, but the Sumerian
culture lived on.
Essential Questions:
1. Name 5 important inventions of the Sumerians and state what you
think was the significance.
2. Explain what a Sumerian city-state was. How would you contrast a
Sumerians view of loyalty to our own.
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Other Questions:
1. What did all Sumerian city-states have in common? How were they
different?
2. Explain how Mesopotamia was considered both a democracy and a
monarchy.
3. Who was Sargon and what impact did he have on Mesopotamian citystates?
Babylonia
Objectives- SWBAT write an argumentative essay stating whether or not they feel
Hammurabi’s code was just.
6H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa
Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi
6C&G.1.4 Compare the role (e.g., maintain order and enforce societal values and beliefs) and evolution of laws and
legal systems (e.g., need for and changing nature of codified system of laws and punishment) in various civilizations,
societies and regions.
About a thousand years after the ancient Sumerians settled in the
land between two rivers, two new civilizations arose. One was the warrior
civilization of the Assyrians in northern Mesopotamia. The other was the
ancient civilization of Babylonia. Babylonia was located in southern
Mesopotamia, near the Persian Gulf. Babylonia had a long history. The people
achieved a high level of civilization.
3500 years ago, Babylon was an impressive place. It was a massive
walled city, with a network of canals and vivid green crops. Even from a
distance, visitors could see the top of the 300-foot high ziggurat long
before they reached the huge city. Babylonian religious activities were
centered around the temple, the ziggurat. Like the Sumerians, the
Babylonians held elaborate festivals and had many different kinds of priests.
Their priests spent most of their time driving away evil spirits.
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Hammurabi’s Code
The most powerful and most famous Babylonia ruler was King
Hammurabi. We know a good deal about the great king Hammurabi.
Babylonian culture was based on law. Everybody had to obey the law.
Hammurabi wrote down and unified all the laws of ancient Babylonia so that
everyone had to obey the law equally, rich and poor alike.
The Sumerians had created the first written cuneiform. Using this
written language, Hammurabi created the first written set of laws. In
Hammurabi's court, it did not matter if you were rich or poor. If you broke
the law, and were found guilty, you would be punished. Since the laws were
clearly written down, everyone was expected to obey them.
Hammurabi (ca. 1792 - 1750 BC) was successful in uniting all of
Mesopotamia under his forty-three year reign of Babylon. Hammurabi’s
Code consisted of two hundred eighty-two laws concerning a wide variety of
abuses. Below are 12 examples of his code. Read for yourself and see what
you think.
The Code of Hammurabi
1. (196) If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put
out.
2. (197) If he break another man’s bone, his bone shall be broken
3. (199) If he put out the eye of a man’s slave or break the bone of a
man’s slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.
4. (200) If a man knocks out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be
knocked out.
5. (188) If an artisan has undertaken to rear a child and teaches him his
craft, he cannot be demanded back.
6. (121) If anyone store corn in another man’s house he shall pay him
storage at the rate of one gur for every five ka of corn per year.
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7. (109) If conspirators meet in the house of a tavern keeper, and these
conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the tavern
keeper shall be put to death.
8. (53) If anyone be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition and
does not so keep it,: if then the dam breaks and all the fields be
flooded, then shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for
money, and the money shall replace the corn which he has caused to be
ruined.
9. (3) If anyone bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and
does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if be a capital offense
charged, be put to death.
10. (6) If anyone steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall
be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from
him shall be put to death.
11. (22) If anyone is committing robbery and is caught, then he shall be
put to death.
12. (14) If anyone steal the minor child of another, he shall be put to
death.
Questions:
1. What are three offenses in which one can be put to death?
2. Rephrase law 188 in your own words.
3. What can one infer from laws 199 and 200 about society equity?
4. What was the purpose for writing these laws?
5. What conclusion can you draw about Hammurabi’s society?
Unit Writing Tasks:
> Use informational text to support all of your writing- pictures, maps, textbooks,
primary and secondary sources, artifacts, political cartoons, etc.
Read Hammurabi’s code. Do you think Hammurabi was justified in implementing his code?
Use specific facts to justify your opinion. Also, do you think his code would be just today?
Explain you answer
Paragraph 1 > Introduction – an interesting beginning stating your argument
Paragraph 2 > Argument 1 with justifications
Paragraph 3> Argument 2 with justifications
Paragraph 4 > Argument 3 with justifications
Paragraph 5 > Conclusion- Summarize your view in different words than your
introduction
One of the most important aspects of Babylonian religion was the ziggurat.
Ziggurats were huge "stepped" buildings. They were temples to worship their
gods.
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Assyria
Objectives- SWBAT summarize the accomplishments of Assyria.
6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time (e.g.,
agricultural technology, weaponry, transportation and communication).
The Assyrians also lived in the land between two rivers. Their home
was in northern Mesopotamia towards the mountains. They were famous
traders. Their donkeys and caravans were known throughout the
Mesopotamian area. Their religion was similar to that of Sumer and Babylon.
They worshiped many of the same gods. But they had their own language and
their own lifestyle.
The Assyrians were always at war with somebody. The warriors could
be extremely brutal and cruel to the people they conquered. Conquered
nations were heavily taxed to support the Assyrian empire. They tried to
conquer the southern regions of Mesopotamia, with an eye especially on
controlling Babylonia, but their revolts were put down. They were much more
successful attacking and conquering the people to the east and west.
Assyrian artists were very talented. We know a great deal about life
in ancient Assyria because of the wonderful legacy of art discovered by
archaeologists. Talented artisans used art to tell stories of battles and war
heroes with scenes painted on ceramics. There are scenes of warrior camps,
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men striding in armor, and war chariots, and baked bread. Bread must have
been very important to these ancient people.
Eventually, around 1200 BCE, the Assyrians were able to conquer
Babylon. Babylon was the greatest city of the age. Rather than take over
the city for their own use, the Assyrians leveled it. They hated the
Babylonians. Before they destroyed the town, they forced all the people to
move to various places in Assyria. That's what the Assyrians always did when
they conquered a new people. They moved them around so the conquered
people would find it difficult to revolt.
After they leveled the Babylon, the Assyrians began to worry. What if
Marduk, the great god, thought they were attacking him? They worried and
worried, and finally decided to rebuild the city, so that Marduk would not
punish them for destroying a city built in his honor. They really had no use
for the city. They rebuilt Babylon, but left it an empty city. Eventually,
people found the empty city and moved in. Babylon would actually rise again
to become great.
Around 600 BCE, before the people of ancient Mesopotamia were
conquered by the great Persian Empire, the last Assyrian king started a
project. He began collecting a library of clay tablets of all the literature of
Sumer, Babylon, and Assyria. No one knows how many tablets he actually
collected, but when this library was discovered in modern times, over 30,000
tablets still remained in the great Library at Nineveh, his capital
city. These tablets are our single most important source of knowledge
about ancient Mesopotamia. The tablets include the Story of Gilgamesh,
Hammurabi's Code, and many other important documents and stories created
by these amazing people - the ancient Mesopotamians.
Essential Question
1. What were Assyria’s major accomplishments?
Assignment
a. For each paragraph write down 2 important ideas and details.
b. Use your notes to write a paragraph that summarizes the
accomplishments of Assyria
Conclusion:Accomplishments of Mesopotamian Civilizations
Objectives- SWBAT summarize the accomplishments of Mesopotamian civilizations in a
graphic organizer.
Mesopotamian people had an advanced society. When a group of
people have time to develop other things besides farming and hunting in
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their society, then they become a civilization. A civilization has and makes
advancements in things such as religion, law, government and education.
Mesopotamian people have been given credit for many accomplishments.
They had many accomplishments in technology. One of the most important
was in irrigation. Irrigation refers to watering crops by bringing in water
through canals or pipes. Mesopotamian people built irrigation canals that led
from the rivers to their farms. This is what allowed them to settle in one
place permanently without having to move around constantly searching for
food. Once they were able to produce enough food, the people had time to
develop other things for society. For example, if there is enough food for
everyone then not everyone has to be a farmer. People can do other things,
like architecture (designing buildings).
Soon the Mesopotamians had organized governments, which had
armies to protect the people. Governments also collected taxes. These
taxes were used to pay for roads, buildings, armies, etc. One of the most
important rulers was a man named Hammurabi, ruler of Babylon. Hammurabi
of Babylon became so powerful that he ruled all of Mesopotamia. To keep
order he came up with a set of laws called the Code of Hammurabi. The
laws were carved in pieces of stone and placed all around Mesopotamia so
everyone would know them. This was important because Hammurabi was one
of the first to write down his laws for all to see. Mesopotamian city-states
also made advancements in architecture, government, mathematics and
writing. It would also be in Mesopotamia where three of the world’s great
religions would develop: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Essential Questions:
1) What do all civilizations have in common?
2) Name three accomplishments of Mesopotamian city-states.
3) Who was Hammurabi and why was he important?
Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers. Your questions must be
information questions. They must begin with a “Wh” word (who, what, when,
where, how, why or which)
Other Early Civilizations
6H.2.1 Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions
6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society
6G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of
civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of
culture).
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6G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods, and ideas and the effects of that
movement on societies and regions over time
6G.1.4 Explain how and why civilizations, societies and regions have used, modified and adapted to their
environments
6C.1.1 Analyze how cultural expressions reflected the values of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., oral
traditions, art, dance, music, literature, and architecture).
6C&G.1.4 Compare the role (e.g., maintain order and enforce societal values and beliefs) and evolution of laws and
legal systems (e.g., need for and changing nature of codified system of laws and punishment) in various civilizations,
societies and regions.
The Phoenicians
Objectives- SWBAT ID the location of the Phoenician civilization, list its accomplishments
and analyze how they used the environment around them.
6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time (e.g.,
agricultural technology, weaponry, transportation and communication).
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa
Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi
Mesopotamia was the site (place) of some of the earliest civilizations
but there were other significant early civilizations as well. Phoenicia began
along the eastern banks of the Mediterranean Sea in Southwest Asia
(Middle East). Today it would be the country of Lebanon. Phoenicia (fohNEE-shee-ah) is the Greek name for the Amorites. These people settled in
what are today Lebanon, Syria, and Israel.
They were later called
Canaanites or Phoenicians. Because their civilization was located on the
Mediterranean Sea, the Phoenicians became excellent seamen and
shipbuilders.
They became powerful by trading throughout the
Mediterranean. The Phoenicians colonized many areas along the
Mediterranean Sea including Cyprus and Carthage. The Phoenicians were
most powerful from about 1200 B.C. to 900 B.C.
The Phoenicians had many accomplishments.
The Phoenicians
developed a written alphabet. They were the best shipbuilders and seaman
of their time. They learned to work with metal to make tools and weapons.
They also became excellent at making glass and ceramics. They are most
remembered for learning how to make dye for clothing, especially purple.
Dye is what gives clothes color. Dye was made from plants, animals and fish.
Because they were excellent seamen, the Phoenicians traded goods all
around the Mediterranean region (see map).
The Phoenicians lived in city-states. A city-state was a city with a
government that controlled the land and people around it. Each Phoenician
city-state had its own ruler. Sidon, Tyre and Byblos were the most famous
cities in Phoenicia. The cities were centers of business, industry and
navigation. These city-states traded with each other and spoke the same
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language but they never came together to form one nation to protect one
another. Eventually more powerful nations such as the Persians would defeat
these city-states.
Essential Questions:
1. Where was Phoenicia?
2. How did the Phoenicians become powerful and how did they use their
environment?
3. List 3 accomplishments of the Phoenicians.
Map Questions:
1. Name the 3 major Phoenician city-states.
2. Name two places the Phoenicians colonized.
Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers. Your questions must be
information questions.
The Hittite Empire and the Persian Empire
Objectives- SWBAT ID the location of the Hittites and Persian civilizations, list their
accomplishments and analyze how they used the environment around them.
Another early civilization was the Hittite Empire. Between 1450
B.C.E. and 1200 B.C.E. the Hittites ruled it is today modern Turkey and
Syria. Although their civilization occurred during the Bronze Age, the
Hittites were one of the first to produce iron weapons and tools. This was
well before the Iron Age. The use of iron allowed the Hittites to conquer
less technologically advanced civilizations in Mesopotamia including the
Babylonians.
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The Persian Empire was yet another important civilization located in
Southwest Asia. It began in what is today Iran but eventually took control
over most of the Middle East including Mesopotamia. By about 550 B.C.E.
led by Cyrus the Great, the Persian Empire became the most powerful.
Because it was so large, the Persian kings divided their empires into
provinces (territories). The king then appointed a satrap (governor) to
rule the province. The Persians had great skill in government. They were
able to control large numbers of people and large territories by delegating
power to satraps who were still under the authority of kings and emperors.
The Persians built roads to connect the different parts of their empire.
This allowed people to travel, to collect taxes and to trade.
Essential Questions:
1. Where were the Hittite and Persian Empires?
2. How did the Hittite and Persian become powerful and how did they use
their environments?
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3. List 3 accomplishments of the Hittites and Persians.
The Indus Valley Civilizations and the Aryans
Objectives- SWBAT ID the location of the Indus Valley civilizations, list their
accomplishments and analyze how they used the environment around them.
Like Egypt and Mesopotamia, The Indus River Valley civilization was
another important civilization that began along a river. The Indus River
flows through what is today Pakistan and India in South Asia. Harappa and
Mohenjaro-Daro were the two most
significant cities built by the Indus
Valley people between 2,500 B.C.E.
and 1,500 B.C.E.
As with both the Nile River and
the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, The
Indus River flooded yearly leaving
behind rich nutrients in the soil. The
land was excellent for farming and
the river water was used for
irrigation. The abundance of food
allowed Harappan and MohenjaroDaron cities to flourish. The cities
were very advanced. There is even evidence they had sewers and toilets to
carry away sewage.
Little else is known about Indus Valley civilizations but many
historians and archaeologists believe another group of people known as the
Aryans migrated into the region took control.
The Aryans were extremely important because their culture
influenced modern India’s culture even to this day. They brought with them
the belief in a caste system, the Sanskrit language and a collection of
religious writings and prayers known as the Vedas and Upanishads. All of
these later developed into the Hindu religion which we will study in much
more detail later.
Essential Questions:
1. Where were the Indus Valley civilizations?
2. How did the Indus Valley civilizations become powerful and how did
they use their environments?
3. List accomplishments of the Indus Valley civilizations.
4. Who were the Aryans and why were they important?
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The Olmec Civilization
Objectives- SWBAT ID the location of the Olmec civilization, list its accomplishments and
analyze how they used the environment around them.
Across the globe, on the other side of the world the Olmecs of
Mesoamerica became a powerful civilization around 1,200 B.C.E.
Mesoamerica includes present day Mexico and Central America. In their
warm humid climate they were able to grow enough maize (corn), beans and
squash to feed large numbers of people. The Olmecs were expert farmers
and practiced a type of farming known as slash-and-burn farming. They
would cut the trees of a forest down and wait a period of several months as
the trees dried out. They would then light the trees on fire, burning them all
into ashes. These ashes acted as a fertilizer, making the soil more fertile.
These farmers then farmed the land a few years until it was no longer
fertile, at which point they moved on to the next forest.
The Olmecs built cities with large buildings and statues of giant heads
and jaguars. The jaguars had a human body and a jaguar head. Most
archaeologists feel the heads and jaguars represented Olmec gods. Like the
Egyptians, The Olmecs built pyramids that were most likely used as religious
temples. Also like the Egyptians and Mesopotamians, the Olmecs had a glyph
writing system, a calendar and numbers. The cities of San Lorezo, La Venta
and Tres Zapotes are still cities today that were actually founded by the
Olmecs. Eventually the Olmec civilization gave way to another great Mexican
civilization known as the Mayans. However, the Olmecs are considered a
cultural hearth. In other words, the Olmec civilization influenced other
Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Maya, Toltecs and Aztecs.
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Essential Questions:
1. Where was the Olmec civilizations?
2. How did the Olmec civilization become powerful and how did they use
their environments?
3. List accomplishments of the Olmec civilization.
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