City-States in Mesopotamia
• ___________________- arc of land between the
Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea; curved and
fertile (includes Mesopotamia or “land between
the rivers”)
• ________________ is bordered by the
__________River and the _________River
• Both rivers flooded annually which left a thick bed
of mud called silt. Planters used the moistness of
this soil to their advantage
Environmental Challenges
• 1200 years after people originally settle in
Mesopotamia (4500 BC), Sumerians arrive
(3300 BC)
• Disadvantages were: unpredictable
__________combined with occasional
_________; villages were defenseless against
__________due to no natural barriers; and
natural resources (building materials) were
limited
Solutions through Organization
• To keep consistent water, Sumerians dug
irrigation from rivers to their fields
• For defense, they built city walls with mud
bricks
• The traded their grain, cloth, and tools with
neighboring villages in exchange for raw
materials (stone, wood, metal)
• *leaders emerged to plan and supervise
projects, ppl worked together on the irrigation
projects, laws and leaders emerged to settle
disputes of distribution of land and water
Sumerians create City-States
• ____________are first group to form
civilization
• _____________- entity that functioned like an
independent country does today
• By 3000 BC, Sumerians created many citystates (Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma, and Ur).
• Like in Ur, all other city-states had ziggurats in
the center where priests and rulers appealed
to the gods for well-being of the city-state
Priests and Rulers Share Power
• Earliest governments were ruled by priests
(except in time of war) who blessed farmer’s
crops, and managed irrigation systems. In
return, priests demanded a portion of crop as
taxes.
• Originally, power returned to priests as soon
as conflict ended, but by 3000 BC conflict was
consistent enough that commanders (who
passed it to their son) are given leadership.
This created _____________.
Spread of Cities
• Surpluses in food allowed Sumerians to trade for
what they needed.
• By 2500 BC, cities arose all over the Fertile
Crescent (current Turkey, Syria, and N. Iraq)
• They also shared culture, ideas, and products
(process is known as _______________)
Sumerian Culture
• Sumerians believe in _________(belief in many
gods)
• They believed their gods were immortal and
all-powerful, yet similar to humans
• They didn’t believe in an afterlife, but believed
that the gods could affect reality
• The Epic of Gilgamesh is a depiction of a
Mesopotamian myth (Utnapishtim and the
flood)
Life in Sumerian Society
• Social classes became prevalent
• Kings----landholders----priests, then wealthy
merchants, and then ordinary field
workers…Then slaves (not based on race, but
economic status and sometimes prisoners)
• Women could work as merchants, farmers, or
artisans
Sumerian Science and Technology
• Sumerians invented the ________, the ________,
Bronze, and the ________. They also adapted:
1. Geometry and math- used for building the cities,
and keeping time.
2. Architectural innovation- new designs used for
the ziggurats
3. ____________- system of writing that made up
the oldest written records of astronomy,
chemistry, and medicine
The First Empire Builders
• Cities of Sumer attacked each other from 3-2 thousand
BC. Didn’t die out, but evolved.
• ___________(Akkad)- ruler who defeats the city-states
of Sumer in 2350 BC. Created the first empire by
controlling N. and S. Mesopotamia. Lasted only about
200 years due to internal conflicts.
• __________________- approx. 2000 BC, Amorite
warriors invaded Mesopotamia and est. their capitol in
Babylon on the Euphrates. It reached its height during
the rule of _________________(1792-1750 BC). He is
known for his code of laws (“eye for an eye”)
_____________________________
• He saw the need for a uniform code of law to
unify diverse groups within his empire
• He molded different rules and judgments to
create his law, and posted it on stone around
the empire
• Consists of 282 laws (family, criminal,
property, etc.). Also protected women and
children, and set different punishments
according to social status.
Pyramids on the Nile
• Flooded annually due to rain & melting snow
from the mountains to the East, and left a
deposit of black mud called “silt”.
• Egypt is the “gift of the Nile” b/c of the
abundance of water
Environmental Challenges
• When floodwaters retreated, people starved. When
they rose houses, granaries, and seed were
destroyed.
• *did have protection from the deserts
Upper and Lower Egypt
• b/c its elevation is higher, river area in the
south is called Upper Egypt.
• The north near the delta is known as Lower
Egypt.
• Transportation- current carried boats north,
while wind (sails) carried boats south. This
easy travel helped unify Egypt.
Egypt Unites
• Upper and Lower Egypt unite under King
____________, who creates a unified capitol
(Memphis) and crown.
• Egyptians believed their kings
(_____________) were gods, not just reps.
This style of gvmt is known as a ____________
• Pharaohs ruled after death (ka), so their
tombs (____________) were more
extravagant than their palaces
Egyptian Culture
• They were polytheistic, believing in over 2000 gods
• Unlike Meopotamians, Egyptians believed in an
afterlife
• Not just kings and queens were buried
• ____________________- process of preservation
What was life like in Egypt?
• Social structure- king/queen, royal family,
upper class (landowners, gvmt, priests, and
commanders), middle class (merchants and
artisans), lower class (largest class; farmers
and laborers), and eventually slaves (p.o.w’s)
• ________________(especially if you can
read/write)
• Women were treated similarly to men
Egyptian Writing
• _______________- writing where picture stands for
an idea; later sounds and phonetics are introduced
• First written on stone like in Mesopotamia, but later
on papyrus reeds. (naturally glued)
Egyptian Science and Technology
• Developed a _________ to keep track of
floods by tracking the stars
• Developed system of _________(taxes),
______________(property boundaries)
• Egyptian doctors knew how to check heart
rate by _______________, they set
_______________, and treated
________________________
Invaders Control Egypt
• Power of pharaohs decline approx 2180 BC (end of
________________). Returns during
____________________ (2040-1640 BC), and
prosperity in Egypt returns. In 1640 BC the Hyskos
move into Egypt and rule from (1630-1523 BC).
Egypt rises again later to create the
______________
• ……….Meanwhile, civilization is emerging in the
Indus River Valley