UEQ
• What were the cultural, social, and political
features of the civilization that developed
along the banks of the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers?
LEQ
• What new challenges did city life present,
and what inventions were created to make
life easier?
• How was this society divided?
• Explain how the city design reflected the
social structure.
Geography
• Mesopotamia is
located in what is
present day Iraq.
• What do we currently
know about Iraq?
Geography
• Mesopotamia is
located on the Fertile
Crescent.
• The Fertile Crescent
is so named because
it is perfect for
farming.
• Draw the Fertile
Crescent on your
map.
Geography
• “Mesopotamia”
means the land
between two rivers.
• Mesopotamia is
located between the
Tigris and Euphrates
rivers.
• Draw the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers on
your map.
Geography
• Each year, these two
rivers would flood. What
does flood mean?
• When the river would
flood, the water would
deposit silt on the land.
• Silt:
____________________
____________________
• Draw silt on your map.
Geography
• To the north of
Mesopotamia was a huge
body of water known as
the Mediterranean Sea.
• To the south of
Mesopotamia was
another body of water
called the Persian Gulf.
• Draw these two bodies of
water on your map.
Review
• What does “Mesopotamia” mean?
• What are the two main rivers located in
Mesopotamia?
• What is silt?
• Why is Mesopotamia perfect for farming?
Technology/ Contributions
Mesopotamia: Review
• Remember that Mesopotamia was perfect
for farming because it was located
between two rivers that flooded each year
depositing rich soil.
• What is another name for this soil?
________________________________
Controlling the Rivers
• The Mesopotamians
needed ways to
control the rivers so
that their fields kept
enough water, not too
much or too little.
Dike
• The Mesopotamians
built DIKES, or dams,
that kept the water in
until it was needed.
• When water was
needed for the fields,
the dikes were
removed.
Canals
• Mesopotamians also
built CANALS, or
waterways that
carried the water to
the exact location it
was needed.
• This control over water lead to wonderful farming.
The Mesopotamians were able to grow so much
food that they could eat some, store some, and
trade some.
• This great amount of food lead to two more
inventions.
Cart
• The Mesopotamians
invented the CART
for use in carrying
farming materials and
food.
• This cart looks very
much like a wagon.
Wheel
• In order for the cart to
work, the
Mesopotamians had
to invent the WHEEL.
• The first wheels were
made out of wood
and copper.
Purpose
• The reason these new inventions were
created by the Mesopotamians was to
make their everyday lives easier.
• Controlling the rivers saved many lives
and gave them much food.
• The creation of the cart and wheel made
carrying loads of food materials from place
to place easier for the workers.
Bubble Map
Dike
Wheel
Dams that
held water
in
Made of
wood and
copper
Mesopotamian
Inventions
Cart
Used for
carrying
material and
food
Canals
Waterways
that carried
water to
fields
Quick Review
• Name two inventions that helped
Mesopotamians control the rivers.
• Name two inventions that made life easier
for the field workers.
• Why was this new technology invented?
City Design
Ziggurat
• A Mesopotamian
Ziggurat was the
middle of each citystate.
• These ziggurats were
used as temples
(worship places) for
the gods, housing for
the king and priests,
and offices for
government workers.
Ziggurat
• The Ziggurat looked
like a step pyramid,
with each layer
getting smaller and
smaller.
• The very top of the
ziggurat was the
smallest part of the
ziggurat and was the
temple for the gods.
2-Story House
• The 2-Story houses
were located next the
ziggurat.
• People of importance
lived here, such as
government workers
and scribes.
1-Story Houses
• 1-story houses were
located outside of the
2-story houses…
farther away from the
ziggurat.
• Craftsmen,
merchants, and
farmers lived here.
Farm Land
• Farm land was
located on the edge
of the city-state and
close to the 1-story
houses of the
farmers.
City-State Wall
• The city-state wall
was built around the
entire city.
• This wall provided
protection from
outsiders for all
people living in the
city, and for the
farmland located
inside.
Farm Land
1-Story Houses
2-Story Houses
Ziggurat
2-Story Houses
1-Story Houses
Farm Land
Ticket In
• Describe the general design of a
Mesopotamian city. Draw a picture to
illustrate your description.
Social Classes
Social Classes
• The people of
Mesopotamia were
divided into classes
according to
importance.
• Those at the top of
the social pyramid
were deemed as
more important, and
received privileges
likewise.
High Class
• The high class in
Mesopotamia
consisted of:
– King
– Priest
– Nobles (Wealthy
people)
Middle Class
• The middle class of
Mesopotamia
consisted of:
– Skilled workers
– Scribes
– Merchants
Low Class
• The low class in
Mesopotamia
consisted of:
– Farmers
– Fishermen
– Slaves
Men vs. Women
• In each class, and
across the board,
men were considered
more important than
women in
Mesopotamia.
High
Class:
King, Priests,
Nobles
Middle Class:
Skilled Workers,
Merchants, Scribes
Low Class:
Farmers, Fishermen
Slaves
Class Activity
• Making a Social Classes Tableau:
– Each student will be given a card that labels a
position on the social classes triangle.
– The students will arrange themselves in a
pyramid according to their positions.
– Props, poses, and sounds may be added.
Government
LEQs
• How was the Mesopotamian government
created, structured, and changed?
• How successful was Sargon the
Conqueror and Hammurabi in their own
respects?
Government
• Government means
the body of people
within a community
that has the authority
to make and enforce
rules and laws.
• Give an example of
government in the
USA.
_________________
_________________
Government in Mesopotamia
• Government in
Mesopotamia started
in each individual citystate.
• Each city-state
protected their land
and themselves
through means of a
ruler, or king.
• What do you already
know about a king?
King
• When a group of
people are ruled by
one person who has
complete authority,
that person is called a
king.
• This type of
government is called
a MONARCHY.
Mesopotamia’s Changing
Government
• Eventually,
government changed
in Mesopotamia.
• One ruler of one citystate, fought and
conquered all citystates to form an
empire.
Empire
• An empire is a group
of different countries
or people under the
authority of one ruler.
• In other words, many
lands under one rule.
Monarchy
• Activity!
The Hand
of
Monarchy
Religion
Religion
• Religion means a set
of beliefs concerning
the cause, nature,
and purpose of the
universe. In other
words, what one
believes in.
• Religion typically
involves one God or
many gods.
Polytheistic
• “Poly” means many.
• Make a prediction:
what might
polytheistic mean in
regards to religion?
Polytheistic
• Polytheistic means to
believe in MANY
gods.
• The people of
Mesopotamia
believed in many
gods.
• Their god revolved
around nature, and
controlled natural
events in the world
around them.
Gods of Importance
• Because
Mesopotamian
society revolved
around their two
rivers, the water gods
were the most
important among all
the other gods of
nature.
Priests
• What social class were
priests in?
• This is because the
priests were the ones
who performed religious
ceremonies to keep the
gods happy.
• And if the gods were
happy, then Mesopotamia
thrived.
• Priests were considered
very important.
NEXT
• First, get out you study guide, and let’s fill
in the Government and Religion boxes.
• Next, create a Frayer Model for the word
Polytheistism
Definition
Examples
Sentence
Polytheism
Picture
Conquerors
Battles
• The people
Mesopotamia, the
individual city-states,
fought battles over
land and water.
Gilgamesh
• Gilgamesh was the
first king of
Mesopotamia.
• He was known as the
wisest king.
• There are many
stories from
Mesopotamia that tell
about his wisdom.
Sargon
• Sargon was the first
EMPORER, meaning
that he fought and
conquered many
lands that he placed
under his control.
King Hammurabi
• King Hammurabi was
from a city-state
called Babylonia.
• He was known as the
law maker.
• He created a set of
laws known has the
Hammurabi’s Code of
Laws, which were
based on the concept
“An Eye for an Eye”.
An Eye for an Eye
• “An eye for an eye”
meant that any crime
that you committed
was then performed
on you (or something
of equal likeness).
• These laws were
written down, and so
a specific crime
brought about a
specific punishment.
Examples
• The man who
assaults another and
puts his eye out shall
have his own eye put
out.
• Explain this rule:
Example
• A son who strikes his
father shall have his
hand cut off.
• Explain this law:
Example
• A wife who squanders
her husband’s money
and makes him poor,
can be divorced
without her husband
paying her any
money.
• Explain this law:
What would happen?
• To a Babylonian who
committed theft?
• To a Babylonian who
committed murder?
Study Guide
• We are going to complete the front sheet
• On the back sheet, change Lydians to
Babylonians, and we are going to fill in
that row.