Mesopotamia
The First Civilization
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Geography of Mesopotamia
 Mesopotamia
means “land between
the 2 rivers”—Tigris & Euphrates
 “Fertile Crescent” refers to the area of
rich soil created by the flooding of the
Tigris & Euphrates
 BUT…river flooding was very
irregular, region became very dry
because of surrounding deserts, few
natural resources, not easy area to
defend against invasion
The First Civilization
was 1st civilization;
composed of many city-states
 Sumerians overcame harshness
of dry season by building irrigation
ditches to allow for farming
 Built many city-states with large
walls for protection and began to
trade to increase resources
 Sumer
Sumerian Writing
were the 1st to develop
writing, called cuneiform.
Wedge-shaped letters were
written into wet
clay and
dried
 Sumerians
Sumerian Way of Life
 Sumerians
were polytheistic
(worshiped many gods) &
believed the gods were
powerful, immortal, and that
there was no joy in the afterlife
 Built ziggurats (temples) to
worship the gods
Sumerian Social Classes
Priests were early government
leaders, but successful military
commanders eventually
became kings, sharing power
with priests
Social status:
–1st king & priest
–2nd merchants
–3rd workers
–4th slaves
Sumerian Women
 Sumer
was a patriarchal society
(men were superior to women)
 Women had many rights, could
hold jobs as priests and
shopkeepers, but could not
attend school
 "Pay heed to the word of your
mother as though it were the
word of a god."
End of the Sumerians
 Sumer
survived for 2,000 years,
but the last 1,000 consisted of
many battles between their own
city-states
 Eventually, Sumer was
overtaken by invaders
Examining Mesopotamian
Civilizations & Constructing
Timeline of Empires
Sumerians
First
civilization
Developed irrigation, citystates with high walls, trade,
cuneiform
Polytheistic, built ziggurats
Babylonians
Created
first empire in
Mesopotamia
Developed Hammurabi’s
Code—first written set of
laws
Hammurabi’s Code
Hammurabi’s prologue explains
the purpose of the code:
“to cause justice to prevail in the
land, to destroy the wicked and
the evil, and to prevent the
strong from oppressing the weak
. . . To enlighten the land and to
further the welfare of the
people.”
»282 specific laws.
»The code uses the
principal of “eye for an
eye” to punish crimes.
»Different punishments
for rich and poor, men
and women.
Hebrews (Jews)
Monotheistic, led to
oppression in Egypt
Led by Moses to (Canaan)
Israel; given 10
Commandments
Ethical Monotheism - be kind
(their emphasis on proper
conduct – God punishes the
wicked and greedy)
Phoenicians
Traders,
excellent sailors
Created trading colonies
throughout Mediterranean
Sea
First alphabet—simplified
cuneiform to 22 letters
Phoenicians
Phoenician
colonies:
–Carthage
–Sicily
–Corsica
–Sardinia
What is the Phoenicians’ most
lasting contribution?
Assyrians
Mighty
fighters; greatest
army
Organized, used iron
weapons (no mercy!!!)
First library (in the city of
Nineveh – 25,000 clay
tablets).
Chaldeans
Created
Hanging Gardens
Zodiac calendar—stars could
predict human destiny
Developed 4-week month
based on phases of moon
Last Mesopotamian empire
 1st
Persians
Foreign empire, conquered
Mesopotamia and Egypt;
 Tolerant—allowed conquered areas to
keep local customs & religion
 Developed first roads, standard coins,
standard weights & measures
 Zoroaster—prophet who wrote about
heaven & hell; you could choose your
path based on how you lived your life;
different from Sumerian’s view of dull
afterlife
Current Countries with the
Borders of the Persian Empire
Iran
Libya
Tajikistan
Turkey
Pakistan Russia? Afghanistan Georgia
Syria
Iraq
Kazakhstan
Lebanon
Israel
Jordan Azerbaijan
Kyrgystan
Egypt
Kuwait Uzbekistan
Sudan
Turkmenistan Cyprus*