1 / 38

Mesopotamia & the Fertile Crescent

Chapter 3 P. 50 - 81. Mesopotamia & the Fertile Crescent. P. 54-57. Geography of the Fertile Crescent. Rivers & the Growth of civilization. Early people farmed land near rivers Regular floods created rich soil Southwest Asia was well-suited for farming. The Land Between the Rivers.

ataret
Download Presentation

Mesopotamia & the Fertile Crescent

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Chapter 3 P. 50 - 81 Mesopotamia & the Fertile Crescent

  2. P. 54-57 Geography of the Fertile Crescent

  3. Rivers & the Growth of civilization • Early people farmed land near rivers • Regular floods created rich soil • Southwest Asia was well-suited for farming

  4. The Land Between the Rivers • Mesopotamia • “Land between the rivers” • Lies between the Tigris & Euphrates rivers • Mesopotamia is a portion of the Fertile Crescent • A large arc of rich farmland • Northern Mesopotamia was a plateau (high, flat land), with mountains to the north and east • Southern Mesopotamia was flat • Tigris & Euphrates flowed from the north to the south

  5. Rise of Civilization • 12,000 years ago • The first hunter-gatherers settled Mesopotamia • Eventually learned to farm • Tigris & Euphrates flooded each year & brought silt • Silt • Mixture of rich soil & tiny rocks • Made the land fertile (good for farming) • 9,000 years ago • Farming settlements developed • Grew wheat, barley, and grain • Raised livestock & birds, fished • People had plentiful food, so populations grew & villages formed • Villages developed into the first civilization

  6. Farming and Cities • Even with fertile soil, farming could be tough • Mesopotamia doesn’t get much rain • Rain had to fall in Asia Minor (Turkey), fill the rivers, and then flow into Mesopotamia • Too much rain caused floods that could destroy crops, livestock, and homes • If not enough rain flowed, crops would dry and die • Farmers found ways to control the flow of the rivers

  7. Controlling Water • Irrigation: a way to supply water to an area of land • Mesopotamians dug large storage basins to hold water • Canals: human-made waterways (like a stream or river) • Connected the storage basins to ditches • Ditches brought water to the fields • Riverbanks were built up to hold back flood waters

  8. Food Surpluses • Surplus: producing more than is needed • Mesopotamian farmers had a surplus of food • They used land for both farming and grazing • Had a variety of grains, animals, and fruit (dates) to eat • Using irrigation made farming more productive • Fewer farmers were needed • Some people could do other jobs • New jobs developed • Craftsmen, religious leaders, government workers • Division of Labor: each worker specializes in a particular job • Having a variety of jobs meant more things could be accomplished • Construction of buildings • Digging irrigation • Some people became managers or organizers • Rules were needed • The rules became laws

  9. The Appearance of Cities • Settlements grew & became more complex • Cities developed about 5,000-6,000 years ago • Most people were still farmers • In the cities, people traded goods and leaders began to gain power • Cities were the center of politics, religion, culture, and the economy (money)

  10. Chapter 3 Section 2 Pages 60 – 64 The Rise of Sumer

  11. An Advanced Society • By around 3000 BC, people called Sumerians settled in southern Mesopotamia • Sumerians developed the world’s first civilization • Several hundred thousand people lived in Sumer, the land of the Sumerians

  12. Sumer • Most people lived in rural areas (countryside) • Most were farmers • Center of society was in urban centers (cities) • Early cities had about 10,000 people • By 2000 BC, 100,000 people lived in some cities • City-states developed • Includes the city and the countryside around it

  13. City-States in Sumer • Fought each other over farmland • Built strong armies • Built walls around cities for protection • Some powerful city-states: • Kish (3500 BC) • Uruk & Ur (3000-2500 BC) • Akkad (2300 BC) • Gilgamesh • King from Uruk • Legendary stories were written about him

  14. Rise of the Akkadians • Akkadians • People who lived just north of Sumer • Spoke a different language than Sumerians • Akkadians & Sumerians lived peacefully until Sargon became the leader of the Akkadians

  15. Sargon • Wanted to expand Akkadian land • Built a new capital on the Euphrates • Name = Akkad • Modern-day Baghdad • First ruler to have a permanent army • Started wars with other kingdoms • Defeated all Sumerian city-states & northern Mesopotamia

  16. Akkadian Empire • Sargon controlled a huge region and started the world’s first empire • Empire = land with different territories and people under a single ruler • Stretched from Persian Gulf to Mediterranean Sea • Sargon was emperor for 50 years • 100 years after Sargon’s death, Akkad was defeated • Poor rulers led to chaos • Ur regained power and conquered Mesopotamia

  17. Sumerian Religion • Religion shaped all aspects of life • Sumerians were polytheistic • Polytheism – worship of many gods • Each city-state had a god/goddess who was a special protector • Believed the gods had enormous power • Floods, good harvest, health, wealth, illness, success • Believed it was important to please the gods • By serving and worshiping them

  18. More on Religion • Priests – people who performed religious ceremonies • In Sumer, these people were very important • People went to them to help please the gods • Made offerings to the gods for the people • Offerings were made in temples (special buildings) • Examples of gods: • Enlil (air) • Enki (wisdom) • Inanna (love & war) • Utu (sun) • Nanna (moon)

  19. Social Order • Social hierarchy • Division of society by rank or class • In Sumer, the order went: • Kings • Believed they were appointed by gods • Priests • Skilled craftspeople • Merchants & traders • Traded gold, silver, copper, lumber, precious stones • Farmers & laborers (workers) • Slaves

  20. Sumerian Men and Women • Men • Political power • Made laws • Educated • Women • Took care of house & children • Only some upper class women were educated • Could be priestesses • Enheduanna • Sargon’s daughter • Wrote hymns to goddess Inanna • First known female writer

  21. Chapter 3, Section 3 P. 65-69 Sumerian Achievements

  22. Invention of Writing • Cuneiform – world’s first writing system • Developed by Sumerians • Stylus – sharp tool used to write • Used on clay tablets • Wrote using wedge-shaped symbols • Symbols represented syllables (parts of words) • Early writing used pictographs (picture symbols) • Stood for objects • Cuneiform could express more complex ideas than pictographs

  23. Uses for cuneiform • First used for business • Scribes – writers • Kept track of trade goods • Kept government records • Could move up in society • Students • Learned to read & write • Later used to write history, law, math, & literature • Literature • Stories, proverbs, songs, poems • Epics – long poems that tell stories about heroes • Example: Epic of Gilgamesh (a Sumerian king)

  24. Technical Advances • Wheel • Carts, wagons • Potter’s wheel • Plow • Pulled by oxen • Broke clay soil for planting • Increased production • Clock • Falling water measured time • Sewers • Ran under streets • Bronze • Used for weapons & tools • Makeup • Glass jewelry

  25. Math and Sciences • Developed math system • Based on 60 • Circle dived into 360 • Years divided into 12 months (factor of 60) • Calculated areas of rectangles, triangles • Scientific lists • 1000s of animals, plants, minerals were named • Medicine • Healing drugs made from animals, plants, minerals • Milk, turtle shells, figs, salt • Listed treatments by symptoms and body parts

  26. Architecture • Architecture – building • Mud bricks were used to construct homes • Rulers - lived in palaces • Rich Sumerians – two-story homes with a dozen rooms • Most people – smaller, one-story homes • 6 or 7 rooms around a courtyard • Streets were unpaved • Ziggurat – pyramid-shaped temple towers • Each city had one • Had outdoor staircases & a shrine at top • Sometimes had columns & other decorative features Throne room of Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal

  27. The Arts • Sculptures of gods for temples • Small sculptures of ivory and wood • Pottery – more functional than artistic • Jewelry – made of gold, silver, gems • Earrings, bracelets, necklaces • Cylinder seals – engraved with designs rolled over clay to leave an imprint • Decorative & used as signatures or to show battle scenes or religious rituals • Could have fine gems • Required skill to make • Music – played for kings & in temples • Reed pipes, drums, tambourines, lyres • Sung in school or to the gods, or for dancing

  28. Chapter 3, Section 4 Pages 72-77 Later Peoples of the Fertile Crescent

  29. The Babylonians • Babylon located on Euphrates River • Modern-day Baghdad, Iraq • Became powerful by 1800 BC • Hammurabi became Babylon’s king in 1792 • He was their greatest monarch (a ruler of a kingdom or empire) • Ruled 42 years & made Babylon the most important city in Mesopotamia

  30. Hammurabi The Ruler • Great war leader • Conquered all of Mesopotamia & called it the Babylonian Empire • Hammurabi was skilled at governing (ruling) • Built buildings & irrigation systems • Paid through his taxation system • Empire became wealthy from trade • Most famous for his code of laws

  31. Hammurabi’s Code • Hammurabi’s Code – set of 282 laws dealing with daily life • Topics: trade, loans, theft, marriage, injury, murder • Some ideas are still used today • Social class mattered • Greater penalties for injuring rich men than poor • Thorough • Laws written for all to see

  32. Invasions in Mesopotamia • Many societies developed around the Fertile Crescent • They fought for land and developed competing empires • Examples: • Hittites • Kassites • Assyrians • Chaldeans • Phoenicians

  33. Hittites • Built their kingdom in Asia Minor (Turkey) • Mastered ironworking • Could make stronger weapons than anyone else • Used chariots (wheeled, horse-drawn carts) in battle • Allowed soldiers to fire arrows • Captured Babylon in 1595

  34. Kassites • Lived north of Babylon • Took over Babylon after the Hittites lost their power • Ruled Babylon for 400 years Agargoaf’s Ziggurat, built by Kassites

  35. Assyrians • Came from northern Mesopotamia • Around 900 BC, they conquered all of the Fertile Crescent • Including Asia Minor & Egypt • Strong army • Organized • Used chariots & iron • Looted villages & burned crops before battles • Killed anyone who resisted • Capital = Nineveh • Heavy taxes on people • Severe punishments if one refused • Local leaders ruled for the kings • Collected taxes, carried out laws, raised troops • Roads built to connect the empire • Messengers traveled on horseback

  36. Chaldeans • From Syrian Desert • Destroyed Ninevah & defeated Assyrian Empire in 612 BC • Nebuchadnezzar • Famous king • Rebuilt Babylon • Great palace = Hanging Gardens • Trees & flowers grew on roofs • Admired Sumerian culture • Studied the language & built temples to Sumerian gods • Used astronomy • Charted stars • Kept track of economics, politics & weather • Created a calendar • Solved complex geometry problems

  37. Phoenicians • Phoenicia’s coast was on the Mediterranean • Modern-day Lebanon • Did not become a great military power • Land travel/trade was limited by mountains to the north & east • Travel had to be done by sea • Became expert sailors

  38. Phoenician Trade • Tyre = important harbor • Traded with Egypt, Greece, Italy, Sicily, Spain • Even sailed to Atlantic Ocean • Founded trade colonies • Cities they controlled for trade • Carthage = one of most powerful trade cities • Trade products • Cedar trees – valuable lumber/wood • Silverwork • Ivory • Slaves • Glass/glassblowing • Tyrian purple – made purple dye from a shell • Traded cloth dyed purple • Wealthy people bought it • Alphabet (set of letters combined to form words) • Easier to write • Our English alphabet is based on Phoenician alphabet

More Related