Mesopotamia & the Fertile Crescent

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