1 / 26

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- “THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS”

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- “THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS”. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- DEFINITIONS. CITY STATES- self-governing unit made up of a city and its surrounding villages and farmland. Monotheism: worshiping one god. “Mono” – means one Polytheism: worshiping many gods. “Poly” – means many.

clea
Download Presentation

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- “THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS”

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. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- “THE LAND BETWEEN TWO RIVERS”

  2. ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- DEFINITIONS • CITY STATES- self-governing unit made up of a city and its surrounding villages and farmland. • Monotheism: worshiping one god. • “Mono” – means one • Polytheism: worshiping many gods. • “Poly” – means many

  3. GEOGRAPHY • Located between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers • Present-day Iraq

  4. POSITIVE abundant amount of clay easy tillable soil water supply from Tigris-Euphrates Rivers NEGATIVE few natural resources minimal protection from deserts and mountains ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- GEOGRAPHY

  5. Basic Facts: • Settled around 3500 BCE • Divided into city-states ---WHY?? • Region developed first forms of poly - and monotheism • Created one of the earliest forms of writing

  6. SOCIAL • What do you know about the social aspects of Mesopotamian society? • Social hierarchy: kings, priests, nobility, merchants, farmers, slaves • Slaves - POW • Women: unequal to men; men own and inherit land

  7. POLITICAL ASPECTS OF MESOPOTAMIA

  8. City-States • Always in constant conflict over water and land rights • Created walls for protection, with moats along the outside • Farms located along the outside of the city

  9. Hammurabi’s Code • Hammurabi - King of Babylon (r. 1792-1750 BCE) • 282 laws. • Based on equal retaliation. • Laws were varied for the wealthy and powerful.

  10. Intellectual Contributions: • Wheel • Time – 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute • 12 month lunar calendar • arch • ramp

  11. Religion

  12. Polytheistic; gods based on nature; vengeful • Ziggurats: pyramid site of the temple of the main gods. • Each city-state had their own gods and goddesses • Sun god – most important. • Life after death was an extension of life.

  13. Ziggurat – Holy Mountain

  14. ECONOMY • Make, sell or barter goods. • Trade helped expansion. • Development of money will evolve over time. • POOR • Farmers • craftsman • RICH • government officials • religious leaders • traders

  15. Trade

  16. River Valley Civilizations:Egypt, Indus Valley and Shang China Unit 1 Foundations, 8000 BCE – 600 BCE AP World History

  17. Objective • To identify the major social, political, cultural and economic features of the Egyptian, Indus and Chinese early civilizations • To compare these features to those of all river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and India) • To create a foundation upon which to study the Classical Civilizations (China, India, Greece, Rome)

  18. Egypt 3100 BCE – 343 BCE Unified by King Menes Nile River Sahara Desert Shang China 1750 – 1027 BCE Yellow River (loess – fertile soil) Isolated b/c of Gobi desert and Himalayan Mountains and Mongolian Plateau Very Hot and Dry Foundation and Geography • Indus Valley • 2500-1500 BCE • Current day northern India and Pakistan • Indus River – irregular; had to build flood barriers • Khyber Pass

  19. Egypt Social structure similar to Mesopotamia Tax collection heaviest on lower classes Slaves – POW Women had most rights here – own property, businesses, no formal education; informally involved in politics Indus Valley Unknown class structure b/c can’t read writing Merchants at top of social structure Female goddesses worshipped so women may be treated better than in China and Mesopotamia; several fertility goddess statutes found Eventually gives way to caste system Social Aspects of River Valley Civilizations • China • Low social mobility • Few slaves – not as many as M. or E. – WHY? • Peasants not much better than slaves • Palaces for the emperor; dependent on military to help run gov’t so they were given many gifts • Strong patriarchal – infanticide

  20. China Dynastic cycles Kings are descendants or links to gods King = priest Isolated towns and villages Centralized Government Egypt Pharaoh Very strong army focused on expansion of territory and economy (gold, silver, etc) – given to Pharaoh as tribute Slaves = POW Priests and Nobles help P. manage empire = Bureaucracy Dynastic Cycles Few Female Rulers Centralized Government Political • Indus Valley • No palaces found in ruins • Businessmen, Craftsmen and Farmers provided organization and justice for civilization • Unified; centralized government • Two major cities: Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

  21. Interactions • Mesopotamians trade with India • Egyptians trade with Mesopotamia, Nubia and Kush • China stays isolated by geography and choice • Indus Valley – destroyed by natural disaster or invasion (Indo-Europeans) • Slavery – direct result of warfare • Interactions b/w Hebrews and Egyptians

  22. Egypt Polytheistic, strong belief in afterlife; mummification Hieroglyphics (Rosetta Stone) Architecture – Pyramids; Sphinx; Valley of the Tombs; Imhotep Strong collection of literature, songs, poetry Egyptian Book of the Dead; Hymn to Aton Calendar Math = created system of 10 and geometry Astronomy Knowledge of medicine – first heart surgeries India Polytheistic (nature goddess) Public bathing pools Unable to translate writing Complex City Organization = grid formation Advanced Drainage system Indoor plumbing Wheels for transportation Bronze tools and weapons Cultural China • Mandate of Heaven • Middle Kingdom • Worshipped ancestors and nature gods • Oracle bones – early form of writing; at least 2000 characters or symbols • Walled cities • Silk clothes; jade and bone jewelry

  23. Economics • All civilizations dependent on agriculture for economic gain • Some specialization of labor b/c of surplus of food • Cloth, pottery, jewelry • Architects – Egypt • Egypt trades a great deal – Mediterranean World; Nubia and Kush (to South) • Merchants – looked down upon by Chinese

  24. Questions –Write a response. Complete Sentences • How does geography play a role in the development of a civilization? Use examples from Egypt, Mesopotamia, India orChina to support your response • What are some things that are similar throughout all 4 (or most of the 4)? Why? • List one unique characteristic from each civilization. • Complete a SPICE chart for one River-Valley Civilization

More Related