Get Ready to Read (cont.)

1. Mesopotamian Civilization Get Ready to Read (cont.) Focusing on the Main Ideas • Civilization in Mesopotamia began in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. • Sumerians invented writing and made other important contributions to later peoples. • Sumerian city-states lost power when they were conquered by outsiders.

2. Mesopotamian Civilization Mesopotamia’s Civilization • Civilizations are complex societies with cities, governments, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system. • Rivers were important because they made for good farming conditions. • They also made it easy for people to travel and trade. • Governments were formed because someone had to make plans and decisions for the common good. (pages 17–20)

3. Mesopotamian Civilization Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.) • Mesopotamia is a flat plain bounded by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. • Floods in Mesopotamia were frequent and unpredictable. • Farmers learned to control the rivers with dams and channels. • They also used the rivers to irrigate, or water, their crops. (pages 17–20)

4. Mesopotamian Civilization Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.) • Many cities formed in a southern region of Mesopotamia known as Sumer. • Sumerian cities were city-states, with their own governments. • Sumerian cities often fought each other. • To protect themselves, the city-states built walls around themselves. (pages 17–20)

5. Mesopotamian Civilization Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.) • Sumerians believed in many gods. • Each city-state had a ziggurat, or grand temple, to honor the gods. (pages 17–20)

6. Mesopotamian Civilization Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.) • Most Sumerians were farmers, but some were artisans, or skilled workers. • Others were merchants and traders. • Sumerian city-states had three classes. • The upper class consisted of kings, priests, and government officials. • The middle class consisted of artisans, merchants, fishers, and farmers. (pages 17–20)

7. Mesopotamian Civilization Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.) • The lower class consisted of slaves. (pages 17–20)

8. Mesopotamian Civilization A Skilled People • Mesopotamia has been called the cradle of civilization because of the influence of Sumerian ideas on other areas. • Writing helps people keep records and pass on ideas. • Sumerians developed a writing system called cuneiform. • Only a few people, called scribes, learned to write. (pages 20–21)

9. Mesopotamian Civilization Sargon and Hammurabi • Sargon, the king of the Akkadians, conquered all of Mesopotamia and set up the world’s first empire. • An empire is a group of many different lands under one ruler. • After Sargon, another group of people became powerful. • They built the city of Babylon on the Euphrates River. (page 23)

10. Mesopotamian Civilization Sargon and Hammurabi (cont.) • The Babylonian king, Hammurabi, conquered lands north and south of Babylon to create the Babylonian Empire. • The Code of Hammurabi was a collection of laws covering crimes, farming, business activities, and marriage and family. • Many punishments in the code were cruel, but the code was an important step in the development of a justice system. (page 23)

11. The First Empires Get Ready to Read (cont.) Focusing on the Main Ideas • Assyria’s military power and well organized government helped it build a vast empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C. • The Chaldean Empire built important landmarks in Babylon and developed the first calendar with a seven-day week.

12. The First Empires The Assyrians • The Assyrian empire arose about 1,000 years after the rule of Hammurabi. • The Assyrian army was the first large army to use iron weapons. • Their weapons were stronger than those of copper and tin. (pages 27–28)

13. The First Empires The Assyrians (cont.) • They fought with spears, daggers, bows and arrows, chariots and soldiers on horseback. (pages 27–28)

14. The First Empires The Assyrians (cont.) • The capital of the Assyrian empire was Nineveh. • The empire was divided into provinces, which are political districts. • Each province was governed by an official who collected taxes and enforced laws. (pages 27–28)

15. The First Empires The Assyrians (cont.) • The Assyrians built large temples and palaces, with statues and wall carvings. • One of the first libraries was in Nineveh and held 25,000 tablets of stories and songs. • People began to rebel because of Assyria’s cruel treatment. • The Chaldeans rebelled and took control of Nineveh in 612 B.C. (pages 27–28)

16. The First Empires The Chaldeans • Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the Chaldeans. • The Chaldeans, who were descendents of Babylonians, rebuilt Babylon. • The city became the center of the Chaldeans’ empire. • The city was surrounded by a huge wall. Inside the wall were palaces, temples, and a huge ziggurat. (pages 29–30)

17. The First Empires The Chaldeans (cont.) • Nebechadnezzar ordered the Hanging Gardens to be built for his wife, who missed her green, mountainous homeland. • The Hanging Gardens were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. (pages 29–30)

18. The First Empires The Chaldeans (cont.) • The Chaldeans were merchants, artisans, and traders. • Babylon was on a major trade route and profited from trade. (pages 29–30)

19. The First Empires Why was the Assyrian army a powerful fighting force? It had a well-organized army with advanced weapons.

20. The First Civilizations Review Main Ideas Section 2 Mesopotamian Civilization Where were the first civilizations in Mesopotamia? in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

21. The First Civilizations Review Main Ideas Section 3 The First Empires What helped Assyria build an empire in Mesopotamia? its military power and well organized government

22. The First Civilizations Review Main Ideas Section 3 The First Empires What scientific advancement did the Chaldeans make? They mapped the stars, planets, and phases of the moon; created the sundial; and used the seven-day week.

23. Click the map to view an interactive version.

25. Hammurabi Reigned c. 1792–1750 B.C