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Chapter 2 Sec. 1

Chapter 2 Sec. 1. Page 29. Mesopotamia. The Fertile Crescent. Geography. Desert Climate Fertile Crescent: arc of land that provides some of the best farming in Southwest Asia Mesopotamia=Fertile Crescent=land between the rivers Rivers: Tigris and Euphrates. Environmental Challenges.

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Chapter 2 Sec. 1

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  1. Chapter 2 Sec. 1 Page 29

  2. Mesopotamia The Fertile Crescent

  3. Geography • Desert Climate • Fertile Crescent: arc of land that provides some of the best farming in Southwest Asia • Mesopotamia=Fertile Crescent=land between the rivers • Rivers: Tigris and Euphrates

  4. Environmental Challenges • 1st group to settle the area were called Sumerians (Iraq today) • Three Disadvantages: • 1. unpredictable flooding and periods of little rain • 2. no natural barriers • 3. Limited Natural resources

  5. Solving Problems • to provide water, they dug irrigation ditches that carried water to fields • built mud bricks and created walls • traded goods in exchange for raw materials that were needed • (It took many ppl working together to accomplish this)

  6. City-States • City-States - city and it’s surrounding lands that function as an independent political unit (like a country) • Some city-states in Sumer were Ur, Umma, Lagash, Uruk, Kish, and Nippur

  7. Priests and Rulers Share control • Priests managed the irrigation system and ran the first gov’t • in times of war, the best fighter would lead the city-state • In time, military leaders became full-time rulers which led to a dynasty: a series of rulers from one family

  8. Spread of Cities • As the culture of Sumer grew, other cities developed in the region • cultural diffusion: the process in which new ideas or products spread from one culture to others. took place • usually happens through trade, war, or migration

  9. Sumerian Culture • Religion: believed in polytheism: belief in many gods • In order to keep the gods happy, the Sumerians built impressive ziggurats and offered sacrifices of animals, food and wine; also prayed and performed rituals

  10. Life in Sumerian Society • social classes began • Kings, landholders and priests made up the highest level • Wealthy Merchants next • most ppl worked the land and fields • Slaves were the lowest class

  11. Sumerian Science and Technology • Arithmetic and geometry: created a number system and used geometry to build • Architecture: Arches, columns, ramps and the step pyramid • Cuneiform: Sumerian system of writing

  12. 1st Empire Builders • Sargon the Great - 2334 BC • Sumerian city-states had been fighting each other for many years • in city-state of Kish, Sargon got army loyal to him and took over, then moved to conquer rest of Sumer - took 56 years

  13. created the first empire: brings together several peoples, nations or states under the control of one rule • used military dictatorship to keep control, with loyal army in each city • helped unify Sumerian culture, but army was brutal

  14. Sargon’s Akkadian Empire lasted less than 200 years

  15. Babylonian Empire • Amorites invaded in about 2000BC and overwhelmed the Sumerians. Established their capital at Babylon on Euphrates River • Babylon reached it’s peak under the rule of Hammurabi • Hammurabi created a single uniform code of laws that were carved in stone and put in each city

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  17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnQGjmdUGCI The Kings: From Babylon to Baghdad 1: first 12 minutes

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