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Western Asia and Egypt3500 – 500 BC
Chapter ObjectivesExplain the impact of geographyDescribe the significance of religionList major sets of lawsName the first empires and why they
declinedList characteristics of life in these societiesDescribe the effects of wars and conquestsIdentify the importance of early inventions
Lesson Essential QuestionWhat were the main features of Sumerian civilization?
Graphic OrganizerPolitical Life Cultural Life Inventions
Civilization begins in Mesopotamia The Impact of Geography The City-States of Ancient Mesopotamia Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia The Code of Hammurabi The Importance of Religion The Creativity of the Sumerians
The Impact of GeographyMesopotamia- valley between the Tigris and
Euphrates RiversEastern end of the Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent- arc of land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian GulfHad rich soil and abundant cropsAble to support early civilizations
The Impact of Geography (cont)Mesopotamia had little rain, but soil had
been enriched by layers of siltTigris and Euphrates Rivers often overflowed
in late Spring, depositing their fertile siltDepended on melting snow from mountainsFloods were unpredictable
Irrigation and drainage ditches allowed for regular growing of cropsAbundance of food allowed for emergence of
civilization
Think-Pair-ShareLook at the map on page 38 answer the
geography skills questions regarding the map.
Talk about and answer the following question.What role did geography play in the
development of Mesopotamian civilization? The land between the two rivers was filled with silt,
making the soil rich enough for systematic agriculture
The City States of Ancient MesopotamiaSumerian citiesGods, Goddesses, and RulersEconomy and Society
Sumerian CitiesBy 3000 BC, Sumerian people had
established a number of cities in southern Mesopotamia
Cities were surrounded by wallsMud bricks were used for buildingInvented the arch and the domeBuilt some of the largest brick buildings in
the world
Gods, Goddesses, and RulersThe most prominent building in a Sumerian
city was the temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of the cityOften built atop a ziggurat- massive stepped
towerBelieved gods and goddesses owned the citiesPeople devoted much of their wealth to
building temples and elaborate houses for the priests or priestesses
Temples served as the center of the city physically, economically, and politically
Gods, Goddesses, and Rulers (Cont)Early on, the Sumerians believed gods ruled
the citiesTheocracy- a government by divine authority
Eventually, ruling power was passed to the hands of kingsBelieved kings derived their power from the
godsLed armies, supervised the building of public
works, and organized workers for irrigation projects
Economy and SocietySumerian economies based primarily on
farmingTrade and industry became important
Metalwork, woolen textiles, and potteryImported copper, tin, and timber in exchange for
dried fish, wool, barley, wheat and metal goodsTraders traveled by land to the eastern
Mediterranean and by sea to IndiaInvention of the wheel in 3000 BC made
transporting goods easier
Economy and Society (Cont)3 major social groups
NoblesCommonersSlaves
Nobles- royal and priestly officials and their familiesCommoners- farmers, merchants, fishers, and
craftspeople90% or more were farmers
Slaves- belonged to palace officialsUsed mostly for building projectsWomen slaves used to weave cloth and grind grainRich landowners also had slaves, whom they used to farm
their land
Think-Pair-ShareWhy were the Sumerian city states
considered to be theocracies?Sumerians believed gods and goddesses owned
and ruled the citiesWhich people had the most power in
Sumerian city states?nobles
Empires in Ancient MesopotamiaAs Sumerian city-states grew and expanded,
conflicts aroseFought each other for control of land and water
The Sumerian city-states were also open to outside invasionFlat land
Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia (Cont)Akkadians
Semitic people to the north of Sumerian city-states
Overran other Sumerian city-states around 2340 BC
Sargon-leaderWorld’s first empire- large political unit or
state, usually under a single leader that controls many peoples or territories
Fell around 2100 BC, due to attacks from neighboring hill peoples
Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia (Cont)Babylonians
Came into control of much of Mesopotamia by 1792 BC
Came from Babylon, city-state south of AkkadHammurabi- leaderGained control of Sumer and Akkad, creating a
new Mesopotamian empireAfter Hammurabi’s death, the empire
eventually fell due to a series of weak kings
Reading ActivityAs we read about the Code of Hammurabi, pay careful
attention to what aspects of Mesopotamian society are revealed by the Code of Hammurabi.
Identify at least 5 aspects of Mesopotamian society as revealed by the Code of Hammurabi, using examples to justify answersSevere penalties for criminal offenses; different social
classes treated differently under the law; officials held accountable for enforcing laws; consumers protected against shoddy workmanship; regulated marriage; patriarchal society; women had few rights and priveledges
The Importance of ReligionMesopotamians were convinced that their
world was being controlled by supernatural forces, which were not reliableFloods, heavy downpours, heavy winds, and
humidity were all part of the climateIdentified almost 3000 gods and goddesses
polytheisticHumans were supposed to obey and serve
their godsCreated to do the manual labor the gods were
unwilling to do for themselves
The Creativity of the SumeriansCreated cuneiform (“wedge-shaped”) system
of writing around 3000 BCWriting primarily used for record keeping,
however, texts were used in schools to train scribes- member s of the learned class who served as copyists, teachers, and jurists
Writing also used to communicate ideas in new waysEpic of Gilgamesh
Inventions of the Sumerians
Inventions of the
Sumerians
1. Wagon Wheel
2. Potter’s Wheel
6. Number System
5. Bronze/Metalwork
3. Sundial
4. Arch
Exit TicketUsing your notes and the book, answer the
following question.
What were the main features of Sumerian Civilization?
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