Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia

Ancient Civilizations:

Mesopotamia

Geography• Fertile

Crescent•North east of Egypt•Good farmland•Between the Tigris, Euphrates Rivers

“the cradle of civilization”• Lack of natural barriers• Frequent migration and invasion• Very diverse group of people

Mesopotamia• “the land between two rivers”• Eastern end of fertile crescent• A crossroads where people shared ideas

and customs

Sumerian Civilization• First civilization in Mesopotamia was Sumer.• City –states: political units made up of a city and

surrounding land.

City-States• Fought each other for land and

water• War leaders evolved into

hereditary rulers

Religion• Polytheistic (many gods/ goddesses) • Ziggurat: largest building in city-state,

temple to city-state’s chief god or goddess

ZigguratOffered sacrifices of animals, grains, wine

Holy day celebrationsceremonies and processions

Happy gods/goddessesprosperous city-state

Government• Ruler/ Chief servant of the gods

responsible for:–Maintaining city walls– Irrigation systems– Leading army– Enforcing laws– Employing Scribes• Collect taxes• Keep records

Society• Social hierarchy- system of

ranks

Women in society• Role changed over time.• Early days mother-

goddess honored.• Large city-states: warrior

leaders and male gods replaced mother-goddess.

• Could own property and trade.

Contributions to society• Cuneiform- wedge-shaped

writing

Other contributions• First wheeled vehicles• Irrigation systems/ dikes/

canals• Algebra/geometry• Astronomy

Other civilizations of Mesopotamia

• Assyrians• Persians• Babylonians• Hittites• Lydians

Assyrians• Upper Tigris region• Conquered entire Fertile Crescent• Enemies united to destroy, empire collapsed

Persians

• Ruler- Darius• Divided the empire into

provinces• Built roads- aid travel and

communication

Babylonians

• Powerful ruler- Hammurabi• Code of Hammurabi- first major collection of laws

in history

Hittites• Mined iron ore to produce iron• Brought the world into the iron

age

Lydians• Developed a system of coined

money