Civilization Begins in Mesopotamia

The Fertile Crescent

• “The Fertile Crescent”• Mesopotamia

– Means “between the rivers”

• Tigris and Euphrates– They flood and deposit silt

that was ideal for farming.• Floods were unpredictable

– Used irrigation to control water

• Can grow a large amount of food– Cities could become

larger

Between the Rivers

Sumer

• First Mesopotamian civilization was Sumer (Around 3000BC)– Religion and Government

• Were polytheistic– Belief in many gods.

– Humans were supposed to obey and serve the gods.

– Gods and Goddesses owned the cities

• Theocracy– A government by divine authority.

City-States• Large cities that had

control over surrounding countryside.– Surrounded by walls.– Homes were built of

sun-dried mud bricks.– Every city had a

ziggurat – temple devoted to the gods.

Ziggurat at Ur

Economy and Trade• Economy was based on farming and trade.

– Traded with India and the Mediterranean.

• Made pottery, cloth, and metalwork– Used Gold, Copper, Silver, Bronze

Writing and Technology• The Sumerians greatest invention was

their writing, called cuneiform.

Writing and Technology• Used cuneiform mostly to

keep records.– Scribe became an important

position for wealthy boys only.

• Also had several other inventions…– Wheel (Wagon and Potters)– Sundial– Arch

• Devised a number system based on 60

Standard of Ur

Standard of Ur - Front

“War”

Standard of Ur

“Peace”

Creation of Empires• Akkadians invade

and overtake the Sumerian city-states. (2340BC)– Sargon I– First Empire

• Akkad falls in 2100BC

• City-states fought until 1792BC when Babylon took power under Hammurabi

Sumer