What is Civilization?

As villages grew in size, some developed into civilizations. A Civilization is a complex culture with six characteristics:

1. Cities

2. Organized Governments

3. Art

4. Religion

5. Class Divisions

6. Writing System/Record keeping

The first cities grew around rivers River water was vital for good

farming Rivers also provided a way to

travel and trade easily In some cities large markets

formed where people could trade or barter for goods.

Mesopotamia is located between these rivers. Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means “land between the rivers”

The rivers flow from the mountains of Asia Minor southeast to the Persian Gulf

Almost every spring the rivers flooded their banks and deposited a thick layer of silt.

The silt stuck to the ground and created a rich fertile area to plant crops. That is why the region was also called the Fertile Crescent because of the rich soil and curved shape.

Mesopotamia is often called the “Cradle of Civilization” because it is where the first civilizations began.

The earliest of these civilizations was located in the southern region of Mesopotamia called Sumer.

In power from 4000B.C. to 2300 B.C. Made up of many small independent

city-states with a similar culture, language, and religion but different rulers

Invented the wheel, plow, and sailboat

Created a written language called Cuneiform

Constantly at war with each other

You come up with the solution

Challenge 1:

The Rivers rarely flooded at the same time each year. Sometimes they flooded as early as March and other times they did not flood until May. After the flood receded the sun quickly dried the silt into hard clay. How could the Sumerians continue to water their fields with little or no rainfall during the growing season?

Sometimes the flood never came. What would be some ways that the Sumerians tried to ensure the flood would come?

The Sumerians constructed irrigation systems to carry river water to fields. This allowed

them to produce large amounts of food.

Sumerians prayed to and gave sacrifices to Enki-the river god. They asked for a strong enough flood to provide plenty of water but not too strong a flood that might be devastating.

The need to control the water supply and irrigation system made it necessary for someone to be in charge

The Sumerians established governments and systems of rules so they could maintain law and order.

In times of peace, priests were in charge but during war a strong warrior took over.

Because the city-states were constantly at war, warriors ruled mostly

The warriors became Kings. When one King died his son then ruled This is called a dynasty.

Sumerian Government

Challenge 2:

Sumerian city-states stood on open plains. Natural defenses could not provide barriers to invading groups of warriors. How could the city-states defend or protect themselves?

The Sumerians built city walls out of mud bricks that surrounded the city.

Mesopotamian City Gates. That is Mrs. M standing in front of them.

Mesopotamian mud bricks

Challenge 3:

Natural resources were very limited. In the desert region, how did the Sumerians get resources such as stone, wood, and metal for tools and building?

The Sumerians traded grain, cloth, and tools for products they lacked. They usually traded with northern Mesopotamian city-states which were located in places that had timber and metals.

Mountains provided timber and metals.

As city life became more complex and structured people began to need to keep records.

Records were kept for taxes, food storage, debts, religious events, etc.

People called scribes were professional record keepers.

Sumerian scribes invented a system of writing called cuneiform-which means “wedge-shaped.

Now, written records became a part of history.

People had fewer worries about meeting their basic needs so they had time to think about other things.

Many Sumerians became artisans who made metal products, cloth, or pottery.

Mathematicians worked with a number system based on 60.

They developed a calendar based on the cycles of the moon.

Sumerians believed in over 3000 gods in their system of worship. This is called polytheism.

They thought gods controlled every aspect of life.

They built temples called Ziggurats to be dedicated to the city’s most important god or goddess.

Temple priests were very powerful and often wealthy. Sometimes they even controlled the government.

The Ziggurat in Ur

What it originally looked like

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A lamassu was a human-headed winged bull or lion. Huge sculptures of lamassus guarded Assyrian palace doorways and city gates. They were there to frighten away the forces of chaos.

Lamassu

Ellil (Enlil)                                                 Ellil is one of the most important gods of Mesopotamia. Ellil is so powerful that the other gods can't even look at him. He is therefore only shown as a horned cap. . Ellil guards the 'tablets of destiny'. These are cuneiform tablets on which he writes the fate of everything on earth.

In the Babylonian Epic of Creation, Tiamat is an angry goddess, who decides to destroy the other gods. She creates a vast army of demons. The other gods decide that Tiamat should be killed, but they are all afraid. Marduk agrees to kill Tiamat if he is made supreme god. Marduk kills Tiamat and, to make heaven and earth, cuts her body in half. From her eyes flow the rivers Tigris and Euphrates.

Tiamat

People held different places in society depending on what work they did and how much wealth they had.

In the upper class were kings, priests, and government officials.

In the middle class were artisans, merchants, farmers, and fishers.

In the lower class were enslaved people.

Sumerian Priests

Sumerian man and woman. Clothing made from animal hides and cut into this pattern.

Wealthy Sumerians ate meat with every meal

Poor Sumerians ate lots of bread and porridge

Beer was the staple beverage

Locusts were roasted and eaten.

Some boys went to school but teachers were strict and could beat bad students

Most girls married between the age of 12 and 14!

Sumerians often slept on their roofs so they could feel cool breezes.

Sumerians enjoyed music and had many instruments including pipes, drums, harps, and lyres.

During the Sumerian wedding ceremony the husband poured perfume over the head of the bride!

Sumerians loved storytelling. They created folktales and legends.

Homes of the rich were larger and more grand than the poor.

Sumerian story of creation

At the beginning of time there were only gods and goddesses on earth. They had to work the land to grow crops to eat. This was difficult and they worked very hard.           

Each god and goddess had a job to do. Some dug the fields and planted the crops. Others brought water to the fields in ditches which had to be kept clear of weeds.

They went to get advice from Enki, who was wise and clever. Enki was fast asleep in his underwater house.

Enki suggested that he create creatures to serve them by working the land. Then the gods' and goddesses' lives would be easier.

The gods and goddesses thought that Enki's plan was a good solution. Enki collected clay from around his watery home and used it to make humans.

He breathed life into the clay figures, but he limited how long they would live. Only the gods and goddesses would live forever.

The humans were put to work in the fields. As servants of the gods and goddesses they had to provide them with food and drink for their tables.

The humans took water from the rivers and fed the dry and lifeless lands. They dug the soil and planted crops.

                     

With hard work the humans brought life to the land, and the gods and goddesses, who had brought life to the humans, were happy for the moment.

Mesopotamian myths and legends were very important forms of literature and influenced other cultures like the Hebrews and the Greeks.

The Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh told of the many brave feats of the hero, Gilgamesh.

                                                       Once upon a time a powerful king called Gilgamesh ruled the city of Uruk. Uruk was a busy city on the flat Mesopotamian plain near the banks of the Euphrates river.

                                         

                   

King Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu soon became bored with

everyday life in Uruk. They wanted to see the

world and find adventure. Gilgamesh suggested

they journey across the flat plains to the distant mountains. They could bring back some wood from the cedar forests.

Cedar wood was special for many reasons. Cedar trees grew very tall and straight. Long timbers could be used for roof beams and doors in temples and palaces.

                                                             

                                                            

The wood was also good for building because it lasted many, many years

without decaying. The rich smell of the cedar wood in the

palaces and temples was very pleasant.

                                                            

Now, everyone in Uruk had heard stories of the demon Humbaba who guarded the cedar forests in faraway hills. Humbaba's

roar was like the sound of a flood, his mouth was like fire, and his breath was

like death

                                                            

However, Gilgamesh and Enkidu were excited by the thought of meeting

Humbaba. They were both very strong, and believed that they could defeat him in battle. The journey would certainly provide

the adventure they were looking for.

                                                           

  Gilgamesh and Enkidu set out for the

cedar forest with enough supplies to last them for several weeks and weapons to

use against Humbaba. They left the city of Uruk and began the

journey across the flat plain which stretched out from the banks of the river.

The two friends traveled very fast. Normally the journey would take six months but Gilgamesh and Enkidu took just fifteen days.

                                                    

They arrived at the mountain and gazed at the wonderful sight. The forest covered the mountain and the cedar trees grew straight and tall. Gilgamesh and Enkidu stopped for the night and made an offering to the sun god Shamash. The next morning they entered the forest.

                                                            

They did not meet Humbaba straight away. They climbed the mountain until they

reached the peaks where the air was crisp. Finally, they came to the place where the best cedars in the forest grew. They put

down their supplies, chose the tallest trees and prepared to cut them down.

                                                            

They had only just touched their axes to the trees when they heard a terrible noise. They both froze where they

stood. Gilgamesh and Enkidu guessed that the sound was the demon

Humbaba.

                                                            

Suddenly, the demon stood before them. He had teeth like a dragon, a

face like a lion and glaring eyes. In a booming voice Humbaba demanded to know why they had entered his forest

                                                            

Humbaba threatened to destroy the two friends if they did not leave immediately. He

twisted his ugly face into a terrifying grimace. Gilgamesh was frightened, but he

and Enkidu decided to stay and fight.

                                                           

They summoned the thirteen great winds with the help of the sun god Shamash. The winds were very powerful. They were the north wind, the south wind, the east wind, the west wind, the icy wind, the whirlwind, the scorching wind, hurricane, gale, devil-

wind, blasting wind, storm wind, and typhoon.

The great winds trapped Humbaba and he pleaded with Gilgamesh to set him free, promising to give him as much timber as he could carry. But Gilgamesh and Enkidu did not believe him and with one sword stroke Gilgamesh cut off the demon's head.

                                                      

Gilgamesh and Enkidu cut down many trees and chopped them into logs. They lashed the wood together and carried it from the

forest. At the river they made a raft, loaded the logs onto it and set off downstream to

Uruk.

After many days they reached the city. The people held celebrations to welcome home king Gilgamesh and Enkidu and listened to tales of their great adventures.

In 2340B.C., Sargon became the king of Akkad. He defeated one of the kings of Sumer and

established the world’s first empire. An empire is a area or region governed by one

supreme leader The Akkadian empire grew to include all of

Sumer and stretched as far as the Mediterranean Sea.

The empire only lasted until 2100B.C., when the Babylonians were able to defeat the Akkadians.

Akkad

In 1800 B.C., Hammurabi, the king of Babylon, won control of all of Mesopotamia after a war.

He made Babylon the center of trade and wealth in Mesopotamia.

He was also known for carrying out an advanced series of political reforms.

One of the most famous of these reforms was the Code of Hammurabi—a set of 282 laws.

The laws were carved into a stone pillar and placed in a special temple.

The laws were based on an eye for an eye or retaliation principle.

The laws were less severe for the wealthy and men and more harsh on the poor and women.

Babylon is known for some very famous sites.-one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world—The Hanging Gardens of Babylon-the Biblical Tower of Babel-the Famous Ishtar Gates-gates leading into a part of the city