Transcript Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia
City-States
Geography of the Fertile Crescent
Geography
• Arc of land that provided good
farming
• Located in SW Asia
• Mesopotamia “land between
rivers” in the Persian gulf and
Med. Sea
• Rivers: Tigris and Euphrates
• Every year the rivers flooded the land, and
then receded leaving a thick mud called
silt.
• Soil was rich for farming and grew large
quantities of wheat and barley.
• Villages grew
Environmental Challenges
• Sumerians- 1st to settle in Mesopotamia
• 3 challenges
1. Unpredictable flooding/drought
2. No natural barriers
for protection
3. Limited natural resources
Solving Problems
• Dug irrigation ditches
• Built city walls with mud bricks
• Traded goods for more raw
materials
• These projects led to an organized
gov’t in Sumeria
City- States: a city and surrounding
country-side with its own gov’t
• Each city-state acted like its own mini
country
• All city-states shared in the Sumerian
culture
Priests and rulers share control
• Governments ruled by Priests
• In time of war-a tough fighter would
command the army.
• A commanders power ended after the war
• Over time…priests gave commanders
permanent control and become full time
leaders
• Dynasty: series of rulers from 1 family
Sumerian Culture
• Polytheism: belief in many gods
• Gods were immortal and all powerful
• People worked hard to earn protection
Life
• Kings landlords
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• Wealthy Merchants
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• Farmers, Artisans
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• Slaves
Science and Technology
• Used arithmetic and geometry
• Arches, ramps, wheel, sailboats
• Created a writing systemcuneiform