Transcript Chapter 4.1x - Leon County Schools

Chapter 4
Mesopotamia
The First Civilizations
• The first civilizations developed in the river valleys of
Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China.
• The need for water greatly influenced where people settled.
The Land Between the Rivers
• Mesopotamia means “the
land between the rivers” in
Greek.
•
The civilization began
between the Tigris and the
Euphrates rivers.
The Fertile Crescent
• Mesopotamia is located inside what
is known as the Fertile Crescent,
which includes parts of the modern
countries of Turkey, Syria, Iraq,
Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan.
• Why do you think this area was
called the fertile crescent?
Early Valley Dwellers
• Historians believe the first people to settle in Mesopotamia
were hunters and herders.
• By 4000 B.C. some of these settlers moved to the plains of
theTigris-Euphrates valley and built farming villages along
the two rivers.
• Think Agricultural Revolution!!!
Taming the Rivers
• Farmers depended on water from
rivers to water their crops.
• In the summer there was little rain
and the rivers became very low.
Because of this, farmers did not have
enough water for their crops in the
fall.
Taming the Rivers
• In the spring, rain and melting snow
from the northern mountains
caused these rivers to overflow. At
times, violent floods swept away
crops, and homes.
• BUT these floods could also be
helpful. Floodwaters left behind
silt, or small particles of soil, which
were good for farming.
Irrigation is Developed
• People in Mesopotamia learned to build dams and dig canals to
allow the water source into their fields. This method of watering
crops is called irrigation.
Irrigation Leads to Surplus
• Irrigation allowed farmers to
grow a surplus of food.
• What are the effects that a
surplus of food would have
had on one of these ancient
communities?
Surplus brings change
• Surplus of food meant not all men
were needed to work at farming,
allowing them to pick up other
trades and crafts.
• As artisans made more goods,
people’s lives changed. People
began to live together in areas that
favored trade and several cities
developed in Sumer, a region of
Southern Mesopotamia.
Sumer
• People of Sumer were known
as Sumerians (Cradle of
Civilization).
• Sumerians built the first cities
in Southwest Asia, which
became centers of civilization
and controlled the lower part
of the Tigris and Euphrates
River Valley.
City-States
• Mudflats and patches of
scorching deserts
surrounded Sumer’s cities.
• Because of this natural
isolation from one another,
these cities became
independent, and formed
their own governments.
City States
• In gaining political and economic
control over the individual cities and
the lands around them, city-states
were formed.
• Often city-states went to war with
one another over resources and
political borders, but in times of
peace, they traded with one another
and formed alliances.
Gods, Priests, and Kings
• Sumerian people worshipped many Gods, a practice known as
polytheism.
• They believed different gods guided various aspects of their lives,
and honored the specific god they thought would help with that
activity.
Ziggurats
• To honor their gods,
Sumerians built large
temples called
ziggurats in their
city-states.
Priests and Kings
• In the early days, the priests of
the ziggurat ruled the city states.
• Later, Sumerian kings claimed
they received the power to rule
from the gods.
• The rule of the king was
hereditary, meaning after he
died, his son would take over.
Social Groups
• Sumerian people were divided
into social classes from the time
they were born.
• Top: Kings, priests, government
officials
• Middle: Merchants, farmers,
fishermen, artisans
• Low: Enslaved people
Roles of Men and Women
Men:
• Head of the household
• Attended school
• Trained for specific jobs
Women:
• Ran household
• Had few civil rights
Farmers and Traders
• Major crops were wheat, barley, and dates.
• Dams and waterways ran through the farmland to water crops.
• Sumerians traded for metal and timber.
• Trade routes linking Sumer to other places developed.
Writing
• Earliest known system of writing in
the world was developed.
• This system was called cuneiform.
• Cuneiform was written on clay.
• Characters represented names,
numbers, and objects.
• Scribes , or official record keepers,
wrote documents recording
important aspects of everyday life.
Technology
• Sumerians were the first
people to use the wheel.
• Carts were pulled by
donkeys.
• The chariot was used in
warfare.
Technology
• For river travel, Sumerians
invented the sailboat.
The wooden plow , potters wheel, and bronze (combining
of copper and tin) were other technological advancements.
Astronomy and Mathematics
• 60 minute hour, 60 second minute, and
360 degree circle.
• 12 month calendar based on the cycles
of the moon.
• The planting season was based on the
positions of the stars.