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River Valley Civilizations:
Civilizations and
Mesopotamia
• Cities start following the boom of the
Neolithic Revolution
Start of Early Cities
– Agriculture allows people to have a
steady source of food
• More food means more people and
a need for more housing.
Needs of Early Cities
• Needed to be near
fresh water
– Water for crops
(irrigation)
• Villages
– Place for trade,
farming, other
businesses
• These needs lead to
many changes and
villages evolve into
complex and
advanced cities
New Inventions Change Lives
• Inventions:
– Hoes, sickles, plow sticks
• The more food a settlement has,
the more individuals it can support.
• The more individuals a settlement has,
the more complex the society
becomes.
5 Characteristics of Civilizations
• 1. Advanced
cities
– The word “city”
comes from the
Latin word for
civilization
– Cities were
organized
• Different areas for
living, farming,
religion
– Centers of trade
5 Characteristics of Civilizations
• 2. Specialized workers
– How did you get what you needed to
trade?
• Abundant agricultural yields (aka an excess of
food) created opportunities for economic
specialization as surplus food allowed some
people to work in occupations other than
farming
– Demand by ruling elites for luxury items
encouraged artisans and craftspeople to
create new products
– Trade between neighboring populations
encouraged creativity
Examples of Specialized Workers
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Scribes
Priests
Metalworkers
Merchants
Weavers
Soldiers
Teachers
5 Characteristics of Civilizations
• 3. Complex Institutions
– Government
• Job: Meets the administrative needs of the
civilization
– Military
• Job: Protect civilization and gain land and
power
– Religion
• Priests have both political and religious power
• Gods are believed to be CRUCIAL to
community’s success
5 Characteristics of Civilizations
• 4. Record Keeping
– Development of writing
• 2 purposes
– To keep records
– Literary expression (stories,
poems, etc.)
• Earliest form: Cuneiform
– Pictographs: symbols of the
objects or things they represent
Cuneiform
5 Characteristics of Civilizations
• 5. Advanced Technology: Tools
– Farming
• Wheel, plow
– Fishing
• Sailboat
– Weaponry
• Bronze!!
– Made of a combination of copper
and tin
Notes on Mesopotamia
The Start of Mesopotamia
• Early humans traveled to find food
– When food became scarce, they moved
• As they moved they followed the
coasts/rivers, to be close to water
• Soon they traveled through the area
of the Middle East (5000 BCE)
– Found a very fertile area known as the
“Fertile Crescent”
– Area that is now known as Iraq
• Area was fertile due to 2 major rivers
that emptied into the Persian Gulf
Geography of Mesopotamia
Characteristics of Fertile Crescent
• Two major rivers
– Tigris river to the north
– Euphrates river to the south
• Area between named Mesopotamia
– Comes from Greek term meaning
“between the rivers”
• Many small cities form close to the
Persian Gulf
– They later spread further away due to
growing populations
• One of the earliest known cities-Sumer
– Home of the Sumerians (2900 BCE)
Importance of Geography
• Rivers provided only real water to Sumer
– Positives
• Allowed crops to grow
• Deposited silt- rich soil from bottom of riverbeds
– Negatives
• Rivers flooded unpredictably; thousands died
• Area of Sumer was small (size of Massachusetts)
• Area lacked many natural resources needed
• Problem Solving at Its Best
– People of Sumer create inventions to help
• Dug irrigation canals to control water
– Also spread the amount of farmable land
• Built walls to protect the cities from invaders
• Traded for resources needed w/ other cities
– Traded grain and cloth for wood, metal and tools
River Silt and Irrigation Canals
River silt left behind
after a flood
Irrigation canal from
the rivers
• Sumer was a small area near the
Persian Gulf
The Area of Sumer
– Location where Tigris & Euphrates meet
• Most famous city- Ur
– Earliest example of an advanced city
– Also early example of a civilization
• Later Ur became a powerful city
– Strong government, laws, economy
• All cities had their own rulers/govt’s
Sumerian Cities
– These created city-states- areas that
ruled themselves like separate states
• Ur- the most powerful Sumerian city
– Sophisticated city w/ social classes
– Priests held power of city originally
• Later would lose power to military leaders
– Economy was based on agriculture
– Organized areas for artisans
– Buildings made of clay bricks
• Regular house was boxlike w/ no windows
• Rich house was two levels w/ courtyard
Economy of Sumerian Cities
• Economy based of Agriculture
– Farming was base of everything
– Grain would be traded for other goods
• Traded for tools, metals, and wood
• Marketplace- most important area
– Used for trading of goods
– Called a bazaar or open air market
• System of trade- Barter
– Barter- trading one good for another
The Marketplace
• Sumerians believed in gods
– Polytheism- belief in multiple gods
Sumerian Religion
• Ziggurat- main religious building
– Means “temple of god”
– Usually surrounded by wall for protection
– Served many different purposes
• Store grain, ceremonies, sacrifices
• Priests held high power in society
– Once had all power, until more wars
broke out and military leaders took over
• Led to dynasties of kings
– Leaders passed power to sons
Ziggurats
• Society had a rigid social classes
Sumerian Culture
• Tough to move between classes; slavery
accepted
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Priests and Kings – upper class
Merchants/ Artisans – upper middle
Farmers/ Laborers – lower middle
Slaves – captured in battle (not racial)
• Women hold some rights in society
– Able to own land, enter low priesthood
– Could not write; suggests no education
• Religious beliefs part of everyday life
– Epics of Gilgamesh talks of gods & life
Sumerian Culture Pyramid
Priests
and
Kings
Merchants and
Artisans
Farmers and Laborers
Slaves – captured in wars; not based on
race or color of skin
Sumerian Science & Tech
• Sumerians known for many different
inventions in their society
• 3 major inventions
– The wheel
– The sail
• Both aid in travel and trade; make them faster
– The plow, and harness- for farming
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Created calendars
Counting/ number system from 0 – 60
1st to use Bronze- the Bronze Age
Created cuneiform- writing system
Ziggurat architectural designs
Cuneiform
• Writing system which involved pressing a
stylus into clay
• Used a system of pictures to represent words
or phrases
• Cylindrical seal used for names/trade
• Stylus- small tool for writing
Early Mesopotamian Conquerors
• Religious leaders held power first, but wars broke
out
• With more wars, military leaders come to power
• Eventually leaders start taking over nearby
villages
– Leads to the beginning of empires and empire building
• 1st Empire builder- Sargon of Akkad
• Takes power over Sumer
– Came from the city of Akkad
– Adopted many of the Sumerian
practices and beliefs
• Sargon dynasty unifies Sumer from
2340BC – 2125BC
– Becomes the 1st time all of Sumer has been unified
• Expands empire from north of Sumer to Persian Gulf
• Empire- many areas under the rule of one leader
New Group & Leader Come to Power
• Empire of Sargon begins to weaken
• Amorites take power of Sumer around
2000BC; later known as Babylonians
– Make Babylon their capital, moved it from Ur
– Still keep practices of Sumer
• Babylonian Empire reaches its height
under Hammurabi (1790-1750 BCE)
• Best known for creating a code of law for
all people
– Known as Hammurabi’s Code; based off earlier
codes
• Hammurabi’s Code was based on
revenge
– Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth
• Rules applied differently to rich and poor
– Also changed religion under HammurabiMarduk main god
Hammurabi’s Code of Law
Babylonian Empire [2000 BC – 1680 BC]
1. Nomadic warriors overtook the Sumerians.
II. Hammurabi’s Code
1. In 1790 BC, king wrote the world’s first large
collection of laws.
III. Legal Principles of Hammurabi
1. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
A. 282 specific laws.
2. Punishments would be based upon social class of
lawbreaker.
A. Wealthy citizens would pay fines, commoners
would face physical punishment.
B. Government had a responsibility for what
occurred in society.
I.
What should be done about a wife
who ignores her duties and
belittles her husband?
What should be done about a wife
who ignores her duties and
belittles her husband?
Code 143:
If the woman has not been careful
but has gadded about, neglecting
her house and belittling her
husband, they shall throw that
woman into the water.
What happens if a man accuses
someone of murder and it is
not proved?
What happens if a man accuses
someone of murder and it is
not proved?
The accuser will be put to
death.
What happens if a farmer's
irrigations system causes his
neighbor to lose his crop?
What should be done if a son
is adopted and then the birthparents want him back?
Code 185:
If a man takes in his own home
a young boy as a son and rears
him, one may not bring claim
for that adopted son.
What happens if a man is
unable to pay his debts?
What happens if a man is
unable to pay his debts?
Code 117:
If a man be in debt and is unable
to pay his creditors, he shall sell
his wife, son, or daughter, or bind
them over to service. For three
years they shall work in the houses
of their purchaser or master; in
the fourth year they shall be given
their freedom.
What should happen to a boy
who slaps his father?
What should happen to a boy
who slaps his father?
Code 195:
If a son strikes his father,
they shall cut off his hand.
Sumerian Cuneiform Alphabet