Transcript Mesopotamia Note Powerpoint (#2)

Mesopotamia:
Civilizations between
the Tigris &
Euphrates Rivers
1. Innovation – a new way of
doing things.
Mesopotamia lied within the
Fertile Crescent.
Mesopotamia lied within the
present day countries below.
2. Controlling the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers allowed farmers to
grow enough food for the Sumerian
city–states.
1) Controlled flooding by building
dikes and dams.
2) Irrigated land during droughts
using canals.
3) Filled man-made lakes or
reservoirs for later use.
3. Division of Labor – the
sharing of a large job so that
each worker does only part of
the work. This allowed the
city-states to produce
enough food.
4. Surplus – extra product
left over after needs have
been met.
5. En – Sumerian
leader who ruled as
king and was believed
to be chosen by the
gods.
6. Sumerian
rulers held
absolute
authority or
complete
control over the
city-state.
7. Monarchy – a governing
system ruled by a king or
queen.
8. Sumerians created the
st
world’s 1 written language to
keep government lists and
records called Cuneiform.
9. Cuneiform – writing that
used wedge-shaped symbols.
Cuneiform Alphabet
10. Sumerians are remembered
for many innovations.
1) Acre – measure land.
2) Quart – measure volume.
3) Calendar
4) Sailboat
5) Used bronze to make
tools and weapons.
6) Potter’s wheel
7. Cuneiform
8. Dikes and reservoirs
9. Wheeled cart pulled by
animals.
11. Social Classes
A group of
people who have a
particular level of
importance.
Ruling Class
King, government officials,
priests and warriors.
Middle Class
Less important government officials,
craftworkers, farming supervisors and
merchants.
Lower Class
Slaves, farmworkers, prisoners of war,
people paying off debts or committed a
crime.
12. Men held
nearly all the
leadership roles
in the Sumerian
government.
13. The oldest woman in
the family ruled at home.
Other rights:
1) Religious leaders
2) Could own property
3) Could run a
business
4) Some could read
or write.
14. Sumerian city-states
fought over control of:
1) Water
2) Limited resources
3) Riches
4) Land
15. Sargon
conquered the
Sumerians and
built the world’s
first empire.
16. Empire – vast lands and
varied people that come under
control of a single government.
17. Standing Army – an army
with paid, full-time soldiers.
18. Sargon held the
Akkadian Empire together
by:
1) Keeping a
standing army.
2) Carefully
selecting government
officials.
19. The Amorites
gained control of
southern and
central
Mesopotamia and
built the
Babylonian
Empire.
20. The Babylonian Empire
maintained order with a:
1) Centralized
government.
2) Code of Laws.
3) System of
Taxation.
21. Code of
Hammurabi – a set
of laws written
down in a clear and
orderly way. There
were 282 laws that
dealt with almost
every part of daily
life.
22.Hammurabi –
King of the citystate of Babylon.
His laws helped
provide justice
for the wronged
and protect the
weak.