Transcript Ancient Mesopotamia

Ancient Mesopotamia
Today’s Aim: To understand the
civilization of ancient Mesopotamia
Sumerian Civilization
Cities that have organized
governments, art, religion, class
divisions, and a writing system
Government
City-States
independent state with its
own government
Art
Artisans made metal
products, cloth, or
pottery
Polytheistic:belief in
many gods
Cuneiform
Religion
Writing
Class Divisions
Upper
Middle
Kings, priests, & Artisans,
government
merchants,
officials
farmers, &
fishers
Lower
Enslaved people
*Men headed the households and could go to school.
*Women had limited rights, but could buy and sell
property and run businesses.
Discussion Questions
1.
Civilizations are complex societies that have cities, organized governments, art,
religion, class divisions, and writing. They developed along river valleys because
rivers offered good farming conditions, freshwater, fish, and an easy way for trade
and travel.
2.
A government was needed to keep order in the society. Someone had to make plans
and decisions about matters of common concern. Organization was extremely
important.
3.
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers affected life in many ways. Mesopotamia had a
hot, dry climate and the springtime floods left rich soil for farming. Floods were not
only helpful, but harmful and unpredictable. Every year farmers worried about their
crops getting destroyed and turned to the gods for help.
4.
Mesopotamia means “the land between two rivers.” The fertile Crescent is a region
that is shaped like a crescent and is extremely fertile.
5.
Floods were very unpredictable and not only left rich soil for farming, but destroyed
crops. Farmers had to learned how to build dams and channels to control these
seasonal floods. They also built walls, waterways, and ditches to bring water to their
fields. This way of watering crops is called irrigation.
Examples of cuneiform shown above
Read textbook pg. 21: Linking Past & Present