Transcript Mesopotamia - Schoolwires.net

Bellwork
 Define the
 Fertile Crescent
following words
 city-state
from the glossary
 dynasty
of the TEXTBOOK.
 cultural diffusion
 polytheism
 empire
Do Now
Please answer the following
questions on the sheet of paper given
to you:
1) Why do you believe cave people
made art work on cave walls?
2) What was the main physical
difference between Cro- Magnon and
Neanderthal? Hint: THINK about it
Mesopotamia
 “The Cradle of
Civilization”
 “Land between the
Rivers”
 Located in the
Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent
In the Middle East
Area of fertile land
created by the
Tigris & Euphrates
River
Fertile Crescent
 The fertile soil and
rivers attracted
people from all
different cultures –
why?
Food
Transportation
Trade
Geography
 Between Persian
Gulf and
Mediterranean Sea
 No natural barriers
allowed for
migration
Cultural Diffusion
 Mass migration
led to “cultural
diffusion”
Means the sharing
of ideas between
two cultures
The Sumerians
 First civilization in
Mesopotamia
 Lived in “Citystates” (like our
states today)
Sumerian Religion
 Polytheistic –
believed in many
gods
 Worshipped at
“Ziggurats”
(temples with huge
staircases)
Do Now
Please answer the following
questions:
1) What two rivers were in
Mesopotamia?
What does polytheism mean?
What does cultural diffusion mean?
Golden Age
 “Golden Age” is a
period of time
when a society is
not at war
 People have more
time to invent new
products and ideas
Contributions
 The WHEEL!!
 Cuneiform writing
– the first written
language
Time to Translate!!
the new york
giants are the
best football team
ever
i love freedie
thomas
Government
 Each city state
had a chief
 Responsible for:
 Enforcing Laws
 Collecting taxes
Maintaining city
Social structure
 High class
• ruling family
• high priests
 Middle class
• Merchants
 Low Class
• Peasant farmers
Sumerian Economy
 Grew rich from
trade
 Got goods from far
away because of
the rivers and seas
Hammurabi
 King of Babylon
 First written code of
law
“Hammurabi’s Code”
 Different
punishments for
different classes
Classwork/Homework
Hammurabi Work
Fertile Crescent Sheet
Page 35 Epic of Gilgamesh story (2
questions)
?????????
 Which set of laws do you think is
more just – Hammurabi’s Code or our
laws today? Why do you think so?
 Write a paragraph explaining your
answer on paper.
Bellwork
 Define the
 Fertile Crescent
following words
 city-state
from the glossary
 dynasty
of the TEXTBOOK.
 cultural diffusion
 polytheism
 empire