Transcript Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia World History Core Geography/Interaction with Environment LOCATION Southwest Asia Iraq and Syria Dry, desert climate Geography/Interaction with Environment Fertile Crescent Curve shaped area of rich soil Geography/Interaction with Environment Mesopotamia Greek translated to “Land between the rivers” Geography/Interaction with Environment Tigris and Euphrates River Flow southeast to Persian Gulf Flood annually, leaving rich soil Geography/Interaction with Environment Challenges Solutions Unpredictable flooding Dug irrigation ditches No rain No natural boundaries Built mud brick walls around cities Scarce natural resources Traded grain for raw materials Power and Authority Sumerian City-States 1st settled in 3300 BC City-state is a city and its surrounding lands Power and Authority Ziggurat Temple at the center of each city-state Power and Authority Priest were Rulers Priests acted as go betweens for the people and the Gods Priests demanded crops as a form of taxation for their services People believed that the Gods were responsible for all things in their lives (crops, rich soil, rain, etc.) Power and Authority Warriors become King In time of crisis Priests were not the rulers A strong leader was needed in time of crisis (ex. War) Wars were for extended periods of time Warriors would continue to rule Dynasty Series of rulers from a single family (pass on to sons) Power and Authority Social Classes: Priest King Landholders Wealthy Merchants Farmers and Shopkeepers 2. Slaves 1. Foreigners captured Children sold to pay parental debt Power and Authority Women’s Rights Most of the same as men Priest Farmers Artisans Merchants Religious and Ethical Systems Polytheistic Belief in more than one God Sumerians feared the power of their Gods Blamed natural disasters, poor crops, and illness on a persons social actions Enlil God of storms and air Religious and Ethical Systems Afterlife Souls of dead went to “Land of No Return” A dark, gloomy place Religious and Ethical Systems Epic of Gilgamesh Long heroic poem Gives us an idea about Sumerian life See handout…. Cultural Interaction/Economics/Empire Building Trading Surplus Allowed Sumerians to increase long distance trade and develop new city-states Cultural Diffusion When a new idea or product spreads from one cultural to another Trading surplus allowed for cultural diffusion Cultural Interaction/Economics/Empire Building Empire Bringing together of several nations under one ruler Cultural Interaction/Economics/Empire Building Sargon Created the 1st empire (Akkad) Akkadian Empire 2350BC Helped spread Sumerian idea Lasted 200 years Internal conflicts will lead to its future breakdown Cultural Interaction/Economics/Empire Building Babylonian Empire Amorites: nomadic warriors Established empire along the Euphrates River 2000 BC Hammurabi Ruled during the peak of the B.E. from 1792 BC – 1750 BC Cultural Interaction/Economics/Empire Building Codified Law (Hammurabi’s Code) Single, uniform code of laws Unified a diverse empire Engraved on stone and place in various cities around the empire 282 laws Community, family relations, business, and crime Principle of RETALIATION Set different punishments for rich, poor, and women Cultural Interaction/Economics/Empire Building Hammurabi’s Code See handout Science and Technology Arithmetic and Geometry Needed to build walls, plan irrigation, and survey fields Number system based on 60 Modern examples: 60 sec. = 1 min. 360*circle Science and Technology Architecture Arches, columns, ramps, and pyramids Example: Ziggurat Science and Technology Cuneiform Sumerian writing system on clay tablets