Transcript Sumer Powerpointx

Ancient Sumer
Early River Valley Civilization
3300-1900 BCE
River Valley Civilization
 Rivers provided a regular water supply for both
humans and animals.
 Rivers were a means of transportation.
 Rivers made farming easier.
 Floodwaters from rivers spread silt across the
valleys which kept the soil fertile.
 Rivers allowed farmers to grow a surplus of food to
feed growing populations of early cities.
Fertile
Crescent
A region of the Middle East
named for its rich soil and
golden wheat fields
Curves from the Persian Gulf to
the East coast of the
Mediterranean Sea
Mesopotamia (land between
two rivers) lies between the
Tigris and Euphrates
Sumer: region in southeastern
Mesopotamia
The gods decided to send a great flood. To
save Utnapishtim they told him to build a
boat. He gave him precise dimensions, and
it was sealed with pitch and bitumen. His
entire family went aboard together with
his craftsmen and "all the animals of the
field". A violent storm then arose which
caused the terrified gods to retreat to the
heavens. The storm lasted six days and
nights, after which "all the human beings
turned to clay".
Tigris & Euphrates flooded
unpredictably
Often led to catastrophic destruction of mud brick
villages and cities
Controlling the Floodwaters
 Temple priests and royal
officials organized villagers
to build barriers to hold
back the floodwaters.
Levee in Mississippi
 Irrigation ditches were
built to carry water to the
farmland.
Mesopotamian style irrigation canal and ditch
Sumerians build cities
 Built with clay and water
 Made bricks out of sundried clay
 Trade along the rivers
brought riches to cities
like Ur and Uruk
 Also traded with Egypt
and India
Ancient City of Ur with Ziggurat Temple
Your turn to explore!
 At your tables, research a modern-day city along the
Tigris OR Euphrates Rivers.
 The city can be in Iraq, Syria or Turkey.
 Answer the following questions:
 1. How does the river affect the daily lives of the
people today? Give one (1) solid example.
 2. Describe an event in history that relates to the
city and its river valley. Give one (1) solid example.
An Najaf,
Iraq
Located on the Euphrates
River
RIVER VALLEY: In 2009,
farmers and fisherman
demonstrated…asking the Iraqi
Govt. to demand that foreign
countries (Turkey) release more
water into the Euphrates.
Planting rice was banned in Najaf
because it requires too much
water.
HISTORY: During the 2003
invasion of Iraq (Operation Iraqi
Freedom), Najaf was a key target
of the invading U.S. forces. The
city was captured on April 3, 2003
Map Quiz Short Answer
 Why are river valleys ideal locations for civilizations
to develop?
 FCAs (Focus Correction Areas)
 Explain how and why river valleys would assist in
the development of a civilization (3 points).
 Choose one (1) characteristic of civilization and
explain how it affected the daily lives of the people
in a river valley civilization (2 points).