Chapter 4: The Rise of Sumerian City-States

Kadhimain Mosque, Baghdad

4.1 Introduction

• Mesopotamia means “ the land between rivers”

• Mesopotamia is located where modern-day Iraq is today.

• The two rivers we that are located there are the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

Fast FactsPopulation: 27,499,638

Capital: Baghdad; 5,620,000

Area: 68,754 square miles

Language: Arabic, Kurdish, Turkoman,Assyrian, Armenian

Religion: Shiite and Sunni Muslim, Christian

Currency: Iraqi dinar

Life Expectancy: 69

GDP per Capita: U.S. $3,600

Literacy Percent: 74

Euphrates Euphrates RiverRiver

Tigris RiverTigris River

4.1 Introduction

• Early cities first appeared in the southern part of this land called Sumer.

• The cities were small, independent countries and they were called city-states.

4.2 Mesopotamia: A Hard Life

• Northern Mesopotamia was hilly and got rain.

• Southern Mesopotamia was a flat plain and received very little rain, but when they did get rain, it was too much!

• So, life was very hard for the farmers

• Building materials were also very hard to find.

4.2 Mesopotamia: a hard life!

• Stones were scarce.• They had no natural barriers to keep out

enemies.• SO, the early Mesopotamians faced 4

key problems:1. Food shortages in the hills2. Uncontrolled water supply on the plains3. Difficulties with irrigations systems4. Attacks by neighboring communities

4.3 Food Shortages

• The Zagros Mountains in Northern Mesopotamia had good farmland, building materials and stones for toolmaking.

• These conditions allowed the population in Mesopotamia to grow.

• When the population grew too large, the farmers did not have enough land to grow food.

4.3 Food Shortages

• No one lived on the plains between the Tigris and Euphrates.

• Because most of the year the soil was hard and dry. The plains did not have trees, or stones which would be used for shelter and tools

• BUT: Because the people needed food so badly, they moved to the plains, because the land held possibilities.

4.3 Shortages in the Hills

• The need for food was so high, people moved into the valley. The region became known as Sumer.

4.4 Uncontrolled Water Supply

• The biggest problem the people in the valley had was how to control the water which flooded the plains every year.

• The farmers either had too much water or too little, so it was a constant challenge to figure out how to control the water.

• They learned how to create irrigations systems to provide water for their fields.

4.4 Uncontrolled Water Supply

• The earth walls they built were called levees. levees. The earth walls kept out the water The earth walls kept out the water to prevent flooding, to prevent flooding,

• BUT, when they needed the water, they BUT, when they needed the water, they could knock holes in the walls to let in could knock holes in the walls to let in water when it was needed.water when it was needed.

• Dams were also built along the river so Dams were also built along the river so that the water would collect in pools for that the water would collect in pools for later use.later use.

4.5 Difficulties with Irrigation

• The main problem for the irrigations systems was how to maintain the system as it went through neighboring villages.

• Farmers had to cooperate together in order for everyone to benefit from the canals.

• With cooperation, villages began to depend on each other for help with the irrigations systems. The villages then grew into towns of several thousand people.

4.6 Attacks by Neighbors!

• As the Sumerian cities grew, they fought over the right to use water. Farms closer to the water supply would block it from going further downstream.

• These fights were serious and they led to bloodshed and killing.

• Sumerians began to build walls and motes around their cities to protect themselves.

• Farmers fled the fields to go inside the city walls when they needed protection.

4.7 Small Farming Villages to Large City-States.

• The basic challenge for any group is how to provide food for itself.

• In Mesopotamia the main problem was having either too much water or too little water.

• The Sumerians built a complex irrigation system which crossed village boundaries.

• Sumerians started to live in larger communities– the first cities.

4.7 Small farming villages to Large City-States

• Each city was like an independent country. The city-states often fought with one another, so they built walls and dug moats around their walled city-states.