Fertile Crescent & Mesopotamia

Miss Genovese

Geography

● Mesopotamia is the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (AKA The Land Between Two Rivers)

● Land was mostly flat with small plants● Tigris and Euphrates Rivers provided water and travel● Climate is semiarid (hot and fairly dry)

○ Only received about 10 inches of rain or less a year

● (4,000 B.C.) farming villages develop in southern Mesopotamia

The Rivers’ Importance

● Rain and melting snow from the mountains caused the rivers to expand.

● Water in the rivers picked up soil as it flowed down the mountains.

● This soil is called silt, which is fertile and good for crop growth.

Irrigation

● Flooding was unpredictable which meant people could not predict when to plant crops.

● Reasons for Flooding:○ Too much rainfall○ Too much snowfall

Irrigation

● Semiarid regions can experience droughts.○ River level falls = no water =

crops die = we die

● (6,000 B.C.) Farmers set up canals to get water from rivers to fields

Finding Resources

● Mesopotamia did not have forests, stone, or minerals.○ No forests = no wood

● Used mud to make bricks and plaster

Finding Resources

● Traded grain for goods they needed like stone and wood.

● Able to trade crops because they had a surplus of grain.

Finding Resources

● Mesopotamia was easy to invade because it had few mountains or barriers.

● Built mud walls around villages to protect against invaders

Sumer

● (3300 B.C.) First civilization started in southern Mesopotamia

● Present-day Iraq and Kuwait● Five traits that made it a

civilization:1. Advanced cities2. Workers that specialize3. Institutions4. Records System5. Advanced Technology

Sumer- Advanced Cities

● Provided people with advantages

● Had temples for praying○ Polytheistic religion

● Different kinds of jobs

Sumer- Specialized Workers

● There had to be a surplus of food to allow people to do other kinds of work besides farming.

● Specialized Jobs:○ Pottery○ Weaving○ Priesthood (organized people to

do such work)○ Scribes○ Astronomers○ Musicians

Sumer- Institutions

● An institution is a group of people who have a specific purpose.○ Religion (also had political power)○ Government (officials and laws)○ Education (trained scribes)

Sumer- Records System

● A records system kept track of things, such as food and supplies

● Scribes kept record of things● Before inventing the cuneiform

(AKA the world’s first written language), scribes kept record by keeping clay tokens in a clay bowl, or bulla

Sumer- Advanced Technology

● Sumerians built:○ Canals for irrigation○ Tools made of bronze○ The wheel

■ first used wheels as a surface for shaping clay into pots

■ discovered that a wheel that was flipped onto its edge could be rolled forward● Wheelbarrows● chariots

Sumer- Science & Technology

● Sumerians were the first people to use bronze.

● Sumerians traded bronze tools.

Sumer- Science & Technology

● Used arithmetic to keep records of cops and trade goods.

● Number system was based on the number 60.

● Used geometric shapes to make bricks, set up ramps, and dig canals.

Sumer- Creating Written Language

● Invented writing to help with business, keep records of traded goods, and label goods

● Used clay tokens to keep track of goods and put tokens in a container

● Containers were marked with symbols so people would know what was inside○ Pictographs → “picture writing”

● Stopped using tokens and used clay tablets

Sumer- Creating Written Language

● Pictographs showed actual depicts and later showed ideas and sounds

● Used a sharpened reed called a stylus to mark on the clay tablet

● Pictures then became wedge-shaped symbols○ Cuneiform

Sumer- Creating Written Language

● Cuneiform was difficult to learn.

● Few people were literate● Scribes specialized in writing

○ Highly respected by Sumerians

Epic of Gilgamesh

● The oldest story in the world● An epic is a long poem that

tells the story of a hero.

The First Empires

● (2400 B.C.) Constant fighting weakened city-states

● The kingdom of Akkad was in northern Mesopotamia.

● Akkad's leader: Sargon○ Likes to fight city-states○ united Akkad and Sumer to

form an empire.■ first known empire ever

formed■ included all of

Mesopotamia■ Lasted 200+ years

The First Empires

● The Amorites lived west of Mesopotamia and took over in the 1800s B.C.

● Built their own cities○ Biggest city was Babylon○ Hammurabi was Babylon’s

king■ Began to take over

Amorite cities

Formation of Babylon

Amorites take over Mesopotamia.

Hammurabi conquers Amorite cities and forms Babylonian Empire.

Hammurabi becomes king of Babylon.

Amorites build cities in Mesopotamia, including Babylon.

Hammurabi’s Code

● Earliest example of law and order● Earliest example of “innocent until

proven guilty.”● 282 written rules on 12 tablets

The Assyrian Empire● Assyrians lived in northern

Mesopotamia● Built a large, powerful army which

began to take over Mesopotamia in 900 B.C.○ Robbed people○ Set crops on fire○ Defeated towns had to pay

tribute ● Assyrian army was strong

because of their iron weapons.

The Assyrian Empire● Used law codes

○ Harsh punishments● Worshiped same gods as

Babylonians● Built large temples and palaces● Wrote stories

○ Had one of the first libraries in the world

● Traded for wood and metal to make buildings, tools, and weapons

The End of the Assyrians● Assyrian Empire lasted 300 years● (650 B.C.) Assyrians fought over

who will rule next● Chaldeans take advantage of the

divided Assyrians and defeat them○ Took over their lands○ Moved capital to Babylon

The Chaldean Empire● Chaldean Empire also called the

New Babylonian Empire● First Chaldean ruler was King

Nabopolassar● His successor was his son,

Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar● Known for rebuilding Babylon● Large walls surrounded the city● City had many temples and

palaces● Plants watered by irrigation

system

The Chaldean Empire● Major trade route went through

Babylon● Caravans would pass through

○ A group of travelling merchants

● Caravans would bring:○ Cloth○ Baskets○ Jewelry

● Babylon got rich through trade

The Chaldean Achievements● Babylonians advanced in science● Astronomers studied stars,

planets, and the moon● Inventions:

○ Sundial○ First to use 7 day week○ Built Hanging Garden of

Babylon