Mesopotamia: Mesopotamia: “The Cradle of “The Cradle of Civilization”Civilization”

Earliest Civilization: the Earliest Civilization: the Fertile CrescentFertile Crescent

Categorized as the earliest of all civilizations as Categorized as the earliest of all civilizations as people formed permanent settlementspeople formed permanent settlements

MesopotamiaMesopotamia is a Greek word that means is a Greek word that means “between the rivers”“between the rivers”

Specifically, the area between the Specifically, the area between the Tigris River Tigris River and Euphrates Riverand Euphrates River (present day Iraq) (present day Iraq)

Mesopotamia is Mesopotamia is notnot within the "Fertile crescent“, within the "Fertile crescent“, it is in the more desert area that the "Fertile it is in the more desert area that the "Fertile crescent" arcs around crescent" arcs around

Geographic ConditionsGeographic Conditions Little rainfallLittle rainfall for crops for crops

Hot and dry climateHot and dry climate in the summers in the summers Winters brought fierce windstorms leaving Winters brought fierce windstorms leaving

muddy river valleysmuddy river valleys Springs brought Springs brought catastrophic floodingcatastrophic flooding of the of the

riversrivers Arid soil containing Arid soil containing little mineralslittle minerals No stone or timber resourcesNo stone or timber resources

Then why live in Then why live in Mesopotamia?Mesopotamia?

NATURAL LEVEESNATURAL LEVEES: : embankments produced by build-up of sediment embankments produced by build-up of sediment over thousands of years of floodingover thousands of years of flooding

Natural LeveeNatural Levee

create a high and safe flood plain create a high and safe flood plain

make irrigation and canal construction easy make irrigation and canal construction easy provide protectionprovide protection the surrounding swamps were full of fish & waterfowl the surrounding swamps were full of fish & waterfowl reeds provided food for sheep / goats reeds provided food for sheep / goats reeds also were used as building resourcesreeds also were used as building resources

History of MesopotamiaHistory of Mesopotamia Over the centuries, many different people Over the centuries, many different people

lived in this area creating a collection of lived in this area creating a collection of independent statesindependent states

Sumer- Sumer- southern part (3500-2000 BCE)southern part (3500-2000 BCE) Akkad- Akkad- northern part (2340 – 2180 BCE)northern part (2340 – 2180 BCE) Babylonia- Babylonia- these two regions were unified these two regions were unified

(1830-1500 BCE and 650-500 BCE)(1830-1500 BCE and 650-500 BCE) Assyria-Assyria- Assyrian Empire (1100 -612 BCE) Assyrian Empire (1100 -612 BCE)

ReligionReligion Position of King was Position of King was

enhanced and supported enhanced and supported by religionby religion Kingship believed to be Kingship believed to be

created by gods and the created by gods and the king’s power was divinely king’s power was divinely ordainedordained

Polytheistic Polytheistic religion religion consisting of over 3600 gods consisting of over 3600 gods and demigodsand demigods

Shows diversity of religion Shows diversity of religion from different regionsfrom different regions

Yet all of Mesopotamia Yet all of Mesopotamia shared the same religion and shared the same religion and the same prominent gods the same prominent gods

gods were worshipped at huge temples called ziggurats

Prominent Mesopotamian godsEnlil Enlil (supreme god & god of air)(supreme god & god of air)IshtarIshtar (goddess of fertility & life) (goddess of fertility & life)AnAn (god of heaven) (god of heaven)EnkiEnki (god of water & underworld) (god of water & underworld)ShamashShamash (god of sun and giver of (god of sun and giver of law)law)

ZigguratZigguratss

Important for gods to be Important for gods to be honoured by religious honoured by religious ceremoniesceremonies

Ceremonies performed Ceremonies performed by priests in sacred by priests in sacred templestemples

Temples created from Temples created from mud brick and placed mud brick and placed on platforms due to on platforms due to constant floodingconstant flooding

Temples evolved to Temples evolved to ziggurats-ziggurats- a stack of 1-a stack of 1-7 platforms decreasing 7 platforms decreasing in size from bottom to in size from bottom to toptop

Famous ziggurat was Famous ziggurat was Tower of BabelTower of Babel (over (over 100m above ground and 100m above ground and 91m base)91m base)

Ziggurat of Ur -2000BCE

Political structure an early form Political structure an early form of democracyof democracy

Frequent wars led to the Frequent wars led to the emergence of warriors as leadersemergence of warriors as leaders

Eventual rise of monarchy Eventual rise of monarchy

NOBILITY

FREE CLIENTS

COMMONERS

SLAVES

SumeriansSumerians

Established the Established the social, economic and intellectual basissocial, economic and intellectual basis of of MesopotamiaMesopotamia

First to develop writingFirst to develop writing in the form of cuneiform in the form of cuneiform Sumerians are credited to have Sumerians are credited to have invented the wheelinvented the wheel Became the first city of the worldBecame the first city of the world However, the Sumerians were However, the Sumerians were not successful in uniting lower not successful in uniting lower

MesopotamiaMesopotamia

AkkadiansAkkadians Leader: Leader: Sargon the GreatSargon the Great Sargon’s greatest achievement was the Sargon’s greatest achievement was the unification of lower unification of lower

MesopotamiaMesopotamia (after conquering Sumerians in 2331 BCE) (after conquering Sumerians in 2331 BCE) Established capital at AkkadEstablished capital at Akkad SpreadSpread Mesopotamian Mesopotamian cultureculture throughout Fertile Crescent throughout Fertile Crescent Yet dynasty established by Sargon was Yet dynasty established by Sargon was short-livedshort-lived… Akkadians … Akkadians

were conquered by the invading barbarians by 2200 BCEwere conquered by the invading barbarians by 2200 BCE

BabyloniansBabylonians Babylonians Babylonians reunited reunited MesopotamiaMesopotamia in in 1830 BCE1830 BCE

Used their central Used their central location to location to dominate tradedominate trade and and establish establish controlcontrol over all of over all of MesopotamiaMesopotamia

KING HAMMURABIKING HAMMURABI – conquered – conquered Akkad and Akkad and Assyria and Assyria and gained control of gained control of north and southnorth and south

Hammurabi’sHammurabi’s Legacy: Legacy: law codelaw code

YET AGAIN, YET AGAIN, Mesopotamia was Mesopotamia was not unified for not unified for long…long…

1010thth century BCE, Assyria emerged as century BCE, Assyria emerged as dominant forcedominant force Assyrian Assyrian reunitedreunited Mesopotamia and established the Mesopotamia and established the first true empirefirst true empire Assyrian Assyrian armyarmy was most was most fearedfeared due to their brutal, due to their brutal, bloodthirsty &bloodthirsty & terrorizing terrorizing

tactics and use of iron weapons, battering rams, chariotstactics and use of iron weapons, battering rams, chariots Assyrian Empire stretched from Persian Gulf north and West to Syria, Palestine Assyrian Empire stretched from Persian Gulf north and West to Syria, Palestine

and Egyptand Egypt However, states began to revolt and ONCE AGAIN, However, states began to revolt and ONCE AGAIN, Assyrian Empire collapsedAssyrian Empire collapsed by by

late 7late 7thth century BCE century BCE By 539 BCE, Mesopotamia part of the vast Persian Empire (led by Cyrus the Great)By 539 BCE, Mesopotamia part of the vast Persian Empire (led by Cyrus the Great) Persian Empire dominated for 800 years until Alexander the GreatPersian Empire dominated for 800 years until Alexander the Great

Code of HammurabiCode of Hammurabi Code of Code of 282 laws282 laws inscribed on a inscribed on a stone pillarstone pillar

placed in the public hall for all to seeplaced in the public hall for all to see

Hammurabi Stone depicts Hammurabi Stone depicts HammurabiHammurabi as as receiving his authority from god Shamashreceiving his authority from god Shamash

Set of divinely inspired laws; as well as Set of divinely inspired laws; as well as societal lawssocietal laws

Punishments were designed to fit the crimes Punishments were designed to fit the crimes as people must be responsible for own actions as people must be responsible for own actions

Hammurabi Code was an origin to the concept Hammurabi Code was an origin to the concept of “of “eye for an eye…”eye for an eye…” ie. If a son struck his ie. If a son struck his father, the son’s hand would be cut offfather, the son’s hand would be cut off

Consequences for crimes depended on rank in Consequences for crimes depended on rank in society (ie. only fines for nobility)society (ie. only fines for nobility)

DevelopmentOf

WRITING

WritingWriting Greatest contribution of Greatest contribution of

Mesopotamia to western Mesopotamia to western civilization was the invention of civilization was the invention of writingwriting

allowed the allowed the transmission of transmission of knowledge, the codification of knowledge, the codification of laws, records to facilitate tradelaws, records to facilitate trade

First written communication was First written communication was PICTOGRAMSPICTOGRAMS

As society evolved, the first form As society evolved, the first form of writing was developed called of writing was developed called CUNEIFORM CUNEIFORM (meaning “wedge (meaning “wedge shaped”), dating to 3500 BCEshaped”), dating to 3500 BCE

Cuneiform spread to Persia and Cuneiform spread to Persia and Egypt and became the vehicle Egypt and became the vehicle for the growth and spread of for the growth and spread of civilization and the exchange of civilization and the exchange of ideas among cultures ideas among cultures

Cuneiform Writing

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

Deciphering Cuneiform

GilgameshGilgamesh GilgameshGilgamesh is an ancient story or is an ancient story or

epic written in Mesopotamia more epic written in Mesopotamia more than 4000 thousand years agothan 4000 thousand years ago

GilgameshGilgamesh is the first known work is the first known work of great literature and epic poemof great literature and epic poem

Epic mentions a Epic mentions a great floodgreat flood

Gilgamesh parallels Gilgamesh parallels the Nippur the Nippur TabletTablet, a six-columned tablet , a six-columned tablet telling the story of the creation of telling the story of the creation of humans and animals, the cities humans and animals, the cities and their rulers, and the great and their rulers, and the great floodflood

ANALYSISANALYSIS GilgameshGilgamesh and the Nippur tablet and the Nippur tablet

both parallel the story of both parallel the story of Noah Noah and the Arkand the Ark (great flood) in the (great flood) in the Old TestamentOld Testament of the Jewish and of the Jewish and Christian holy booksChristian holy books

Modern science argues an Modern science argues an increase in the sea levels about increase in the sea levels about 6,000 years ago (end of ice age)6,000 years ago (end of ice age)

the melting ice drained to the the melting ice drained to the oceans causing the sea level to oceans causing the sea level to rise more than ten feet in one rise more than ten feet in one centurycentury

Royal Royal TombsTombs of Ur of Ur

From 1922 to 1934, an archaeologist From 1922 to 1934, an archaeologist named C. Leonard named C. Leonard Woolley Woolley excavated excavated the site of the ancient the site of the ancient Sumerian city Sumerian city of Urof Ur

City famed in Bible as the home of City famed in Bible as the home of patriarch Abrahampatriarch Abraham

many great discoveriesmany great discoveries such as such as extravagant extravagant jewelry of gold, cups of jewelry of gold, cups of gold and silver,gold and silver, bowls of alabaster, bowls of alabaster, and extraordinary and extraordinary objects of artobjects of art and and culture culture

opened the world's eyes to the full opened the world's eyes to the full glory of ancient Sumerian culture glory of ancient Sumerian culture

Great Death PitGreat Death Pit Found at Ur was a Found at Ur was a mass gravemass grave

containing the bodies of 6 guards containing the bodies of 6 guards and 68 court ladies (servants of kings and 68 court ladies (servants of kings and queens) and queens)

servants walked down into the grave servants walked down into the grave in a great funeral processionin a great funeral procession

they drank a  they drank a  poisoned  drinkpoisoned  drink and fell and fell asleep never to wake again, asleep never to wake again, choosing choosing to accompany the kings and queens to accompany the kings and queens in the afterlifein the afterlife

Legacies of MesopotamiaLegacies of MesopotamiaRevolutionary innovationsRevolutionary innovations emerged in emerged in

Mesopotamia such as:Mesopotamia such as:

codified codified lawslaws the concept of the concept of kinshipkinship and the and the city-statecity-state the building of places of worship the building of places of worship

(ziggurats)(ziggurats) the birthplace of writing the birthplace of writing (cuneiform)(cuneiform) Invention of the Invention of the wheelwheel Oldest written records of a story of Oldest written records of a story of

creation date back to Mesopotamiacreation date back to Mesopotamia First civilization to make a prosperous First civilization to make a prosperous

living based on living based on large scale agriculturelarge scale agriculture