mesopotamia – the fertile crescent
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Mesopotamia – The Fertile Crescent. “Land Between the Rivers – “ Tigris and Euphrates ”. BUT FIRST, in order for there to be a society at all…. The Agricultural Revolution had to take place Transition from hunting and gathering to farming and domesticating animals. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Mesopotamia – The Fertile Crescent“Land Between the Rivers – “Tigris and Euphrates”
BUT FIRST, in order for there to be a society at all…The Agricultural Revolution
had to take place
Transition from hunting and gathering to farming and domesticating animals.
What happens to people in terms of location? What about population wise?
GeographyLife for all humans is a battle of
resources.
In ancient times, resources were more basic.
Today resources are mostly based around $$$.
Where do people gather?(Write the underlined parts
across from Neolithic Rev. and Civilization).
People settle in RIVER VALLEYS
Why?
Flooding = silt = food
GeographyGeography always affects where and how
people lived in history.What does this structure tell us about the
geography of Mesopotamia?
Label: Use Page 38•Tigris River•Euphrates River•Fertile Crescent•Sumer•The city of Ur
What happens when people group together?Civilizations form.
Cities, governments, economies, religion, social structure (upper class + lower class), writing and intellectual knowledge, and artistic activity.
Mesopotamian CivilizationStarts in Sumer (Mesopotamia =
Sumer)
Achievements:WheelIrrigationLibrary
◦Why would books be important to a culture or civilization?
Who ruled?Monarchs, or rule by one
person.
WarfareConstant war brought many
cultures into contact.
Cultural diffusion – spreading of ideas and cultures between groups of people.
Mesopotamian City-StatesStarts in Sumer (Mesopotamia =
Sumer)
Walled Cities
Traded with Egypt and others
ReligionZiggurats built – people devoted much of
their wealth to building these temples.
Why?
Priests and priestesses held power, monarchs ruled as gods – Theocracy
Also, Mesopotamians were polytheistic, with the lone exception of the Hebrews.
Draw a simple ziggurat in your notes.
EmpiresEmpires were created by rulers
wanting more resources or land.
Sargon = first empire in history in 2340 BC.
Society/WritingSociety was patriarchal – Men are
rulers. Women are below men in the social order.
King
Priest
Common people
Common People
Priestesses
Common People
WritingCuneiform
WritingIntellectual and artistic
achievements:
◦Wheel◦Chariots ◦Irrigation systems◦Library
Why would books be important to a culture?
Check for understandingWho created the first empire in
world history?What type religion was found in
Mesopotamia?Name one example of cultural
diffusion in Mesopotamia.What is the most interesting part
of Mesopotamian culture to you? Why?
Current Events?Good ideas?
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