Ancient Civilizations:
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Transcript of Ancient Civilizations:
Ancient Civilizations:
Ancient Civilizations:Mesopotamia
Geography & Environment
“the land between the rivers…”
• On which continent was Mesopotamia located?
• Asia; in what is modern day Iraq, Syria & Turkey
The Geography
• On which river did the ancient Mesopotamians settle?
• Between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers; in an area known as the Fertile Crescent
The Geography
Early Mesopotamian Kingdoms
Mesopotamian Cultures
• Mesopotamia did NOT represent a unified kingdom, instead it was made up of a series of kingdoms that occupied a specific geographical space
• Sumer • Akkad • Babylonia• Assyria• Neo-Babylonia• Persia
Mesopotamian Cultures
The first civilization
Sumer 3500 – 2300 BCE
• Geography:• Located at
the southern end of Mesopotamia
• Near the mouths of the Tigris & Euphrates
Sumerian Geography
Sumerian Geography
• City-state: • A city + its surrounding lands• Independent political units that
competed for trade & boundaries
• i.e. Uruk, Kish, Ur, Lagash
• Characteristics:• Shared culture• Unique
government • Outer walls• A central
temple/ziggurat
Sumerian Geography
Sumerian Religion & Government• Polytheism:• The worship of more than one
god• Believed gods were immortal &
all powerful; humans were to serve the gods
• Ziggurat:• Temples where
sacrifices and offerings were made to the gods
• Animals, food, wine, etc.
Sumerian Religion & Government
• City-states were ruled by priest- kings who were viewed as powerful agents of the gods
Sumerian Religion & Government
Sumerian Culture & Knowledge• Despite their religious
practices, Sumerians had little, if any, belief in an afterlife
• Believed that the souls of the dead went to the “land of no return”
Sumerian Culture & Knowledge• Developed a
form of writing language known as cuneiform
Sumerian Culture & Knowledge
• Invention of the wheel (3000 BC)
• Economy based on farming & trade
• CULTURAL DIFFUSION
Sumerian Culture & Knowledge• Other notable
contributions:• Invention of
the sail & plow• The usage of
bronze• Development
of a number system
Kings
Wealthy merchants
Field laborers
Slaves
Babylonia
The first system of justice
1790 – 1590 BCE
The Babylonian Empire
• In 1792 BC a new empire took control of Mesopotamia
• Babylonia• Reached its
height during the reign of Hammurabi
The Babylonian Empire
• Hammurabi’s Code:• Written code of laws• Stressed responsible
behavior• Capital punishment
• “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”
• Punishments based on SOCIAL CLASS
• Laws focused on ALL aspects of society
The Babylonian Empire