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 written 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

Wealthy merchants

Field laborers

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