Essential Questions: 1.What is the interaction between individuals in various civilizations and their environment? 2.In what ways does geography influence.

Essential Questions: 1. What is the interaction between

individuals in various civilizations and their environment?

2. In what ways does geography influence culture?

This Babylonian map includes some of the most important cities and regions of Mesopotamia. It was made around 600 B.C. and comes from the city of Sippar. It is very different from the kind of maps we are used to looking at as some of the names seem to be in the wrong place. In fact this map is more interested in the mysterious lands believed to exist beyond the sea where gods, heroes, animals and monsters lived.

Unit 2 –MesopotamiaRiver Valley Civilizations

Development of Complex Civilization

Farming Villages Cities City-

States Empires

Key Traits of CivilizationsTraits: Key Terms:

• Mesopotamia - “the land between the rivers” (specifically, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers).

• Fertile Crescent – the “C” shaped area of land with soil that was good for farming.

• The Cradle of Civilization – refers to the idea that this region was the birthplace of complex human societies

Terrain

For Reference

Modern Political Map

http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/geography/explore/exp_set.html

Map Questions(Use maps from Chapter 2)

Geography• Review: Why did early

civilizations develop around rivers?

• What other geographic features, other than rivers, might influence the development of early civilizations? (how?)

• What are some benefits of these geographic features? What are some drawbacks?

Civilization• How might location

influence the development of a civilizations?

• Compare all the maps in Chapter 2. What trends do you notice in the development of civilizations?

Mesopotamian Geography (3,300 BCE)• Located in the modern-day Middle East• Situated between two rivers (Tigris & Euphrates)– “Mesopotamia” = “Land between the two rivers”

• Rivers flooded frequently– Cons• Unpredictable and violent • Constant fear of flooding leads to need for flood control

– Pros• Provided the flood plain with silt to create good land for

farming.• Irrigation used to expand territory of arable land.• Rivers = opportunities for transportation

Mesopotamian Geography (Continued)• Natural Resources– Well suited to produce grain– Lacked trees (wood), stone (relied on clay)

• Natural Barriers– Very few natural barriers, with exception of deserts.

• Cultural Diffusion– Mesopotamia becomes "The Crossroads of the World." • A center of trade and ideas

– Trade networks created that spread from Egypt to India. Leads to the development of the wheel.

– Mesopotamia became a prime area for invasion and foreign conquest.

Understanding City-States

• Objective: Students will understand and communicate how conquest brought new Empires and Ideas to the Middle East.

Elements of a City-State

Define: The city and it’s surrounding area (mainly farm land)

• Key Buildings:– City’s Bazaar – The Temple (Ziggurat)

Elements/ Key Features

Farming areas surrounding cities- Organized w/ networks of irrigation ditches

Defensives natural/ or man made +Walls – basic mud bricks

Individual homes – similar to Catal Huyuk structure.

City-States

City-States: Shared Language, Culture, Trade

Sumer – City State

2.1: City States of Ancient SumerTrade

developed along the

rivers.

Geography Influences

Fertile Crescent Civilization

Villagers worked together to stop

floods and provide irrigation.

City-StatesSumerian oral narratives are written down. City-States of

Ancient Sumer

Polytheism

Invent Writing

Babylonians use Sumerian

learning, create calendars,

develop basic Algebra & Geometry.

Lasting Legacy of

Sumer

Sumerian Civilization

Takes Shape

Distinct Social

HierarchyNewcomers adapt cuneiform.

Sumerians• First civilization in Mesopotamia• Laid the foundation for future civilizations to copy.• First to invent and use: writing (cuneiform), base

60 number system, study of stars.

Symbolic communication to…. Cuneiform (glyphs) (“wedge-shaped”)

Unique Characteristics ofSumerian Geography

• Two rivers that were unpredictable, but necessary to water crops.

• Lacked resources such as wood, stone, metal.

• Hot, dry, very little rainfall.• Had an abundance of grain.• No natural barriers to keep

people out.

Sumerian Religion

• Polytheism = worship of many gods• Worshiped nature gods: water, thunder, sky.• Believed gods had human qualities and

emotions, jealousy, anger, love, hate.• Also believed gods thought humans were a

mistake. Believed the gods sought to punish humans with plague, disaster, war, …

How might geography influence the religious beliefs of the Sumerians?

Lasting Legacy of Sumer

• Sumerian oral narratives are written down (ie: Gilgamesh)

• Culture & technology become the basis for other cultures in the region– ie: Babylonians use Sumerian learning &

build on it to create calendars, basic algebra, and geometry

• Cultural Diffusion in Mesopotamia = adaption of cuneiform across the region– Other cultures can now create a written

record

What Evidence can we use to study Mesopotamian Cultures?

• Artifacts - • Fossils • Written Records• Written Stories

The Stele of the Vultures is a monument from the Early Dynastic III period (2600–2350 BC) in Mesopotamia celebrating a victory of the city-state of

Lagash over its neighbor Umma.

A fragment of the Stele of the

Vultures showing vultures with

severed human heads in their beaks and a fragment of

cuneiform script

Ur-Nanshe: creating the foundation for a shrine;

bottom, presiding over its

dedication (Louvre)

Entemena's Silver Vase

(Louvre)

What (other) Evidence can we use to study Mesopotamian Cultures?

• Artifacts – • Fossils • Written Records• Written Stories• Art as cultural pieces

Marsh Arabs – The Ma’adan“dweller in the plains”

Using the Present to study the Past…

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/regulation_of_the_tigris_and_euphrates_rivers

Mudhifhttp://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5658260n&tag=segementExtraScroller;housing

Mashoof

Bedouin or Sumerian or…Bedouin

Sumerian

What Evidence can we use to study Mesopotamian Cultures?

Cultural Creations:The Epic of Gilgamesh

What is an Epic?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSZg5DTW7Hw

Gilgamesh

Importance• World’s first literary

endevour • Adventure by the King of

Uruk in Sumeria – approximately 2700 BC

Problems with the story• No single complete copy of

the Epic exists• Editors have translated

several copies and merged them together to create a flowing, translated narrative.

- Questions - • What was surprising

about the fight with Humbaba?

• What did the Sumerians believe the afterlife was like? How do you know?

• Why does Gilgamesh decide to journey to find Utnapishtim and his wife?

• Where do you think “the far away” is what makes you think so?

• In end what is the lesson to be learned from this story?

What purpose did the dreams in the story serve? What does that tell us about the Sumerians?

Background on The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic as told by Patrick Stuart• http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=QoM_kPGfkw0&feature=related

Questions to Consider• 1. What are some of the problems that can accompany historians' use

of a text that has been reconstructed from several fragments and then translated and amended to provide a narrative that appears complete?

• 2. Does is matter whether or not there was a "real" historical Gilgamesh? Why or why not?

• 3. What are the limitations of or opportunities for historical study that our answers to these questions establish?

How are the chief characteristics of civilization evident in ancient Mesopotamia?

• What sources have we used already to study ancient societies?

• What other sources can we examine?

• Chief Characteristics of ancient Mesopotamian civilization:

City-State StructureModeled after Ur…

• Fields– With irrigation network

• Roads (transportation network)

• City Walls (defensive position)

• Residential areas/ Market areas (bazaar)– Barter economy

• Religious building – *Ziggurat (“mountain of

god”)

Ziggurat’s and Religious Beliefs

• Separate walled area• 3 tiered structure• Top structure serves

as area for sacrifices (offering to the gods)

- a polytheistic religion (many gods)- with anthropomorphic deities (human characteristics)- representing cosmic and terrestrial forces in their world

Physical Reflections of Cultural Characteristics

Deciphering the Past

• Government

• Economy

• Society (structure)

• Religion

Northern CivilizationsFringe of Civilization to the North • Groups of People (tribes)

who live in the mountains (Zagros and Taurus Mts.)

• Nomadic People – depended on hunting/ gathering & bit of farming

• Later conquered & incorporated into various empires

• Natural Resources – – Ore (especially tin)– Timber (cider, etc.)– Rocks (quarries) – Lacks… Food

• Poor farming land

Development of Megalithic Structure“large stone”

Bronze Age Megaliths • Standing Stone structures

built between 4000 BC and 1500 BC

• British Isles and northwestern France, Scandinavia, islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Malta

• Used as observatories to detect astronomical phenomena

Timeline

Sumerians4000 BC --------2000BC

Egyptians 6000 BC --3200 -3100 - 2660 21802080164015701075 -----751 ----671----521

Amorites (Old Babylon)2000 BC -----------1550BC

*1792 – 1750 ( )

Hittites1680BC -------1200BC

Phoenicians1500 --------1100------800----------300BC

Assyrians850 BC----612 BC

Hebrews2000 BC –1650 –1300 1200 –1020*922 -----586 –538 --------------

Chaldeans (New Babylon)600 BC --539BC

Persians550BC ---------350BC*550 – 539 --530

Egyptians 6000 BC --3200 -3100 - 2660 21802080164015701075 -----751 ----671----521

Hebrews2000 BC –---------------1650 –1300 1200 –1020*922 -----586 –538 --------------

Advancing Technology

Stone Age (end of the stone age)6000 BC ---------2500 BC

Bronze Age2800BC ---------------------------1200BC

1500BC ------------1200 BC (development of iron by the ___________)

Iron Age1200BC -------------------------------------700BC

Sumerians do a LOT of the ground work of building civilization

Sumerians4000 BC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2000BC

The Sumerians create a pattern that many of the other civilizations will follow.

- Rise Internal conflict and Invasion by next big civilization

Ancient MesopotamiaWhat Characteristics do many of the Ancient Mesopotamian Civilizations have in common?

What are some unique features of the….

Objective• Students will understand and communicate how

conquest brought new Empires and Ideas to the Middle East.

Ancient Mesopotamian SocietiesWarfare• As city-states began to grow, their spheres of

influence overlapped, creating arguments between other city-states, especially over land and canals. – These arguments were recorded in tablets several

hundreds of years before any major war—the first recording of a war occurred around 3200 BC but they were not common until about 2500 BC.

•At this point, warfare was incorporated into the Mesopotamian political system, where a neutral city may act as an arbitrator for the two rival cities. • This helped to form unions between cities,

leading to regional states.

•When empires were created, they went to war with foreign countries. • King Sargon, for example, conquered all

the cities of Sumer, some cities in Mari, and then went to war with northern Syria.

Sumerians

• First civilization in Mesopotamia• Laid the foundation for future civilizations to

copy.• First to invent and use: writing (cuneiform),

base 60 number system, study of stars.

Akkad

• Conquer Sumer by a ruler named Sargon in 2300 B.C.E.• Appoints Local Rulers, allows for

the expansion of his power. Builds the first Empire.

• Problems of Succession after Sargon Dies.– Internal Problems

Babylon

• Come to power under Hammurabi in 1700 B.C.E. • Publication of “Hammurabi’s

Code” (300 laws carved in to huge stone pillars.) –Importance of Code: 1st codified set

of laws, promotes Civil and Criminal Law. •Promotes an “Eye for an Eye” view of

the world.

• The “Code of Hammurabi” was the first set of codified laws. They continue to influence law making and crime control today.

• What similarities exist between the ““Code of Hammurabi” and laws we use today?

Babylon: Other Accomplishments of Hammurabi • Improved Irrigation System• Organized well trained army• Repair Temples• Promoted Babylonian Gods,

particularly Marduk. • Like his code of laws, these tasks

work to unite the people under Hammurabi’s rule.

Hittites • Invaded Mesopotamia in 1400 B.C.E.

using Iron weapons and tools. Brings about the Iron Age.

• The use of Iron was a major advancement in technology.

• Hittite ironsmiths migrate to different parts of Mesopotamia, and the new technology is accepted by many civilizations.

Hittite Warriors

Phoenicians• Sailors and traders who dominated the

Mediterranean Sea. “Carriers of Civilization”

• Main export was purple dye. • Set up colonies in North Africa, Spain,

and traded as far north as Britain.• Developed and expanded an alphabet

that served as the foundation for the Greeks to develop their own alphabet.

Assyrians • Very fearsome warriors, who

refined Hittite weapons technology. • Were a constant power in the

region between 1350-612 B.C.E.• Built Planned cities in the areas

they conquered.

• Assyrian • Warrior• What role did new technology play in

Mesopotamia?

Assyrians

• Tried to solidify influence in the region through the expansion of learning. • One example is the great library

of Assurbanipal, which stored cuneiform tablets from across Mesopotamia.

Later Babylonian Accomplishments

• Develop strong civilization over 700 years after their original era of domination.

• Expand under King Nebuchadnezzar into the lands of the western Mesopotamia, including Judah.

• Rebuilds Babylon into the dominate city in the region. City becomes famous for its Hanging Gardens.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Persians• Defeated Babylon in 551 B.C.E.• Empire would stretch from Europe and

Africa to India.• Promoted sense of tolerance toward the

people they conquered by respecting their customs and allowing them to keep them.

• King Darius-(522-486 B.C.E.) Divides empire into provinces called “Satrapy”. Satrapy is ruled by an official called a “Satrap”.

Persians under Darius• Satraps provided Darius will taxes and

resources every month. This system allowed the empire to grow while sustaining its resources.

• Codified set of laws, rebuilt roads, coined money, common weight/measurements work so solidify Persian influence

• Zoroaster-Creates model for future monotheistic religions.

Israelites (Hebrews)• Monotheistic People.• Creation of the Torah, promotes the 10

Commandments, provides simple alternative to “Code of Hammurabi”.

• Promote “Patriarchy”-Male dominated Society. – Sent into exile following destruction of the temple

of Solomon in Judah in 586 B.C.E. Maintain their cultural Identity in the Diaspora.

Lydians

• Invented a monetary system

Critical Thinking Questions• How did the Persian Policy of Tolerance help

the empire cover such a large area? • What major technological advances enabled

civilization to grow and have influence in Mesopotamia?

• In what ways did political leaders seek to unify the people under their rule?

• What was the role of conquest in Ancient Mesopotamia?

Pros Cons

Geography of Mesopotamia

Sources

• http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/trade/explore/exp_set.html