Sumer & Mesopotamia 3300 B.C.-1900 B.C. - PowerPoint Presentation

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Sumer & Mesopotamia

3300 B.C.-1900 B.C.Slide2
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Vocab: Fertile Crescent

Region of rich soil in the middle east, curving from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.Slide4
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Vocab: Mesopotamia

Region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

In ancient Greek the word means “between

the rivers”Slide6

Vocab: Ziggurat

A large stepped platform with a temple on top used for religious ceremonies in ancient times.Slide7

Vocab: Cuneiform

Earliest form of writing. Consisted of wedge shaped marks in clay tablets.Slide8

Sumer

World’s First Civilization. (3300 B.C.)

Located in Mesopotamia.

Part of the Fertile Crescent.Slide9

Floods and Irrigation

Tigris and Euphrates flooded frequently, destroying topsoil and homes.

Leadership

were temple

priests or royal officials

who organized efforts

to control the flooding and

irrigation

.

Levees to hold back floods.

Ditches dug for irrigation.Slide10

Innovative people.

Sumer lacked timber and stone for building.

Used clay to make bricks, which led to the building of some of the world’s first great cities, including Ur and

Uruk

.

Trade brought riches to Sumerian cities.

Traders travelled down the rivers or across the desert to trade with distant regions. (As far away as Egypt and India)Slide11
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City-States

Sumer divided into at least 12 city-states.

City-States ruled at first by war leaders who battled each other for control of land and water.

Rule by war leaders leads to

hereditary

rule

.

.

These rulers were responsible for…..

Maintaining walls for protection.

Irrigation systems.

Conducting warfare.

Enforcing laws.

Employing Scribes to collect taxes and keep records.

Lead ceremonies meant to please their godsSlide13

Religion

Polytheistic (meaning Many Gods)

Believed gods controlled every aspect of life, especially nature.

Believed their highest duty was to keep the gods happy, to ensure the safety of their city-state.

Each city built a ziggurat dedicated to their gods.

Believed in a grim afterlife in an underworld from which there was no release.Slide14
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Invention of Writing

Cuneiform (from Latin word cuneus for “wedge”) Created around 3200 B.C.

Scribes would carve wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets using a sharp tool called a stylus.

Evolved out of a system of pictographs used to record goods brought to the temple storehouses.

Became more complicated over time.Slide16
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Other Sumerian contributions

Started developing astronomy and mathematics.

Mathematics – Used Base 60

The “

Epic of Gilgamesh

”

Narrative Poem about a hero named Gilgamesh who may have been a real King in

Uruk

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The End of Sumer

Around 2500 B.C., invaders began conquering Sumer city-states.

2350-2300: Akkadian Empire under Sargon

By 1900 B.C., Sumerian city-states had all been over-run by invaders.Slide19

Hammurabi

King of Sumer

City-State Babylon

.

Brought much of Mesopotamia under the control of his empire.

Hammurabi’s Code:

Set of nearly 300 laws carved on a stone pillar.

First attempt to codify all the laws that would govern a state.

Addressed both civil law and criminal law.Slide20

Assyrian Empire (1350 B.C. – 612 B.C.)

Gained a reputation as the most feared warriors in history.

Built large palaces and well planned cities.

Founded one of the world’s first libraries at Nineveh.

Later EmpiresSlide21
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New Babylonian Empire(625 B.C. – 539 B.C.)

Regains power under its second king, Nebuchadnezzar.

Made the city of Babylon into one of the most highly regarded cities is Mesopotamia.

Famous “

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

”

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

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