AP World History: Life in Mesopotamia

Presentation Outline

1) Geography of Mesopotamia2) Cuneiform writing system3) Advances in the sciences4) Art and literature5) Religion6) Social hierarchy and government

1) Geography of Mesopotamia• Ancient Mesopotamia was located

between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, located today in modern day Iraq• Considered the “cradle of Western

civilization”• An organized civilization which

began around 3200 B.C.E• The ancient cities of Ur and Babylon

were located in Mesopotamia

Question:

1) Why do you think this ancient civilization developed between these two rivers?

2)Cuneiform writing system

• The first society/group to inhabit the region were the Sumerians• They developed a sophisticated

system of writing using characters which were inscribed on clay tablets and preserved• The Sumerian language had about

550 characters and was used for thousands of years n the Middle East

Question:

Why was a written language essential for the development or advancement of a Sumerian civilization?

3) Advances in the sciences

• The Sumerians developed a number system based on the unit 60• They divided the hour into 60 minutes• They had basic knowledge of geometry,

and divided the circle into 360 degrees• They had a system of weights and

measurements • They had a basic understanding of

astronomy through observations using the naked eye

• The Sumerians also created the wheel and the plough

Question:Why were these inventions so historically significant?

4) Art and Literature

• The Sumerians wrote poetry and stories• The Epic of Gilgamesh tells of a hero,

the sole survivor of a flood which devastated ancient Mesopotamia• Sculptures and murals showed a

sophisticated amount of detail• Much artwork was devoted todepicting Sumerian gods

5)Religion

• The Sumerians’ belief system was polytheistic (belief in many gods)• They believed that there were gods

of the sea, earth, sky, etc.• Unlike the earliest humans of the

Neolithic period, the Sumerians gave their gods names, prayed to them, and offered them sacrifices• They also buried their dead in

ceremonies

6) Social hierarchy and government• The Sumerians developed the first

known government system with monarchs and priests at the top of the social hierarchy, followed by farmers and merchants, and then slaves at the bottom• Each group has its own role in

society• Taxes were imposed and collected

to help build and maintain city walls and roads

The ancient Sumerian city of Ur

Hammurabi’s Code

• The first written legal code in human history recorded on tablets about 1772 B.C.E by the Babylonians, another group which emerged in the Mesopotamia region• The legal code was reproduced forall citizens to see