Life in the Fertile Life in the Fertile CrescentCrescent

The Fertile Crescent was a quarter moon The Fertile Crescent was a quarter moon shaped area extending from the eastern shaped area extending from the eastern

banks of Mediterranean Sea and curving north banks of Mediterranean Sea and curving north to the Persian Gulf.to the Persian Gulf.

The rich land between the The rich land between the Tigris and Tigris and EuphratesEuphrates Rivers supported many farming Rivers supported many farming

villages. In the region called Mesopotamia “ villages. In the region called Mesopotamia “ the landthe land between two riversbetween two rivers” several villages ” several villages

grew into cities.grew into cities.

Mesopotamia’s earliest cities rose up in an Mesopotamia’s earliest cities rose up in an area called Sumer. People lived and worked area called Sumer. People lived and worked

together and formed a complex society or together and formed a complex society or civilization.civilization.

A A civilizationcivilization is a culture with well is a culture with well developed forms of government, developed forms of government, religion, and a written language.religion, and a written language.

The people of Sumer The people of Sumer built dikes and dugbuilt dikes and dug canalscanals to hold back the flood waters to hold back the flood waters from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

Life in the cities posed new problems for the Life in the cities posed new problems for the Sumerians, and they had to find creative Sumerians, and they had to find creative

ways to solve them.ways to solve them.

These people used These people used technologytechnology. . (the use (the use ofof tools and skills)tools and skills) to build their cities. to build their cities.

One technological advancement made One technological advancement made by the Sumerians was the inventionby the Sumerians was the invention of

the the wheel.wheel.

Wheel technology made other inventions Wheel technology made other inventions possible, including the possible, including the wheeled cartwheeled cart..

They used domesticated oxen and They used domesticated oxen and donkeys to pull heavy loads using the donkeys to pull heavy loads using the

wheeled carts. Wheeled carts were wheeled carts. Wheeled carts were important in moving construction important in moving construction

materials.materials.

They were able to build seven-story They were able to build seven-story temples called temples called zigguratsziggurats. This is where . This is where

they worshiped their gods.they worshiped their gods.

The Sumerians believed that each city had The Sumerians believed that each city had a god to watch over and protect them. They a god to watch over and protect them. They

also believed that the gods controlled the also believed that the gods controlled the winds and the rain, the sun and every part winds and the rain, the sun and every part of nature important to agricultural society.of nature important to agricultural society.

The Sumerians believed that large The Sumerians believed that large harvests were a sign that the gods harvests were a sign that the gods

were pleased with them. were pleased with them.

They also thought that floods and other They also thought that floods and other natural disasters were signs that the natural disasters were signs that the

gods were very angry with them.gods were very angry with them.

When large numbers of people live and When large numbers of people live and work together, laws are needed to work together, laws are needed to

keep order. In large societies this can keep order. In large societies this can be achieved through a system of be achieved through a system of

government.government.

A A governmentgovernment is an organized system is an organized system that groups use to make laws and that groups use to make laws and decisions.decisions.

Sumerian farms produced a Sumerian farms produced a surplussurplus or or extra supply of food. This meant they extra supply of food. This meant they

had enough to barter or trade for had enough to barter or trade for things they needed.things they needed.

Not everyone in Sumer, including the Not everyone in Sumer, including the kings could read or write. Those who kings could read or write. Those who could write were called could write were called scribesscribes. Often . Often

they kept records, wrote letters for they kept records, wrote letters for other people. They also copied down other people. They also copied down

stories and songs. stories and songs.

The needs of a large complex society led to The needs of a large complex society led to new ways of doing things, or new ways of doing things, or innovationsinnovations..

AcreAcre (unit of measuring land)

Quart Quart to measure wheat and barely

Cargo ships with sails for trading

Cuneiforms (writing system of wedge shaped symbols)

The people of Phoenicia sailed the waters The people of Phoenicia sailed the waters of the Mediterranean Sea in search of of the Mediterranean Sea in search of goods they needed. As a result they goods they needed. As a result they developed highly advanced sailing developed highly advanced sailing

techniques.techniques.

The Phoenicians borrowed ideas from The Phoenicians borrowed ideas from the different cultures with whom they the different cultures with whom they

came into contact.came into contact.

The earliest alphabet was developed by The earliest alphabet was developed by the Phoenicians based on writing the Phoenicians based on writing

systems of other ancient civilizations.systems of other ancient civilizations.

The The Phoenician alphabetPhoenician alphabet made writing made writing easier because their written symbols easier because their written symbols

stood for single sounds.stood for single sounds.

PurplePurple People People

  Because of the Phoenicians' unique purple Because of the Phoenicians' unique purple potion, one possible meaning for the word potion, one possible meaning for the word Phoenician is "dealer in Phoenician is "dealer in purplepurple!" Others !" Others think it means "blood-red" because their think it means "blood-red" because their purple dye had a reddish undertone. So how purple dye had a reddish undertone. So how did they make this dye, and what was the did they make this dye, and what was the big deal about big deal about purplepurple? The Phoenicians ? The Phoenicians discovered that crushed shellfish oozed a discovered that crushed shellfish oozed a fabulous wine-colored goop. Cloth soaked in fabulous wine-colored goop. Cloth soaked in this substance turned shades ranging from this substance turned shades ranging from deep pink to rich purple. deep pink to rich purple. RoyaltyRoyalty soon chose soon chose purplepurple as their favorite hue, so every king as their favorite hue, so every king and queen needed and queen needed purplepurple dye! dye!

Citizens from another early civilization, the Citizens from another early civilization, the Lydian, were the first to use Lydian, were the first to use coined money.coined money.

Their first coins were the size of red Their first coins were the size of red beans. They were made from a beans. They were made from a

mixture of gold and silver.mixture of gold and silver.

These new coins were used and These new coins were used and accepted in other civilizations.accepted in other civilizations.

…………. And they were not so heavy that . And they were not so heavy that they’d sink the trading ships!they’d sink the trading ships!

Lydian Coins

Hammurabi was the ruler Hammurabi was the ruler who chiefly established who chiefly established

the greatness of the greatness of Babylon, the world's Babylon, the world's

first metropolis.first metropolis.Hammurabi’s most Hammurabi’s most important innovation important innovation

was a collection of 282 was a collection of 282 laws called the Code of laws called the Code of

Hammurabi.Hammurabi.

Code of Hammurabi

Hammurabi improved each city-states of Hammurabi improved each city-states of Babylon under his rule by promoting Babylon under his rule by promoting trade and by building and keeping up trade and by building and keeping up

dikes and canals.dikes and canals.

To pay for these projects Hammurabi To pay for these projects Hammurabi charged taxes to his citizens.charged taxes to his citizens.

People could pay taxes in crops or other People could pay taxes in crops or other goods they produced.goods they produced.

+ =

Hammurabi appointed tax collectors to Hammurabi appointed tax collectors to gather taxes. If the tax collector could gather taxes. If the tax collector could not get a payment from a person, he not get a payment from a person, he

was forced to pay it HIMSELF.was forced to pay it HIMSELF.

Hammurabi wrote laws about marriage, Hammurabi wrote laws about marriage, divorce, adoption, slaves, murder, divorce, adoption, slaves, murder, stealing, military service, land and stealing, military service, land and

business practices, loans, prices and business practices, loans, prices and wages!wages!

(Remember there were 282 of them)(Remember there were 282 of them)

The code of Hammurabi made people The code of Hammurabi made people responsible for their actions.responsible for their actions.

The code said that whoever cause an The code said that whoever cause an injury should be punished by given the injury should be punished by given the

same injury. same injury.

The famous of those laws was ….The famous of those laws was ….

““an eye for an eye”an eye for an eye”

44

What do I need to remember What do I need to remember about the Fertile Crescent?about the Fertile Crescent?

MesopotamiaMesopotamia scribesscribes civilizationcivilization innovationsinnovations technologytechnology PhoeniciansPhoenicians inventionsinventions LydiansLydians zigguratsziggurats HammurabiHammurabi governmentgovernment Code of Code of

HammurabiHammurabi surplussurplus