mesopotamia - cmsstephens.weebly.com · hammurabi’s code c. 1754 b.c. the babylonian empires....
TRANSCRIPT
Mesopotamia:
“The Land Between the
Rivers”
Instructions
oAnything written in red is important information and it should be copied exactly.
o Anything written in yellow is useful information. You should copy the information in your own words.
o Anything written in green or any other color you do not have to write.
Many important groups existed in Mesopotamia at different times,
including Sumer(ians), Akkad(ians),
Babylon(ians)Assyria(ns).
Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria = MESOPOTAMIA
LOCATION&
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Mesopotamia is located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the
FERTILE CRESCENT.
Hot and dry climate with little rainfall
Catastrophic flooding of the rivers in spring
Geographic Conditions
What limitations might these geographical features cause for people living in Mesopotamia?
The Tigris & Euphrates rivers provided...
natural vegetation & wildlife.
fresh water for drinking, bathing, etc.
opportunities for irrigating land for farming.
So, why did people settle here?
ECONOMICS
Mesopotamia did NOT have many natural
resources.
Remember, it is located in a desert environment!
So, how could you get the goods you wanted
and needed?
ECONOMICS
Make it.
How could you get goods you wanted and
needed?
Buy (or trade) it.
Find something else.
The Sumerians traded to get metals, stones, & wood.
The Assyrians grew wealthy by collecting taxes from people they conquered.
How much are you getting
paid?
The Babylonians had a tax system and established a minimum wage.
ECONOMICS
Mesopotamians traded and
created taxes to get what they
needed.
GOVERNMENT
People in Mesopotamia organized into cities,
which were led by a Council of Elders.
When the cities went to war against each other a
lugal (general) was appointed by the Council
of Elders to lead, but...
...increased wars gave lugals more and more and more and more...
POWER
until the lugals actually became kings.
Governments with some
representation changed into
monarchies as power was taken
by force.
GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT
monarchy: a type of government in which the leader inherits the position and rules for life.
Sargon of Akkad:The World’s First Empire
[Akkadians]
A famous king, Hammurabi, was the FIRST ruler to
record written laws.
HAMMURABI:
created a written Code of Laws featuring 282 laws with strong punishments
Hammurabi’s Codec. 1754 B.C
The Babylonian Empires
NEBUCHADNEZZAR II, KING OF BABYLON :
c. 630 – 562 B.C. Built a city with massive walls and a huge zigguratHe created an empire by extending his rule over
neighboring countries He captured and destroyed Jerusalem and
deported many Israelites (the Babylonian Captivity) Had the Hanging Gardens, a wonder of the ancient
world, built for his wife Amytis
Society & Culture
SOCIETY
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Mesopotamians...
worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses.
believed nature was controlled by gods.
Religion•Kingship believed to be
created by gods and the king’s power was divinely ordained
•Kings and priests acted as interpreters, by examining the liver or lungs of a slain sheep. They told the people what the gods wanted them to do.
Mesopotamians believed in many gods who lived on distant mountain tops. The gods were worshipped at huge temples called ziggurats.
Polytheistic: worshiping or believing in more than one god.
Their religion consisted of over 3,600 gods!
k i n g s ,priests,
farmers, merchants, soldiers
s l a v e s a n d c o n q u e r e d p e o p l e s
SocialHierarchy
government officials
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What could Mesopotamians develop from this technology?
CONTRIBUTIONS
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Mesopotamians developed the wheel for transportation
Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped writing; the first known written language.
CONTRIBUTIONS
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It had over500 different characters!
Tablet House
Sumerian Scribes
Gilgamesh Epic Tablet: Flood Story(The World’s First Novel)
Babylonian Mathematics
Mesopotamian Accomplishments & Contributions
•written laws (Hammurabi’s Code)
• ziggurats
• cuneiform (writing)
• irrigation
•metal tools
• transportation (wheel)
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