Ancient Mesopotamia: Ch.1.3 & 2.1

1
Ancient Mesopotamia Ch.1.3 2.1

• Origins of Civilization

2
A Case Study Ur in Sumer

• What makes a civilization?
• Advanced cities (what creates a city?)
• Specialized workers artesians and trade
• Complex institutions government and laws
  religion
• Record keeping scribes and cuneiform
• Advanced technology Bronze Age

3
Ur

• Around 3000 BC, Ur had a population of around
  30,000
• Agricultural economy with large-scale irrigation
  why is irrigation important?
• Trade was conducted with a bartering systemm
• Temple (ziggurat) being the center of city life
  shows importance of religion

4
City States in Mesopotamia

• The region is known as the Fertile Cresent due to
  the shape it takes lying between the Tigris and
  Euphrates rivers
• Why is this location important?
• What environmental challenges were there?
• Flooding and then period of little to no
  participation
• No natural barriers for protection
• Building materials and other natural resources
  were scarce

5
City States in Mesopotamia

• How were these problems solved?
• Organization!
• Irrigation provided water
• Built walled cities for defense
• Traded manufactured goods for natural resources
• City states arose the cultures in Mesopotamia
  shared a common culture but WERE NOT a unified
  country.

6
City States in Mesopotamia

• Priests and rulers shared control, and this led
  to the rise of dynasties.
• The success of the city states led to more of
  them, and through cultural diffusion more sprung
  up in areas that were removed from Mesopotamia.

7
Sumerian Culture

• The Sumerians practiced polytheism, or a belief
  in more than one god. People were their
  servants, and their 1 goal was to keep them
  happy. Death is not a reward Dust is their
  fare and clay is their food.
• Social classes arose with civilizations what
  causes class separation today? Back then?
• Developed a number system based on 60 (where does
  a minute come from?), modern architecture
  (columns arches)
• Created a system of writing called

8
Empire Building in Mesopotamia

• Sargon of Akkad was the first Mesopotamian empire
  builder, who united northern and southern
  Mesopotamia. The Akkadian Empire stretched from
  the Mediterranean coast to Iran. The dynasty
  only lasted 200 years thanks to infighting.
• Amorites invaded in 2000 BC, establishing their
  capital at Babylon. This empire reached its peak
  during Hammurabis reign, from 1792 BC to 1750 BC

9
Hammurabi's Code

• He recognized that a single, uniform code of laws
  would unify the diverse group of people living in
  his empire. He compiled his code from existing
  rules and judgments.
• It lists 282 specific laws dealing with every
  possible thing that could impact the community
  many of these are property based
• It applied to everyone, but set different
  punishments for men and women, rich and poor is
  it fair to take circumstances into consideration?
• Hammurabi believed that it was the governments
  responsibility to protect those who could not
  protect themselves