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

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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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