mesopotamia - mcccscherrl/documents/his101mesopotamiahandout.pdf · mesopotamian religion...
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What are the characteristics of “Civilization”?
1. Urban Urban Revolution, c. 4000 B.C.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The Earliest Civilization: Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia “the land between the rivers” • Tigris River and Euphrates River
Area occupied by 5000 B.C. 1 st cities, c. 3500 B.C. Why was the first civilization there? Natural resources
Mud, mud, mud (clay) Reliance on irrigation and seasonal flooding that deposited rich silt
The Land of Sumer
Sumer, 35002350 B.C. Southern Mesopotamia Why do we call it Sumer? CityStates
Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Umma, Lagash About 30 citystates Population 25,00050,000
Emergence of military leaders Kings [LUGAL in Sumerian] “Theocracy” The Warka Vase,
c. 3200 B.C.
Sumerian Firsts: Cuneiform Writing
“Invented” about 3100 B.C. Cuneiform (cuneus = “wedge” + form = “shape”) Professional scribes Spielvogel, p. 13
Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia Sumerians (Early Dynastic Age), 3000 2340 B.C. Akkadian Empire, c. 23402100 B.C. Who were the Akkadians? Semitic language King Sargon of Akkad
Akkadian bronze of Sargon This sternfaced, lifesize castbronze
head, with its stylized ringleted beard and carefully arranged hair, shows
Mesopotamian craftsmanship at its finest. It is thought to be either King Sargon
(23712316 B.C.) or his grandson, King Naramsin (ca. 22542218 B.C.).
Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia Third Dynasty of Ur, c. 21122000 B.C.
King Gudea of Lagash
Ziggurat of Ur (restored)
See Spielvogel, p. 11
Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia Sumerians (Early Dynastic Age)
30002340 B.C. Akkadian Empire
c. 23402100 B.C. Third Dynasty of Ur
c. 21122000 B.C. Old Babylonian Period
c. 20001600 B.C. Amorites King Hammurabi, • 17921750 B.C.
The Law Code of Hammurabi 282 laws Consumer protection Property rights Trade and commerce Marriage and the family Slavery
Stele with Law Code of Hammurabi, Excavated by French archaeologists in 1901 at Susa, Iran, ca. 1780 BC. Basalt,
approx. 7’ 4” high. Louvre, Paris.
How to Read a Primary Source Document
Reading a primary source document is an act of interpretation. We need to recognize our own context and biases. Our goal in using primary sources is to understand the past, not judge it. Whenever possible, use sources other than the document itself to help interpret it.
How to Read a Primary Source Document
Gregory, pp. xixiv 1. What is the content of the document? (What
does it say?); Summarize. 2. Who created/wrote it?
• If we can’t tell the author, can we figure out details (e.g., gender, occupation, social class, education level, intentions, political position, religious beliefs, etc.)?
3. Where did it originate? 4. When was the document created/written?
• Can time of creation differ from time of writing down?
5. Why was the source created/written down? What is its purpose?
Mesopotamian Religion Polytheism Anthropomorphic (=humanlike in appearance and character) Sumerian gods and their Akkadian equivalents:
AN Anu UTU Shamash INANNA Ishtar NANNA Sin
Mesopotamian Creation Myth: Atrahasis (Spielvogel, p. 12) What does this excerpt reveal about the religion of Mesopotamia, including the various gods and the relation of the gods to humanity?
Ritual Priests and priestesses The care and feeding of the gods
No immortality nor rewards and punishments after death
Mesopotamian Religion Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, c. 2700 B.C. Enkidu Utnapishtim and The Great Flood (Spielvogel, p. 15) • Compare to the biblical Flood Story (Genesis Chapter 6)
Mesopotamian Science and Math Base60 system (sexigesimal) Response to the needs in cultivation, irrigation and commerce “Pythagorean Theorem”
Basic arithmetic – multiplication, division, square and cube root Calendar – 12 months Astronomy Divination Zodiac