mesopotamia: “the cradle of civilization”
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Mesopotamia: “The Cradle of Civilization”. Earliest Civilization: the Fertile Crescent. Categorized as the earliest of all civilizations as people formed permanent settlements Mesopotamia is a Greek word that means “between the rivers” - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Mesopotamia: Mesopotamia: “The Cradle of “The Cradle of Civilization”Civilization”
Earliest Civilization: the Earliest Civilization: the Fertile CrescentFertile Crescent
Categorized as the earliest of all civilizations as Categorized as the earliest of all civilizations as people formed permanent settlementspeople formed permanent settlements
MesopotamiaMesopotamia is a Greek word that means is a Greek word that means “between the rivers”“between the rivers”
Specifically, the area between the Specifically, the area between the Tigris River Tigris River and Euphrates Riverand Euphrates River (present day Iraq) (present day Iraq)
Mesopotamia is Mesopotamia is notnot within the "Fertile crescent“, within the "Fertile crescent“, it is in the more desert area that the "Fertile it is in the more desert area that the "Fertile crescent" arcs around crescent" arcs around
Geographic ConditionsGeographic Conditions Little rainfallLittle rainfall for crops for crops
Hot and dry climateHot and dry climate in the summers in the summers Winters brought fierce windstorms leaving Winters brought fierce windstorms leaving
muddy river valleysmuddy river valleys Springs brought Springs brought catastrophic floodingcatastrophic flooding of the of the
riversrivers Arid soil containing Arid soil containing little mineralslittle minerals No stone or timber resourcesNo stone or timber resources
Then why live in Then why live in Mesopotamia?Mesopotamia?
NATURAL LEVEESNATURAL LEVEES: : embankments produced by build-up of sediment embankments produced by build-up of sediment over thousands of years of floodingover thousands of years of flooding
Natural LeveeNatural Levee
create a high and safe flood plain create a high and safe flood plain
make irrigation and canal construction easy make irrigation and canal construction easy provide protectionprovide protection the surrounding swamps were full of fish & waterfowl the surrounding swamps were full of fish & waterfowl reeds provided food for sheep / goats reeds provided food for sheep / goats reeds also were used as building resourcesreeds also were used as building resources
History of MesopotamiaHistory of Mesopotamia Over the centuries, many different people Over the centuries, many different people
lived in this area creating a collection of lived in this area creating a collection of independent statesindependent states
Sumer- Sumer- southern part (3500-2000 BCE)southern part (3500-2000 BCE) Akkad- Akkad- northern part (2340 – 2180 BCE)northern part (2340 – 2180 BCE) Babylonia- Babylonia- these two regions were unified these two regions were unified
(1830-1500 BCE and 650-500 BCE)(1830-1500 BCE and 650-500 BCE) Assyria-Assyria- Assyrian Empire (1100 -612 BCE) Assyrian Empire (1100 -612 BCE)
ReligionReligion Position of King was Position of King was
enhanced and supported enhanced and supported by religionby religion Kingship believed to be Kingship believed to be
created by gods and the created by gods and the king’s power was divinely king’s power was divinely ordainedordained
Polytheistic Polytheistic religion religion consisting of over 3600 gods consisting of over 3600 gods and demigodsand demigods
Shows diversity of religion Shows diversity of religion from different regionsfrom different regions
Yet all of Mesopotamia Yet all of Mesopotamia shared the same religion and shared the same religion and the same prominent gods the same prominent gods
gods were worshipped at huge temples called ziggurats
Prominent Mesopotamian godsEnlil Enlil (supreme god & god of air)(supreme god & god of air)IshtarIshtar (goddess of fertility & life) (goddess of fertility & life)AnAn (god of heaven) (god of heaven)EnkiEnki (god of water & underworld) (god of water & underworld)ShamashShamash (god of sun and giver of (god of sun and giver of law)law)
ZigguratZigguratss
Important for gods to be Important for gods to be honoured by religious honoured by religious ceremoniesceremonies
Ceremonies performed Ceremonies performed by priests in sacred by priests in sacred templestemples
Temples created from Temples created from mud brick and placed mud brick and placed on platforms due to on platforms due to constant floodingconstant flooding
Temples evolved to Temples evolved to ziggurats-ziggurats- a stack of 1-a stack of 1-7 platforms decreasing 7 platforms decreasing in size from bottom to in size from bottom to toptop
Famous ziggurat was Famous ziggurat was Tower of BabelTower of Babel (over (over 100m above ground and 100m above ground and 91m base)91m base)
Ziggurat of Ur -2000BCE
Political structure an early form Political structure an early form of democracyof democracy
Frequent wars led to the Frequent wars led to the emergence of warriors as leadersemergence of warriors as leaders
Eventual rise of monarchy Eventual rise of monarchy
NOBILITY
FREE CLIENTS
COMMONERS
SLAVES
SumeriansSumerians
Established the Established the social, economic and intellectual basissocial, economic and intellectual basis of of MesopotamiaMesopotamia
First to develop writingFirst to develop writing in the form of cuneiform in the form of cuneiform Sumerians are credited to have Sumerians are credited to have invented the wheelinvented the wheel Became the first city of the worldBecame the first city of the world However, the Sumerians were However, the Sumerians were not successful in uniting lower not successful in uniting lower
MesopotamiaMesopotamia
AkkadiansAkkadians Leader: Leader: Sargon the GreatSargon the Great Sargon’s greatest achievement was the Sargon’s greatest achievement was the unification of lower unification of lower
MesopotamiaMesopotamia (after conquering Sumerians in 2331 BCE) (after conquering Sumerians in 2331 BCE) Established capital at AkkadEstablished capital at Akkad SpreadSpread Mesopotamian Mesopotamian cultureculture throughout Fertile Crescent throughout Fertile Crescent Yet dynasty established by Sargon was Yet dynasty established by Sargon was short-livedshort-lived… Akkadians … Akkadians
were conquered by the invading barbarians by 2200 BCEwere conquered by the invading barbarians by 2200 BCE
BabyloniansBabylonians Babylonians Babylonians reunited reunited MesopotamiaMesopotamia in in 1830 BCE1830 BCE
Used their central Used their central location to location to dominate tradedominate trade and and establish establish controlcontrol over all of over all of MesopotamiaMesopotamia
KING HAMMURABIKING HAMMURABI – conquered – conquered Akkad and Akkad and Assyria and Assyria and gained control of gained control of north and southnorth and south
Hammurabi’sHammurabi’s Legacy: Legacy: law codelaw code
YET AGAIN, YET AGAIN, Mesopotamia was Mesopotamia was not unified for not unified for long…long…
1010thth century BCE, Assyria emerged as century BCE, Assyria emerged as dominant forcedominant force Assyrian Assyrian reunitedreunited Mesopotamia and established the Mesopotamia and established the first true empirefirst true empire Assyrian Assyrian armyarmy was most was most fearedfeared due to their brutal, due to their brutal, bloodthirsty &bloodthirsty & terrorizing terrorizing
tactics and use of iron weapons, battering rams, chariotstactics and use of iron weapons, battering rams, chariots Assyrian Empire stretched from Persian Gulf north and West to Syria, Palestine Assyrian Empire stretched from Persian Gulf north and West to Syria, Palestine
and Egyptand Egypt However, states began to revolt and ONCE AGAIN, However, states began to revolt and ONCE AGAIN, Assyrian Empire collapsedAssyrian Empire collapsed by by
late 7late 7thth century BCE century BCE By 539 BCE, Mesopotamia part of the vast Persian Empire (led by Cyrus the Great)By 539 BCE, Mesopotamia part of the vast Persian Empire (led by Cyrus the Great) Persian Empire dominated for 800 years until Alexander the GreatPersian Empire dominated for 800 years until Alexander the Great
Code of HammurabiCode of Hammurabi Code of Code of 282 laws282 laws inscribed on a inscribed on a stone pillarstone pillar
placed in the public hall for all to seeplaced in the public hall for all to see
Hammurabi Stone depicts Hammurabi Stone depicts HammurabiHammurabi as as receiving his authority from god Shamashreceiving his authority from god Shamash
Set of divinely inspired laws; as well as Set of divinely inspired laws; as well as societal lawssocietal laws
Punishments were designed to fit the crimes Punishments were designed to fit the crimes as people must be responsible for own actions as people must be responsible for own actions
Hammurabi Code was an origin to the concept Hammurabi Code was an origin to the concept of “of “eye for an eye…”eye for an eye…” ie. If a son struck his ie. If a son struck his father, the son’s hand would be cut offfather, the son’s hand would be cut off
Consequences for crimes depended on rank in Consequences for crimes depended on rank in society (ie. only fines for nobility)society (ie. only fines for nobility)
DevelopmentOf
WRITING
WritingWriting Greatest contribution of Greatest contribution of
Mesopotamia to western Mesopotamia to western civilization was the invention of civilization was the invention of writingwriting
allowed the allowed the transmission of transmission of knowledge, the codification of knowledge, the codification of laws, records to facilitate tradelaws, records to facilitate trade
First written communication was First written communication was PICTOGRAMSPICTOGRAMS
As society evolved, the first form As society evolved, the first form of writing was developed called of writing was developed called CUNEIFORM CUNEIFORM (meaning “wedge (meaning “wedge shaped”), dating to 3500 BCEshaped”), dating to 3500 BCE
Cuneiform spread to Persia and Cuneiform spread to Persia and Egypt and became the vehicle Egypt and became the vehicle for the growth and spread of for the growth and spread of civilization and the exchange of civilization and the exchange of ideas among cultures ideas among cultures
Cuneiform Writing
Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing
Deciphering Cuneiform
GilgameshGilgamesh GilgameshGilgamesh is an ancient story or is an ancient story or
epic written in Mesopotamia more epic written in Mesopotamia more than 4000 thousand years agothan 4000 thousand years ago
GilgameshGilgamesh is the first known work is the first known work of great literature and epic poemof great literature and epic poem
Epic mentions a Epic mentions a great floodgreat flood
Gilgamesh parallels Gilgamesh parallels the Nippur the Nippur TabletTablet, a six-columned tablet , a six-columned tablet telling the story of the creation of telling the story of the creation of humans and animals, the cities humans and animals, the cities and their rulers, and the great and their rulers, and the great floodflood
ANALYSISANALYSIS GilgameshGilgamesh and the Nippur tablet and the Nippur tablet
both parallel the story of both parallel the story of Noah Noah and the Arkand the Ark (great flood) in the (great flood) in the Old TestamentOld Testament of the Jewish and of the Jewish and Christian holy booksChristian holy books
Modern science argues an Modern science argues an increase in the sea levels about increase in the sea levels about 6,000 years ago (end of ice age)6,000 years ago (end of ice age)
the melting ice drained to the the melting ice drained to the oceans causing the sea level to oceans causing the sea level to rise more than ten feet in one rise more than ten feet in one centurycentury
Royal Royal TombsTombs of Ur of Ur
From 1922 to 1934, an archaeologist From 1922 to 1934, an archaeologist named C. Leonard named C. Leonard Woolley Woolley excavated excavated the site of the ancient the site of the ancient Sumerian city Sumerian city of Urof Ur
City famed in Bible as the home of City famed in Bible as the home of patriarch Abrahampatriarch Abraham
many great discoveriesmany great discoveries such as such as extravagant extravagant jewelry of gold, cups of jewelry of gold, cups of gold and silver,gold and silver, bowls of alabaster, bowls of alabaster, and extraordinary and extraordinary objects of artobjects of art and and culture culture
opened the world's eyes to the full opened the world's eyes to the full glory of ancient Sumerian culture glory of ancient Sumerian culture
Great Death PitGreat Death Pit Found at Ur was a Found at Ur was a mass gravemass grave
containing the bodies of 6 guards containing the bodies of 6 guards and 68 court ladies (servants of kings and 68 court ladies (servants of kings and queens) and queens)
servants walked down into the grave servants walked down into the grave in a great funeral processionin a great funeral procession
they drank a they drank a poisoned drinkpoisoned drink and fell and fell asleep never to wake again, asleep never to wake again, choosing choosing to accompany the kings and queens to accompany the kings and queens in the afterlifein the afterlife
Legacies of MesopotamiaLegacies of MesopotamiaRevolutionary innovationsRevolutionary innovations emerged in emerged in
Mesopotamia such as:Mesopotamia such as:
codified codified lawslaws the concept of the concept of kinshipkinship and the and the city-statecity-state the building of places of worship the building of places of worship
(ziggurats)(ziggurats) the birthplace of writing the birthplace of writing (cuneiform)(cuneiform) Invention of the Invention of the wheelwheel Oldest written records of a story of Oldest written records of a story of
creation date back to Mesopotamiacreation date back to Mesopotamia First civilization to make a prosperous First civilization to make a prosperous
living based on living based on large scale agriculturelarge scale agriculture