the revolving door of mesopotamia
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The Revolving Door of Mesopotamia . Mesopotamia . Mesopotamia means: Mesopotamia means: “land between two rivers” Civilization developed between The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers By 3000 B.C. a number of civilizations established by the Sumerians. Map of Mesopotamia . Role of the Environment. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Revolving Door of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia Mesopotamia means:
Mesopotamia means: “land between two rivers”
Civilization developed between The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers
By 3000 B.C. a number of civilizations established by the Sumerians
Map of Mesopotamia
Role of the EnvironmentRivers provided the basics for
exsistance• Water• Food • Sanitation
Role of the EnvironmentProblems with living hear a river
valley?- Destroyed by frequent floods that
ravaged entire cities- Communication amongst the various
isolated cities was very difficult
Invention of WritingOrigins of Writing probably go
back to te ninth millennium B.C.4th millennium – realized that
drawing tokens was easier than making tokens
Result was the development of cuneiform:
- “wedge-shaped”- Pictographic system
Cuneiform
Sumerian InventionsWagon wheelPotter’s wheel (shape containers) Number system12 month calendarMetal plowSailSome of the earliest known mapsNew architecture
Sumer, 3200-2350 B.C.
Sumerian Society Sumer was different from all other
earlier civilizations◦Advanced cities ◦Specialized workers ◦Complex institutions◦ record keeping ◦Advanced technologyDeveloped city-statesFood surplus > increased population >
expanded trade > expansion of Sumerian society
Sumer SocietyPolytheistic - believed in many
gods Wrote myths (Epic of Gilgamesh)
◦Priests and kings were at the top◦Slaves were at the bottom
Women probably couldn’t attend school but had many other rights
Advances in mathematics◦Number system based on 60 (60
seconds = 1 minute)
From Sumerians to BabyloniansThe Sumerians city-states
eventually fell to foreign invaders (2000 B.C.)
The Akkadians:◦Semites – nomaidc people from the
Arabian Peninsula that migrated to Mesopotamia
◦Sargon I (2300-2200 B.C.E.) unites all Mesopotamia (created first empire)
◦Under Sargon I- Akkadians adopted Sumerian religion and
farming
Sargon’s Empire
Babylonian EmpireLocated in modern day SyriaConquered many parts of old
Sumer (including Babylon)Hammurabi –created a law code
with harsh punishments Borrowed heavily from Sumerian
cultureAfter Hammurabi’s death
Babylon declined
Hammurabi of Babylon, 1792-1750 B.C.E
HittitesA strong army with chariotsConquered Babylon in 1595
B.C.E.Borrowed from Mesopotamian
and Egyptian cultureHad a law code less harsh than
Hammurabi’sLasted until about 1200 B.C.E
AssyriansStarted to gain strength about
900 B.C.EPowerful army Treated conquered people cruellyLarge empire with good roadsCollapsed about 612 B.C.E
ChaldeansDefeated the Assyrians in about
612 B.C.EDescended from Hammurabi’s
BabyloniansAt its height during the rule of
Nebuchadnezzar (605-562B.C.E) ◦Spent a lot of money on Babylon◦Built Hanging Gardens
Empire collapsed in 539B.C.Wafter being defeated by Persians
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
PersiansCyrus (conquered from the Nile
to the IndusDarius I (son is Xerxes)
◦Administered the empire using satrups (governors)
◦Tolerant of those who were conquered
◦Increased trade and build roads◦Lost to the Greeks in 480 B.C.E