Lesson 1 Mesopotamia

Lesson 1 Mesopotamia As time passed, fertile river valleys attracted more tribes since these areas were suitable for them to settle and form their own civilizations. Small tribes started to join one another and settle by the Nile River. Agriculture and trade were two factors that encouraged people to live there. Mesopotamia was the main area in which civilization began. Where Was Mesopotamia Located? In ancient times, many referred to the area between Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers as Mesopotamia or the "area between the two rivers". It was at the Eastern end of the Fertile Crescent which extended from the Mediterranean River to the Arabian Gulf. The area had rich soil that helped in sustaining civilization. Mesopotamia provided the settlers, the Assyrians, Akkads, and Sumerians with soil enriched by layers of silt. Farmers were able to grow crops regularly using irrigation and drainage ditches. Çatalhöyük Mediterranc Sea Jericho MESOPOTAMIA Tigris Buphrates First towns 0 km 400 0 miles Hints to Remember Mesopotamia had little rain. The Tigris and Euphrates often overflowed their banks by the end of Spring. Irrigation is supplying water to land or crops through certain channels. City-States and Religion Mesopotamia was made of city-states. A city-state is a large city with some surrounding area ruled by the basic units of the Sumerian civilization. Each city. state had its own political and economic control over the surrounding countryside. The Sumerian civilization included the cities of Eridu, Ur, and Uruk. E. ch city was surrounded by walls with defense towers that were set in different locations. Mud was plentiful, and it was used in building most of the houses whether for peasants, officials, or priests. Sumerians were creative with mud bricks, and they invented the arch and the dome. They were also famous for building massive stepped towers topped with temples. Those pyramids were called Ziggurats. At that time, they believed their religion was Polytheistic, and accordingly. they obeyed and served their religion. The 26 Sumerians believed that state is a theocracy. Theocracies were governments that were established by divine authority. People contributed by devoting huge amounts of their wealth for the purpose of building more temples and houses for the priests who served the religion. Based on that, priests were a major source of authority; their power was unlimited, and it went beyond that of the kings who ruled the city-state. Kings were also powerful. They led strong armies and organized workers for the different irrigation projects. They were highly respected as a source of authority, and they resided in huge palaces. Sumerian Economy Traditional economy that depended on trade, farming, and industry prevailed over the Sumerian city-states. People learned how to make their own woolen textiles, pottery, and metalwork. Sumerian traders traveled either to the eastern Mediterranean or to the east of India where they exchanged several of their products such as barley, dried fish, and wheat for imported copper and tin. The social groups of the Sumerian civilization included three groups: the nobles, the commoners, and slaves. Priests, officials, and their families were amongst the nobles while merchants, farmers, and other craftspeople were amongst the commoners. Slaves were owned by palace officials. Inventions The Sumerians were very innovative in terms of technology. Perhaps, their most famous invention is their system of writing. Writing was important because it allowed society to keep records and pass along knowledge from one generation to other. Hints to Remember Most of the lands tilted by the Sumerian farmers were controlled by priests. The temple of Sumeria was known as nig-en-na. Many of these farmlands were rented out to farmers and the piece of land was called apin-lal. Their system of writing, known as cuneiform, helped them in keeping records on tablets, many of which were later discovered by scholars. Cuneiform writing also helped in training scribes. These people served as jurists, teachers, and copyists and later held important positions in their cities. Writing also became a major icon in inventing new ways of communication. The invention of tools and devices made the life of the Sumerians easier. They developed the wagon wheel, the sundial, and arch. They were the first to make bronze out of copper and tin. Their achievements in math and astronomy were also tremendous. They were even responsible for the division of hours and minutes in our watches. Hints to Remember Cuneiform is wedge shaped writing using a reed stylus as a tool to create impressions on a clay tablet. Sumerians measured fields and erected buildings by using geometry. Sumerians invented the wagon. wheel for transportation. Think About It 1. Describe the city states and society of Mesopotamia. 2. Why were the Sumerians' inventions significantly important?