HOID: Civilization of the Near East (Mesopotamia)

Urban revolution

Began in the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia (today = Iraq) & Egypt c. 3,500-3,000 B.C - Tigris & Euphrates rivers - Mesopotamia: land between 2 rivers

Iraq

mesopotamia today is called this

fertile crescent

Urban revolution began here in mesopotamia. forms the symbolic boundary between pre-history and history and during this time

c. 3,500-3,000 B.C

years of mesopotamia

tigris and euphrates rivers

two great rivers that formed the fertile crescent. where transportation/ of goods happen

Mesopotamia

land between 2 rivers.

Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyria, Babylonian

Four Cultures of Mesopotamia

Sumeria

Formed in southern Mesopotamia around 4,000 BCE/6,000 years ago - First urban civilization in the region - Developed one of the first written scripts (3,000 BCE) - Built ships allowing them to trade & travel around the Persian Gulf - Traded textiles, leather goods, & jewelry for Harappan (northern India) semi-precious stones, copper, pearls & ivory - Religion: polytheistic- worshiped multiple gods which some are anthropomorphic (human-like)

4,000 BCE/6,000 years ago

sumeria formed in southern mesopotamia around these years

polytheistic

worshiped multiple gods

anthropomorphic

gods that took human-like form

harappan in northern india

where sumeria trade with early civilization

an, enlil, enki, ninhursag, utu, nanna

sumerian gods

An

God of the heavens

Enlil

God of wind & storm

Enki

God of water & human culture

Ninhursag

Goddess of fertility & the earth

Utu

God of the sun, justice, & his father

Nanna

God of the moon

Sumerian Temples

Center of most cities - Would have taken thousands of people & many years to construct. to these gods were constructed atop massive ziggurats which were in the centers of most cities.

Ziggurat

Pyramidal stepped temple tower - Architectural & religious structure from 2200 until 500 BCE - Built with a core of sundried mud & brick, & an exterior covered with kiln-baked brick - Built on top of hills or large mounds. overseeing the entire city state.

2200 until 500 BCE

lasting years of the ziggurat

stages

ziggurat consists of these.

ground, mid, upper levels

stages of ziggurats

Ground level

Stage of the underworld

Mid-level

Stage of earth

upper level

Stage of heaven o Believed to be where gods & goddesses reside

mud/ clay bricks

Used to build temples, palaces, entrances to royal tombs, houses, walls, & ziggurats

sundried mud brick

the mesopotamian ziggurats were built with these. as well as drieri areas for houses

kiln-baked brick

exterior of mesopotamian ziggurats

Cuneiform

- Wedge-shaped characters impressed on clay tablets - Ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, & Ugarit - Developed in ancient Sumer more than 5,000 years ago - Provides info on Sumerian history & history of humanity as a whole. created in order to keep track of events that unfold the history of near east

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Epic poem - Predates Homer’s Illiad & Odyssey - Tells of the Sumerian hero-king Gilgamesh by some 1500 years & his friendship with the savage man Enkidu

Homer’s Illiad & Odyssey

The Epic of Gilgamesh predates this

Enkidu

friend of Sumerian hero-king Gilgamesh

wheel, plow, casting objects in copper and bronze, cuneiform writing

firsts of sumerians

mesopotamia, persia, ugarit

uses cuneiform

The Standard of Ur

Box depicts aspects of life in early Mesopotamia - Portrays warfare, protecting the wealth of the city-state from outsiders

ur

One of the first village settlements was founded around 4000 BC ➢ 2800 BC: became one of the most prosperous city-states

4000-2800 bc

discovery of ur

Neil MacGregor

“Writing is essential for the creation of what we think of as human civilization”

Domestic Houses

Built of mud brick or of reeds (depend on location) - Dry areas: sun-dried mud brick - Mud brick homes ➢ 1 or 2 rooms with flat roofs ➢ Roof was an extra living area

mud bricks/ reeds

materuaks if ancient mesopotamian houses

roof

extra living area where families could cook and sleep on hot nights

citystate

the entirety of the city

social rank

social bonds, social warfare

slaves, craftsmen and peasants, scribes, priests, king and nobility

hierarchy of mesopotamian society

282 laws

number of laws engraved in stone & placed in a public location by hammurabi

Hammurabi

First set of laws ➢ 282 laws engraved in stone & placed in a public location ➢ Hammurabi o Mesopotamian king o Recorded the code of Hammurabi

sun-clock

used to measure the time of day using water/ water clocks

transport

the invention of the first wagon wheel

Development of city-state

- Individually initiated activities became institutionalized & the state took responsibility for the citizen’s safety & welfare - Ziggurats towered over flat plain

metalworking, glassmaking, textile weaving

Livelihood/hobbies

irrigation, farming, agriculture

Livelihood systems

akkad

northern/ nothertnwestern division of ancient babylonia. region was located roughly in the area where the 2 rivers are closest to each other.

akkadian

speech of akkad people

semitic

people in akkad were predominantly this

akkadian empire

was the first ancient empire of mesopotamia after the long-lived civilization of sumer

sargon

built the akkadian empire

al-fallujah and baghdad

the northern limit of akkad extended beyond the liner of these modern cities

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, stele

art of akkad

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

2254-2218 B.C.E - Louvre, Paris - Depicts the Akkadian victory over Lullubi Mountain people

Naram-Sin

greatgrandson of Sargon

stele

Standing stone slab - Usage ➢ Grave marker ➢ Dedication ➢ Commemoration ➢ Demarcation

cylinder seal and modern impression

Nude bearded hero wrestling with a buffalo - Bull-man wrestling with lion