Mesopotamia

Land Between Two Rivers

Mesopotamia was known as the “Fertile Crescent” because of it’s crescent shape and availability of fertile or “rich” soil…good for planting.
It was also known as the “Cradle of Civilization” because it was the birthplace of civilization.
The first major civilization was Sumer
Mesopotamia was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

A dry, hot desert-like climate.
The rivers would flood unpredictably every spring, leaving silt behind to help create fertile, rich soil which was great for growing!
Sumerians needed to control the river so they could prosper.
Sumerians developed a system for controlling the flow and direction of water from the rivers.
Canals and irrigation ditches were built to redirect the water to the fields.

Important Inventions: irrigation systems, the plow, the wheel/cart.
These inventions helped crops to grow in the difficult climate which led to a surplus of food.
The surplus led to a system of trading.
Sumer had limited resources, so they needed to barter with other lands.

There were many city-states that developed in Mesopotamia. They were independent of one another.
They each had their own god, government and leaders.
They would often go to war with each other over resources and land.

Homes were usually windowless and made of sun dried mud bricks because there was little wood or stone available.
Roofs were flat.
Roofs provided a fourth living space.
People cooked and slept on their roofs, when weather permitted.
Some of the fancier roofs were designed with four walls for privacy.
Some had grape arbors that provided food, privacy, and shelter from the sun.

Sumerian houses faced away from crowded streets. Instead, they faced onto courtyards where families ate and children played.
Sumerian city streets were so narrow that you could hardly get a cart through them.

People started specializing or becoming trained in different jobs.
- There were farmers, craftsmen, priests, merchants, soldiers, scribes, rulers and slaves.
- People had different jobs to do and contributed to the society.
Depending on their wealth and education, people were valued differently and were treated differently by the law.
- Slaves and peasants were at the bottom of the social pyramid and rulers, priests and the wealthy were at the top.
- The wealthier you were the closer to the ziggurat you lived

Polytheism: belief in many gods
4 main gods and around 3,000 lower gods
Gods had human qualities.
They were viewed as often hostile and unpredictable – similar to the natural environment around them.
Sumerians believed their purpose on Earth was to serve the gods
The forces of nature and all the evils were under control of the Gods, so Sumerians offered food and animals to please the gods.
Only the priests of the city-state could speak with the gods.
- They controlled the city-states.