early civilizations: the fertile crescent

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Early Civilization s 7 th Grade History

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Page 1: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

Early Civilizations

7th Grade History

Page 2: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

What are some important geographical features of this

region?

Fertile Crescent

Page 3: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

Rivers and Seas

• Source of water• Land exceptionally fertile– Annual flooding washes silt onto land,

which made it easier to grow crops and support livestock

• Irrigation allowed for the easy transportation of water– canals

Why else might a river be useful?

Page 4: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

Rise of Agriculture

• People began to settle into villages

• Villages began to grow

• Surplus of crops

Farming means

staying!

Not everyone needs to farm or hunt

Page 5: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

If not everyone is farming, what else are

they doing?

Page 6: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

8 Features of Civilization

• Central Government– First priests, then

kings

• Public Works– Roads, buildings, etc.

• Job Specialization– Artisans– Soldiers

• Social Classes– Based on occupation

• Writing– Laws, records

• Complex Religions– Gods, polytheism,

religious rituals

• Arts & Architecture– Pottery, pyramids,

hanging gardens

• Cities– Urbanization– Babylon, Ur

Page 7: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

Babylon & Ur

Babylon

Ur

Page 8: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

Map Activity

Page 9: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

• Sumer had a complex society and culture. Historians consider it the first civilization.

• Sumerian city-states were a form of government that included the cities and the farmland around them.

• Priests were the first leaders in Sumer, but kings rose to power when the need for defense grew

Sumerian City-States

Page 10: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

• Cities were centers of societyself-ruled community including city and nearby farmlands

• By 3000 BC, Sumer had at least 12 city-states– Most, like Ur, were on

fertile land by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

• People used bronze to create new tools– Mixture of copper and tin

• Cities were not very well protected

• Homes had thick mud walls – Courtyards served as

communal cooking areas

• Ziggurats served as the city center– First temple built

around 2200 BC– Priests managed

irrigation and wealth

Sumerian City-States

Page 11: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

Why is Sumer considered a good example of a civilization?

Page 12: Early civilizations: The Fertile Crescent

Next Lesson:Closer look at the city of Ur