Early River Valley Civilizations

(3500 B.C. – 450 B.C.)Chapter 2

Mr. PawlowskiWorld History 1

2010 - 2011

Four River Valley Civilizations

Mesopotamia (Fertile Crescent)

Mesopotamia ‘land between the rivers’

Tigris & Euphrates Rivers Flows Southeast into

the Persian Gulf Present day Iraq

Regions: Sumer

1st Mesopotamian Civilization

Akkad Assyria

Flooding left thick beds of silt in the Mesopotamia Valley Challenges:

Unpredictable Floods: Solution: Irrigation

Limited natural resources: Solution: Trade

Grain/Cloth/Tools for Stone/Wood/Metals

Rich soil allowed for harvesting surpluses

Food surplus and flood control led to the development of city-states

Fertile Crescent

Sumer Key characteristics of Sumerian Civilization:

Advanced Cities ● Specialized Workers Complex Institutions ● Record Keeping Advanced Technology

Sumerian City-States: Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma, Ur

City-State: a city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent

political unit Cities were surrounded by mud brick walls and

centered upon a walled temple containing a ziggurat

Sumerian Religion Polytheistic:

Believed in many gods Anu: chief god; god of heaven Enlil: god of wind; god of clouds and air Enki: god of water, intelligence and creation Ninhursag: mother goddess, fertility goddess

Sumerians believed it was their duty to serve the gods Ziggurats were built and sacrifices (animals, food, wine)

made to appease the gods Ziggurat:

Tiered, pyramid-shaped structure with a temple on top

Sumerian Rule Sumerians believed the gods to be the rulers of their cities

with priests as a go-between Priest-Kings created an early ‘Theocracy’

Theocracy: Rule by religious authority During war an individual would be chosen to lead the

soldiers (power ended with the war) As wars increased, military leaders gained more power

and eventually became monarchs Sumerian kings passed their power on to male heirs,

creating dynasties Dynasty: Series of rulers from a single family

Sumerian kings claimed ‘divine right’ Divine Right: power to rule is granted by the will of god

Sumerian Society Caste System:

Nobles (amelu): Priest, Kings, Soldiers, Government Officials

Commoners (mushkinu): Merchants, Farmers, Craftsmen, Laborers

90% were farmers Slaves:

Captured in war, sold off to pay debts, etc. Women:

Possessed many rights: Could own property, could pursue occupations (merchant, low-

ranking priest, etc.), could own and sell slaves Little legal protections:

Unable to attend school, could be sold into slavery, could be divorced with ‘You’re not my wife’ being stated

Epic of Gilgamesh: Epic poem which gives insight into the beliefs and concerns of

ancient Sumerians Influential in later Hebrew and Greek writings

Sumerian Art

Sumerian Mathematics Sumerian number system in base 60

Sumerian Achievements Inventions:

Wheel Sail Plow Potter’s Wheel

1st to use Bronze alloy of copper & tin

1st system of writing: Cuneiform (wedge-

shaped)

Akkadian Empire (2300 – 2200 BCE)

Semitic-speaking people Language of Middle-

Eastern origin related to Arabic & Hebrew

Sargon the Great: Led Akkad in defeating

the Sumerian city-states Created the world’s 1st

empire Empire: group of

people/states under the control of a single ruler

Babylonian Empire 2002 BCE: Third Dynasty of Ur collapsed

Amorites invaded Mesopotamia and established their capital at Babylon

1792 – 1750 BCE: Reign of Hammurabi Codified and collected the laws of the region

(282 Codes) Wrote them down so no one could use ignorance as

an excuse to escape justice laws dealt with community, family relations, business

conduct and crime Applied to everyone

different standards for rich/poor and men/women Reinforced principle that the government has

a responsibility to society

Hammurabi’s Code What should be done to the carpenter who builds a house that falls and kills the What should be done to the carpenter who builds a house that falls and kills the

owner? owner? Code 229Code 229: If a builder builds a house for a man and does not make its construction

sound, and the house which he has built collapses and causes the death of the owner of the house, the builder shall be put to death.

Code 230:Code 230: If it kill the son of the owner the son of that builder shall be put to death.

Code 231:Code 231: If it kill a slave of the owner, then he shall pay slave for slave to the owner of the house.

What should be done when a "sister of god" (or nun) enters the wine shop for a What should be done when a "sister of god" (or nun) enters the wine shop for a drink? drink?

Code 110Code 110: If a "sister of god" (nun) who is not living in a convent opens a wine shop or enters a wine shop for a drink, they shall burn that woman.

What happens if a man is unable to pay his debts? What happens if a man is unable to pay his debts? Code 117Code 117: If a man be in debt and is unable to pay his creditors, he shall sell his

wife, son, or daughter, or bind them over to service. For three years they shall work in the houses of their purchaser or master; in the fourth year they shall be given their freedom.

What should be done about a wife who ignores her duties and belittles her husband? What should be done about a wife who ignores her duties and belittles her husband? Code 143Code 143: If the woman has not been careful but has gadded about, neglecting her

house and belittling her husband, they shall throw that woman into the water.

Hammurabi’s Code How is the truth determined when one man brings an accusation How is the truth determined when one man brings an accusation

against another?against another? Code 2Code 2: If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused

go to the river and leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river prove that the accused is not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.

Social Responsibility:Social Responsibility: Code 21:Code 21: If any one break a hole into a house (break in to steal), he

shall be put to death before that hole and be buried. Code 22:Code 22: If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he

shall be put to death. Code 23:Code 23: If the robber is not caught, then shall he who was robbed

claim under oath the amount of his loss; then shall the community, and . . . on whose ground and territory and in whose domain it was compensate him for the goods stolen.

Code 25:Code 25: If fire break out in a house, and some one who comes to put it out cast his eye upon the property of the owner of the house, and take the property of the master of the house, he shall be thrown into that self-same fire.