get ready to read (cont.) focusing on the main ideas mesopotamian civilization civilization in...
TRANSCRIPT
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
Mesopotamian Civilization
• Civilization in Mesopotamia began in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
• Sumerians invented writing and made other important contributions to later peoples.
• Sumerian city-states lost power when they were conquered by outsiders.
Mesopotamia’s Civilization
• Rivers were important because they made for good farming conditions.
• They also made it easy for people to travel and trade.
• Civilizations are complex societies with cities, governments, art, religion, class divisions, and a writing system.
(pages 17–20)
• Governments were formed because someone had to make plans and decisions for the common good.
Mesopotamian Civilization
• Floods in Mesopotamia were frequent and unpredictable.
• Farmers learned to control the rivers with dams and channels.
• Mesopotamia is a flat plain bounded by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• They also used the rivers to irrigate, or water, their crops.
Mesopotamian Civilization
(pages 17–20)
• Sumerian cities were city-states, with their own governments.
• Sumerian cities often fought each other.
• Many cities formed in a southern region of Mesopotamia known as Sumer.
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• To protect themselves, the city-states built walls around themselves.
Mesopotamian Civilization
(pages 17–20)
• Each city-state had a ziggurat, or grand temple, to honor the gods.
• Sumerians believed in many gods.
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
Mesopotamian Civilization
(pages 17–20)
• Most Sumerians were farmers, but some were artisans, or skilled workers.
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• Others were merchants and traders.
Mesopotamian Civilization
• Sumerian city-states had three classes.
• The upper class consisted of kings, priests, and government officials.
• The middle class consisted of artisans, merchants, fishers, and farmers.
(pages 17–20)
Mesopotamia’s Civilization (cont.)
• The lower class consisted of slaves.
Mesopotamian Civilization
(pages 17–20)
A Skilled People
• Writing helps people keep records and pass on ideas.
• Mesopotamia has been called the cradle of civilization because of the influence of Sumerian ideas on other areas.
(pages 20–21)
• Sumerians developed a writing system called cuneiform.
• Only a few people, called scribes, learned to write.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Sargon and Hammurabi
• Sargon, the king of the Akkadians, conquered all of Mesopotamia and set up the world’s first empire.
(page 23)
• An empire is a group of many different lands under one ruler.
• After Sargon, another group of people became powerful.
• They built the city of Babylon on the Euphrates River.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Sargon and Hammurabi (cont.)
• The Babylonian king, Hammurabi, conquered lands north and south of Babylon to create the Babylonian Empire.
(page 23)
• The Code of Hammurabi was a collection of laws covering crimes, farming, business activities, and marriage and family.
• Many punishments in the code were cruel, but the code was an important step in the development of a justice system.
Mesopotamian Civilization
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
The First Empires
• Assyria’s military power and well organized government helped it build a vast empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.
• The Chaldean Empire built important landmarks in Babylon and developed the first calendar with a seven-day week.
The Assyrians
• The Assyrian empire arose about 1,000 years after the rule of Hammurabi.
• The Assyrian army was the first large army to use iron weapons.
• Their weapons were stronger than those of copper and tin.
(pages 27–28)
The First Empires
• They fought with spears, daggers, bows and arrows, chariots and soldiers on horseback.
The Assyrians (cont.)
The First Empires
(pages 27–28)
• The empire was divided into provinces, which are political districts.
• Each province was governed by an official who collected taxes and enforced laws.
• The capital of the Assyrian empire was Nineveh.
The Assyrians (cont.)
The First Empires
(pages 27–28)
• One of the first libraries was in Nineveh and held 25,000 tablets of stories and songs.
• People began to rebel because of Assyria’s cruel treatment.
• The Assyrians built large temples and palaces, with statues and wall carvings.
The Assyrians (cont.)
• The Chaldeans rebelled and took control of Nineveh in 612 B.C.
The First Empires
(pages 27–28)
The Chaldeans
• The Chaldeans, who were descendents of Babylonians, rebuilt Babylon.
• Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the Chaldeans.
(pages 29–30)
• The city became the center of the Chaldeans’ empire.
• The city was surrounded by a huge wall. Inside the wall were palaces, temples, and a huge ziggurat.
The First Empires
The Chaldeans (cont.)
• The Hanging Gardens were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Nebechadnezzar ordered the Hanging Gardens to be built for his wife, who missed her green, mountainous homeland.
The First Empires
(pages 29–30)
The Chaldeans (cont.)
• The Chaldeans were merchants, artisans, and traders.
• Babylon was on a major trade route and profited from trade.
The First Empires
(pages 29–30)
The First Empires
Why was the Assyrian army a powerful fighting force?
It had a well-organized army with advanced weapons.
Section 2 Mesopotamian Civilization
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
Where were the first civilizations in Mesopotamia?
in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Section 3 The First Empires
What helped Assyria build an empire in Mesopotamia?
its military power and well organized government
The First Civilizations
Review Main Ideas
The First Civilizations
Section 3 The First Empires
Review Main Ideas
What scientific advancement did the Chaldeans make?
They mapped the stars, planets, and phases of the moon; created the sundial; and used the seven-day week.
Click the map to view an interactive version.
Reigned c. 1792–1750 B.CHammurabi