MESOPOTAMIA

THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION

WHAT DOES IT MEAN??

Mesos = middlePotamos = riverTherefore… land between

the rivers

FIRST INHABITANTS

3000 BC: Sumerians arrived from Asia

2600 BC: Akkadians from Syrian desert

2200 BC: Amorites from Syrian desert

2000 BC: Luvians and Hittites from Indo-Europe

1800 BC: Hurrians from the Caucasus (Asia)

POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONCollection of independent

statesEarly government was

democraticBuilt and maintained roads and canalsEnforced lawsSettled disputes

Due to rivalries that led to war, villages appointed the strongest warrior to lead them, lugal (“big man”)

Led to the decline of democracy and rise of monarchy that was hereditary and despotic

*THE SUMMERIANS, 3500 – 2400 BC

First city-states established:Eridu: 3500 BC, pop’n 4,000Ur: 3000 BC, pop’n 24,000

City-states such as Kish, Erech, Ur, and Lagash compete but remain independent

Fight several “skirmishes” over water, land

*SARGON THE GREAT, 2400 BC

Defeats Sumerian cities and unites them under the first Empire

Later expands to Egypt, Palestine, Ethiopia

First multi-ethnic empire

Develop cuneiform, first system of writing

CUNEIFORM

Pictographic system of writing

Cuneiform documents were written on clay tablets, by means of a reed stylus.

The impressions left by the stylus were wedge shaped, thus giving rise to the name cuneiform ("wedge shaped," from the Latin cuneus, meaning "wedge").

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6HPEUtgoas&list=PL8xPTYspb0O0IglDteMTo97v6CfNdQG1a&index=22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbZ2asfyHcA&list=PL8xPTYspb0O0IglDteMTo97v6CfNdQG1a&index=1

*EPIC OF GILGAMESH, 2600 BC

Oldest piece of literature

Signals start of recorded, organized religion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOrfrHys8g8

SUMERIAN SOCIETY

NobilityKing

Chief priestsHigh palace officials

Free Clients(worked for nobility in exchange for land)

Commoners(free citizens, owned land, artisans, administrators)

Slaves

AKKADIANS

Sargon, Semitic chief, conqured Sumerians in 2331 BC

Capital at Akkad

Dynasty fell to invading barbarians by 2200 BC

*THE BABYLONIANS, 1900-1300 BC

Reunited Mesopotamia by dominating trade

King Hammurabi conquered Akkad and Assyria (north and south) in 1750 BC

By 1550 BC, Babylon in decline

*CODE OF HAMMURABI

Establishes the Code of Hammurabi:

Received from the god Marduk

282 laws of behaviour to govern society

*ABRAHAM

Biblical Abraham lives at this timeHas 2 sons: Ishmael = Muslims/Arabs Isaac = Hebrews/Jews

God/Yahweh, one of 300 gods at the time, tells him to settle in “Promised Land,” Canaan/Israel

Therefore, birth of Judaism; roots of modern political problems

THE ASSYRIANS, 1300-609 BC

In 10th Century BC, Assyria emerged as dominant force in Mesopotamia after 700 years of turmoil

Assurnasirpal II established first true empire ever from Persian Gulf north and west to Syria, Palestine, and Egypt using the power of fear

*KING ASHURBANIPAL, 676 BC

Establishes world’s first library (22,000 books on clay tablets)

Few kings could read and writeYet also a fierce, warlike people; great

advances in military technology and organization

Last great King of AssyriaHelps Ashur become most powerful city in

MesopotamiaPower of fear could not last forever and subject

states revolted in late 7th century BC

*THE CHALDEANS609 – 530 BC

King Nebuchadnezzar

Babylon returns to power in Mesopotamia

Warrior king who conquers and destroys Jerusalem

In book of Daniel (Bible)

*HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLONAncient architectural

achievement (7 Wonders of Ancient World)

Huge stone walls; wide terraces; surrounding moat; interior wells with pumps

Apparently made to help cure Nebuchadnezzar’s wife of home sickness because she wasn’t from the desert

Was recorded by Greek historians but because nothing is left, some think it did not exist

*ZIGGURATS

High temples

Built to honour the gods; central location in the city

Like a pyramid but flat on top

Bridge between heaven and earth

The ziggurat was built by King Ur-Nammu who dedicated the great ziggurat of Ur in honour of Nanna/Sîn, the moon goddess

CYRUS THE GREATRuled with tolerance and

fairness

Difference of religion accepted, fair taxes, local officials reported to Persian governors called satraps

Benevolent rule brought stability and survived for 800 years before the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered it.

MESOPOTAMIAN INVENTIONS

The Wheel: Oldest wheel found is in Mesopotamia, first used for pottery and then chariots.

Mathematics: Base number was 60 (like our 10), divided the minute into 60 seconds and made the circle 360 degrees.

Astronomy: Tracked the movement of the stars, planets and the moon. Created the first calendar based on the cycles of the moon.

Technology: potter’s wheel, irrigation (Archimedes screw 400 years earlier), used bronze and then iron metal to make tools and weapons, and used looms to make cloth from wool.

RELIGION

The Ancient Sumerians worshipped many different gods and goddesses. They thought that the gods influenced much of what happened to them in their lives.

Babylonian and Assyrian religion was heavily influenced by the Sumerians. 

Each city had its own god. At the center of the city was a large temple or ziggurat built to that god. This was where the priests would live and make sacrifices.

They believed that the Earth floated on an ocean of fresh water.

Greek mythology likely borrowed many ideas from the Mesopotamian gods. (Gods with human characteristics, some good and some evil)

GODSEnlil - The Sumerian god of air, wind, and storms, Enlil held

the Tablets of Destiny. These tablets gave him control over the fate of man and made him very powerful. He wore a crown with horns. Other gods could not look at him

Marduk - Marduk was the primary god of the Babylonians and had Babylon as his main city. He was considered the supreme deity over all the other gods. He had as many as 50 different titles. He was sometimes pictured with his pet dragon.

Ashur (Assur) - The primary god of the Assyrians. He was also the god of war and married to the goddess Ishtar. His symbols are a winged disc and the bow and arrow.

Ishtar - Similar to Inanna, she was goddess of love and war

ARTISANS AND CRAFTSMANPotters – most popular form of art was clay used for pots,

buildings and tablets

Jewelers, metal smiths, carpenters and stone masons also made works of art and practical crafts

In the wealthier cities, even the gates to the city became works of art. One example of this is the Ishtar Gate of Babylon built by King Nebuchadnezzar II. It is covered with colorful glazed bricks showing designs and pictures of animals.

Sumerian artisans also learned how to make glass about 3500 BC.

SOURCES

http://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/religion_gods.php