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Mesopotamia, known as "the land between two rivers," saw the rise of the first civilizations around 300 B.C., with settlements dating back to 7000 B.C. As early inhabitants learned to tame the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, they developed irrigation and built extensive city-states like Ur and Uruk. Their society was structured around social classes, with kings and priests at the top, supported by artisans, farmers, and merchants. The Sumerians made significant contributions, including writing, the wheel, and the concept of time based on a sexagesimal system, laying the foundation for future civilizations.
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Notes 1 Chapter 4
The First Civilizationsin Mesopotamia • First developed 300 B.C. • Social class people belonged to partly depended on their occupation. • Set up governments to pass laws, defend their lands, and carry out large building projects.
Two Rivers • Earliest civilization developed in what is now southern Iraq. • Mesopotamia means “the land between two rivers”. • Civilization began between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Early Valley Dwellers • Historians believe that people first settled Mesopotamia about 7000 B.C. • First settlers were hunters and herders.
Taming the Rivers • Flooded rivers were filled with silt. • Mesopotamia learned to build dams to control seasonal floods. • They created a system know as irrigation. • Irrigation allowed for surpluses of food.
Sumer's Civilization • Built the first cities in Southwest Asia, including Ur, Uruk, and Eridu.
City-States Arise • Sumerian cities become independent. • The people of the each city state made their own goods, had its own government and honored its own god. • Most city states were protected by large walls. • Sumerians used mud as their main resources for building. • Often city-states went to war over political borders and resources.
Gods, Priests, and Kings • Sumerians were polytheist believers. • They believed the gods had different powers over nature, rain and wind. • They honored whatever god would help their activity.
Social Groups • Kings, priest, warriors, and government officials made up the upper class. • Artisans, farmers, fishers, and merchants made up the middle class. • The middles was the largest social group. • Slaves and criminals made up the lower class. • Boys went to school and were trained for specific jobs. • Girls were taught to care for their homes and children.
Farmers and Traders • Wheat, barley, and dates were Sumer’s major crops. • They were also skilled metal works. • Sumerians valued a red stone called carnelian and a blue stone named lapis lazuli.
Sumerian Contributions • Mesopotamia is also know as “cradle of civilizations”. • Writing was by far Sumerians greatest contribution. • Created the wheel, sailboat, chariot, and wooden plow. • They created a place value system based on 60. • The 60 minute, 60 seconds, and 360-degree circle we use today are all ideas that came from the Sumerians. • They also made a 12 month Calendar.
