1. Mesopotamia Students will be able to answer 16 questions proficiently about the history of Mesopotamia.

2. Mesopotamia • Geography • In between Tigris & Euphrates rivers • Fertile Crescent • Mainly in modern day Iraq • N-Desert, mountain. S-marshes, lagoons • Rivers empty into Persian Gulf • The Sumerians seized the region • 3000 B.C.

4. Mesopotamia • Geography's Role • Agriculture • Great irrigation and drainage • Cities built along the rivers • Ur, Uruk, Lagash • Rivers provided • Fish and building materials • Trade • Communication • Lake of unity • Harsh terrain made it difficult to unify

5. What does this say?

6. Education • Sumerians • Complicated writing system • Cuniform • 2500 B.C. scribal schools flourished • Wealthy males were educated • Extremely harsh discipline • Caned for, sloppy work, talking, standing at ease • Akkadians, Babylonians used same model • Mathematics, religion, literature, botany

7. Thought & Religion • Major advancements in math • Place value, tables, word problems • Polytheistic • Belief in multiple gods • Part of their daily lives • Medicine= magic, prescriptions, and surgery • Wrote the 1st epic poem • Gilgamesh

8. Sumerian Life • Best way to honor gods • Build elaborated temples, Ziggurats • 4 categories of society • Nobles • King, queen, priests officials • Free Clients • Free people who worked for nobility • Commoners • Free people, own land, not powerful • Slaves • POW’s, criminals, debt. All freed after 3 years • Beaten, branded. Could trade and make $$

9. Ziggurats(Pronounced ZIG oo rat)

10. What does this temple remind you of?

11. Culture on the Move • Sumerians spread Mesopotamian culture • Semitic Chief; Sargon • 1st world conquered • Conquered Sumer • Brought its culture where he conquered • Common political, social, economical practices • Wanted by most people

12. Babylon • Sumerians, Akkadians, Sargon all failed • Geography was just too hard to unify • Babylonians settle on the Euphrates • Began to dominate trade • City grew in power • King Hammurabi • 1792-1750 B.C.

13. Hammurabi • Had 3 goals • Secure, unify, and win a place in Mesop. • Made Babylon the religious center • Law Code of Hammurabi • Eye for and eye, tooth for a tooth • Law was equal based off of social ranking • He unified Mesopotamia

14. Assyrian Empire • 1600 B.C. 1st Babylonian Empire fell • Nineveh, Assyrian Capitol • North of Babylon • Constantly defending itself = skilled warriors • 1365 B.C. go on the offensive • 650 B.C. Large Empire • From Nile River to Persian Gulf • Invented the battering ram • Chariots, Archers, Armor, Slings • 612 B.C. Medes and Chaldeans join to defeat Assyrian Empire

15. Second Babylonian Empire • King Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans • Rebuilt and improved Babylon • Massive walls around the city • Huge, beautiful palace • Gardens (for his wife) • Became center for learning and science • Astronomy • Agriculture • Fell to the Persians in 539 B.C.

16. Mesopotamia Euphrates Tigris Babylon SUMER Ur

17. Cuneiform Activity