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I. Geographic Setting

ÒTo the northeast of Egypt, the Fertile Crescent, a crescent shaped region of good farmland created, in part, by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.

Ò(Use the example on the board to identify the regions in the space provided)

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* Geographic Setting Continued

ÒIn this region some of the first great civilizations arose, therefore, the Fertile Crescent is sometimes referred to as “the cradle of civilization.” “Why? See map bottom left”

ÒMany early civilizations emerged on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia or the land between the rivers. (map linked left)

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II. The Impact of Geography

Ò Like the Nile, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers provided the people of Mesopotamia with everything they needed.

Ò The lack of natural barriers within the Fertile Crescent allowed frequent migrations and invasions.(Compare Iraq and Greece using Google Earth)

Ò The movement of many peoples in and out of the area encouraged cultural diffusion. This area was the “crossroads” of the ancient world.

Ò Although a source of progress, the region’s diversity made unity difficult to achieve unlike Egypt.

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III. Sumer

ÒThe first civilization in Mesopotamia was Sumer.

ÒAbout 5,000 years ago, villages along the Tigris and Euphrates grew into busy Sumerian cities.

ÒSumer was made up of a number of city-states, which include the city and the surrounding areas.

Plan of an ancient city (1500 B.C.E, oldest map?)

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IV. Religion in Sumer/Mesopotamia

ÒThe Sumerians were polytheistic. The gods were closely tied to the forces of nature.

ÒThe Sumerians built massive ziggurats or pyramid like temples to worship the city-state’s chief god. In the absence of granite and limestone, Ziggurats were constructed of sunbaked or fired bricks.

ÒKeeping the gods happy was very important in the uncertain world of Mesopotamia. Priests recorded sacrifices on clay tablets instead of papyrus.

“Similarities with ancient Egyptians?”

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V. Government in Mesopotamia

ÒEach Sumerian/Mesopotamian city-state had a ruler who was seen as the chief servant of the gods.

ÒThis is a form of theocracy. A theocracy is a government headed by religious leaders.

ÒGovernment was important because natural resources were often scarce in the ancient Middle East.

* Managing scarce resources and maintaining order have been the functions of government for 1000s of years.

(See map in the next slide and Hammurabi activity)

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ÒAs shown in the inset (top right hand corner), which natural resource was scarce?

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VI. Social Structure in Sumer

Ò Fill in the triangle. Compare the two graphics. What has changed and what has remained the same?”

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VII. Economy

ÒIdentify two places the Mesopotamians traded with and the goods that were acquired.

ÒMankind video (30:20): how does the trade in tin and the use of bronze demonstrate features of early market economies?

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VIII. Mesopotamian legacy

ÒMesopotamians developed cuneiform (see next slide)– one the earliest examples of writing.

ÒEarly forms of geometry and algebra developed in the ancient Middle East. “Why?”

ÒThe Babylonian number system based shapes our very existence.

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IX. the Wheel and the Arch

ÒDescribe the advantages of the wheel and using arches in construction.

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