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Geography Area where Africa, Asia
and Europe interconnect
No natural boundaries
Sometimes called “Near East”
Climate Hot and arid
Winters are mild with little rain
Summers are long and hot
Coastal areas have a breeze
Rivers in Middle East
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers run parallel to each other
Flooding of the rivers allow for rich soil
Not as long as the Nile River
Mountains Taurus and Anti-Taurus in
Turkey surround large plateau with fertile soil
Zagros Mountains drier soil
Afghanistan highest mountains Hindu Kush Mountains
Deserts
Sahara Desert stretches across northern Africa and continues as Arabian and Syrian Deserts then becomes South Iranian Desert
Geography and CivilizationFertile Crescent-
between Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf, richest soil
Mesopotamia- Greek means “between the rivers”
MesopotamiaFarming- flat, swampy
area
Rivers flooded leaving behind fertile mud- silt
food- people
Challenges- little rainfall, rivers overflow
Leaders formed government/civilization
Sumerian First civilizations in
Mesopotamia between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Sumeria built huts, raised cattle, farmed for food
Temples= ziggurats
First gather in large city-states
City-state political unit with own government
Ancient History- The Sumerians
Developed first written language= cuneiform (5oo characters)
First people use the wheel/plow
Reservoirs store water
Invented the library
Polytheism worship of many gods
Conquered by Sargon (Akkadians)
The Babylonian Empire Around 2000 BC tribe Amorites
settled in Babylon on Euphrates River
1792 BC Hammurabi became king of Babylon
Hammurabi warrior, ruler, administrator, trade
Hammurabi’s Code 282 code of laws (dealing with trade, theft, murder)
Written down for all to see
Everyone knew punishments
Hittite War-like Indo-Euro tribe
Asia Minor, now Turkey
Success came from horse-drawn war chariot powerful
held 3 soldiers (one drove, second fought, third defense)
Hittite Used Sumerian cuneiform
and developed similar code to Hammurabi
Master ironworking techniques (Ornaments, tools, weapons)
Empire fell to Sea People
Assyrians Northern Mesopotamia, near
Assur, along Tigris River
Grew barley and raised cattle
Lay along major trade routes, tribes invaded
Power was in military warrior society
Chariots, foot soldiers AND cavalry
Siege Warfare
Feared for harsh treatment
Assyrian Kings ruled through local
leaders local leaders collected taxes, enforced laws, raised troops for army
System of roads ( messengers, troops moving easier, trade)
Punished anyone who opposed them (way of keeping peace)
Library 20,000 cuneiform tablets (Epic of Gilgamesh)
Assyrian Empire weakened
Chaldeans Most famous ruler
Nebuchanezzar II
Built numerous palaces and temples
Hanging Gardens thousands of trees and flowers grew on terraces and roofs
Calendar based on phases of moon- astronomy position of the stars