Problem of the Day

A statement has had all its vowels removed. Replace them and find the

statement.

N P P L D Y K P S T H D C T R W Y

Problem of the Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

The Fertile Crescent

Fertile Crescent vs. Mesopotamia

• Fertile Crescent is a fertile area in the Middle East that stretches from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.– Shaped like a crescent moon

• Mesopotamia is a region within the Fertile Crescent– The Land Between the Rivers– Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for

farming due to flooding

Why Were People Drawn to This Region?

1. Rich soil

2. Life-giving riverso Fisho Clay for buildingo Strong reeds to make boatso Fertile soil left behind from the floods

What Challenges Did People Face in Mesopotamia?

1. Unpredictable floods destroyed crops, homes & people

2. Some areas were marshy and unsuitable for farming because of over-flooding

Why is the Region Known as the Cradle of Civilization?

• It is the birth of civilization.

Rock- a- bye Mesopotamia…

The Many People of Mesopotamia

1. Sumerians (3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.)

2. Babylonians (1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.)

3. Assyrians (1200 B.C. - 539 B.C.)

4. Persians (539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)

Sumerians

• Sumer was never united under one ruler – Independent city-states– Results in their downfall…why?

• Sumerians were great inventors– The wheel (around 3500 BCE)– Invention of cuneiform writing– The Plow– The Sailboat

• First Writing system– Cuneiform– Clay tablets with reed for a stylus

• Earliest literature– World’s oldest poetry– The Epic of Gilgamesh

Sumerians

I am the great king Gilgamesh…read

the handout about my epic tale!

Sumerian Religion

• Polytheism- belief in many gods– Sumerians believed in polytheistic,

anthropomorphic deities

• Each city-state had its own patron god• Ziggurats – massive, stepped-pyramids used

as temples by Sumerian priests– Existed long before the Egyptian pyramids

Main Sumerian Deities

• An: God of heaven• Enlil: God of the air • Enki: God of freshwater, male fertility, and knowledge• Inanna: Goddess of love, female fertility and warfare• Ki: Goddess of the earth.• Nanna: God of the moon• Ninurta: God of war, agriculture• Utu: God of the sun

Religions have attempted to build their sanctuaries on prominent heights. Since no such natural heights were available in the flat flood plains of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), ancient priests and kings determined to build ziggurats, square or rectangular artificial stepped temple platforms. Functionally, temples were placed on raised platforms to give them prominence over other buildings in a city, and to allow more people to watch the services performed at the temple. Symbolically, however, the ziggurat represents the cosmic mountain on which the gods dwell. The priests ascent up the stairway to the temple at the top of the ziggurat represents the ascent to heaven. The great ziggurat at Khorsabad, for example, had seven different stages; each was painted a different color and represented the five known planets, the moon, and the sun.

WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE REVEAL ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF PEOPLE IN MESOPOTAMIA?

This staircase runs directly up the front of the ziggurat. Possibly only the temple priests were allowed to climb these steps to get to the higher stages of the ziggurat.

Many archaeologists believe that there was a temple on the highest

terrace of the ziggurat.

Drains for rain water

Terrace

The mud-brick core of the ziggurat was covered with baked

bricks. Each baked brick measured

about 12 x 12 x 3 in and weighed up to 33lbs. About 720,000 baked bricks would

have been needed in building the first stage of the ziggurat.

This brick was stamped with the name and title of Ur-Nammu,

the king who ordered the ziggurat built. Most bricks used

to build the ziggurat were stamped. Somebody had the job

of stamping the damp bricks.

ZIGGURATS

Why Did Sumer Fall?

• Its wealth lead to fighting over…– Land– Use of river water

The First Empire

• Akkad was a Sumerian city-state.

• King Sargon I of Akkad conquered Sumer and united the city-states.

• Eventually dissolved into independent city-states until Babylonia took control.

Akkadians

Babylon was the capital of the Babylonian Empire.

Hammurabi

• Babylonia’s most powerful and memorable king rules from 1792 to 1750 B.C.E.– Reorganizing the tax system for easier

collection of taxes– Repaired the irrigation canals to increase– Establishes a written code of laws ( more to

follow at a later date)

Hammurabi• “So That the Strong Should

Not Harm the Weak”

Hmmm…I think

someone “got my nose”?

The End of Babylonia ( for now)

• The decline began with the death of Hammurabi

• Fell to the Hittites in 1600s B.C.E.

The Babylonians

• Began as empire around 1890s BCE when city-states were united.

• Located 60 miles south of Baghdad• Babylonians built:– Great walled cities teeming with life– Roads allow caravans to travel the empire– Vast public buildings

• The palace at Mari ( 350 –room palace with pipes to drain waste)

– Comfortable houses for all people

Babylonian EmpireBabylonian Empire

Started as city by the Euphrates River in 1900 BCE

Babylon--capital of Babylonian Empire

Under King Hammurabi conquered all of the surrounding cities (including Sumer) to make it the Fertile Crescent’s 1st united empire in 1787 BCE.

Empire-- an area of many territories and peoples that is controlled by one government

Started as city by the Euphrates River in 1900 BCE

Babylon--capital of Babylonian Empire

Under King Hammurabi conquered all of the surrounding cities (including Sumer) to make it the Fertile Crescent’s 1st united empire in 1787 BCE.

Empire-- an area of many territories and peoples that is controlled by one government

Babylonian CultureBabylonian Culture

Very similar to Sumerian culture

Adopted their religion, literature, inventions, & practices

Became wealthy via trade & agriculture

Trade required them to build roads & bazaars

bazaar--outdoor market place for trading goods

caravan--a group of travelers (Why travel together?)

Babylonian Accomplishments

Babylonian Accomplishments

Hammurabi’s Code--first known, written set of laws, created by King of Babylon during his reign (1792-1750)

Created a useful system of mathematics & astronomy

Math based on numbers from 1-60

Does this sound familiar?

Allowed them to calculate areas of geometric shapes

Why would this be important for building an empire?

Hammurabi’s Code--first known, written set of laws, created by King of Babylon during his reign (1792-1750)

Created a useful system of mathematics & astronomy

Math based on numbers from 1-60

Does this sound familiar?

Allowed them to calculate areas of geometric shapes

Why would this be important for building an empire?

The End of BabylonThe End of Babylon

•All their wealth couldn’t save them from conquest…

•They fell to another, growing empire in 1500

BCE.

The Assyrian EmpireThe Assyrian Empire

•Civilization on upper Tigris River in an open plain•Capital—Nineveh•Frequently attacked by invaders•Developed standing army (soldiers who serve in military as their primary job)•By 1365 BCE decided that best defense was a good offense!•They started creating their own empire!

The Assyrian ArmyThe Assyrian Army

•Fierce & cruel warriors•Weapons made of iron (rather than bopper or bronze)•Created forts & government to administer conquered cities•First mail service to communicate between cities in empire•Other Advancements:• Trained Horses &

Chariots• Archers & Stone Slings• Battering Rams

The Softer Side of the Assyrians

They created a great library with clay tablets from Sumer & Babylon.

Biggest=Best?Biggest=Best?

By 650 BCE, Empire stretched from The Nile River to the Persian Gulf! (See map on p. 39 in textbook.)

Captured enemies (murdering or enslaving them), plundered & looted cities, & demanded taxes (tributes) from the vanquished.

The Assyrians were widely hated.

Several revolt attempts

Medes & Chaldeans overthrew them in 612 BCE.

By 650 BCE, Empire stretched from The Nile River to the Persian Gulf! (See map on p. 39 in textbook.)

Captured enemies (murdering or enslaving them), plundered & looted cities, & demanded taxes (tributes) from the vanquished.

The Assyrians were widely hated.

Several revolt attempts

Medes & Chaldeans overthrew them in 612 BCE.

Babylon’s Back, Baby!Babylon’s Back, Baby!

What city rose out of the ashes of Nineveh?

The Chaldeans made the city of Babylon their new capital.

This time around their most important king was Nebuchadnezzar II

Ruled from 605-562 BCE

Babylon grew strong under him

What city rose out of the ashes of Nineveh?

The Chaldeans made the city of Babylon their new capital.

This time around their most important king was Nebuchadnezzar II

Ruled from 605-562 BCE

Babylon grew strong under him

More Babylonian AccomplishmentsMore Babylonian Accomplishments

Center of Math & Science

Astronomy so accurate could calculate length of year to within minutes of modern methods!

Started domesticating honey bees (Why?)

Center of Math & Science

Astronomy so accurate could calculate length of year to within minutes of modern methods!

Started domesticating honey bees (Why?)

Reasons to Remember Babylon:

Reasons to Remember Babylon:

Huge wall surrounding the city

Beautifully decorated

Towers for guards

4-Horse Chariot-wide

Famous Gate of Ishtar

Reasons to Remember Babylon:

Reasons to Remember Babylon:

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Built by Nebuchadnezzar

Beautifully decorated

Roof-top tropical gardens

In the middle of the desert

1 of 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

Why? Let’s find out...

This Time Babylon Falls & Stays Down

This Time Babylon Falls & Stays Down

•Nebuchadnezzar is succeeded by his son in 562 BCE, but he’s assassinated just three years later.•Within a few years, new empire invades

The Persian EmpireThe Persian Empire(539-330 BCE)(539-330 BCE)

The Persian EmpireThe Persian Empire

Located east of Fertile Crescent (modern-day Iran & Afghanistan)

People were Indo-Europeans called Aryans (source of Iran’s name)

Started in 550 BCE by Persian province ruler named Cyrus the Great (350-330 BCE)

United Medes & Persians into a strong army and later a kingdom

Located east of Fertile Crescent (modern-day Iran & Afghanistan)

People were Indo-Europeans called Aryans (source of Iran’s name)

Started in 550 BCE by Persian province ruler named Cyrus the Great (350-330 BCE)

United Medes & Persians into a strong army and later a kingdom

The Persian EmpireThe Persian Empire

Army of archers & cavalrymen conquered most of ancient world (See map on p. 39)

Turkey

IndiaEgypt

Unlike Assyrians, they were benevolent:

Freed Jews

Treated conquered fairly & kindly (did force tributes)Allowed them to maintain culture

Army of archers & cavalrymen conquered most of ancient world (See map on p. 39)

Turkey

IndiaEgypt

Unlike Assyrians, they were benevolent:

Freed Jews

Treated conquered fairly & kindly (did force tributes)Allowed them to maintain culture

Ruling the Biggest EmpireRuling the Biggest Empire

Emperor Darius I (522-486 BCE) set up system to organize the empire:

Divided into 20 provinces

Each managed by governors

Judges & Tax Collectors appointed

Surprise inspectors

Well paved roads which led to international trade

Bureaucracycomplex structure of government offices needed to govern a vast empire or nation

(negative connotation)

ZoroastrianismZoroastrianismthe official religion of the Persian Empire

had one supreme god who made world, sun, moon & stars

What is this kind of religion called?

the official religion of the Persian Empirehad one supreme god who made world, sun,

moon & starsWhat is this kind of religion called?

The Persian Empire LastedThe Persian Empire Lasteduntil Alexander the Great conquered it in 330 BCEuntil Alexander the Great conquered it in 330 BCE