Ancient Sumeria: Birthplace of Writing and Civilization

1. Chapter 1 TheFertileCrescent WorldHistory Ms. Stephanie Custodio

2. Section 1 LandBetweenTwoRivers

3. Introduction • Thefollowingwordsfromthepast come from a student at one of theworld’sfirstschools. He tellswhathappened to himwhenhishomeworkwassloppyorwhen he spokewithoutpermission. • “Myheadmasterreadmytablet and said, ‘Thereissomethingmissing,’ and hit me with a cane… Thefellow in charge of silencesaid, ‘Whydid youtalkwithoutpermission?’ and caned me.” - A Sumerianstudent

4. Thefirstknownschoolswere set up in theland of Sumer over 4,000 years ago. Theytaughtboys- and possibly a fewgirls- the new invention of writing. • Graduates of theschoolsbecameknown as scribes: proffesionalwriters. • Scribeswereimportantbecausetheykept records forthekings and priests. • Learning to be a scribewashard work. Studentsbeganschool at abouttheage of 8 and finished about ten yearslater.

5. TheGeographicSetting • Sumer waslocated in a regioncalled Mesopotamia. • This place hadspecialattractionsthatdrewpeople to settlethere: • Richsoil • Life-givingrivers • Central location • Thispeoplebecamefarmers and citybuilders. Sumer’s central locationdrewmanytradersfromotherregions.

6. Mesopotamia The Tigris and Euphratesriversprovidedexcellentconditionsfor human settlement.

7. TheLocation of Mesopotamia • ThewordMesopotamia comes fromGreekwordsthat mean “betweentherivers”. Itliesbetweenthe Tigris and Euphratesrivers. • Mesopotamia ispart of theFertileCrescent: a region in Southwest Asia thatwasthesite of theworld’sfirstcivilizations. • TheFertileCrescent’sname comes fromtheshapetheregionrepresents (seemaponnextslide).

8. TheFertileCrescent A regionknown as theFertileCrescentstretched in anarcfromtheMediterranean Sea to thePersianGulf.

9. Video: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AiPRMp_6Kc

10. Rivers of Life and Death • The Tigris and Euphratesriverswerethesource of lifefromthepeoples of Mesopotamia: • In thespring, meltingsnowpicked up tons of topsoil as itrusheddownfromthemountains and floodedtheland. Thefloodsleftthistopsoilontheplainsbelow, farmersgrewcropsonthissoil. • Riversalsosupplied of fish, clayforbuilding, and tall, strongreeds to makeboats. • Thefloodsalsobroughtsorrows: • Floodsdidnotalwayshappen at thesame time eachyear. Racing downwithoutwarning, theysweptawaypeople, animals, crops, and houses. • Thesurvivorswouldrebuild and praythatthenextfloodwouldnot be so destructive.

11. TheFirstCities • As farmingsucceeded in Mesopotamia, communitiesbegan to build up foodsurpluses. In time, foodsurplusesencouragedthegrowth of cities. • Cities in Sumer shared a common culture and language, buttheydidn’tuniteunder a single ruler. Theremainedpoliticallyindependentcity-states: a citythatisalso a separate, independentstate. • Eachcityhaditsspecialgodorgoddess, itsownarmy, itsowngovernment, and itsownking.

12. A Brief Tour of a Sumerian City • Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIP8OVm2KiY • Details: • Publicsquaresbustledwithactivity. • In marketplaces, merchantsdisplayedgoods in outdoorstalls. • Musicians, acrobats, beggars, and watersellersfilledthestreets. • Scribeswrotelettersforthosewhocouldnotreadorwrite. • Sumerianhousesfacedawayfromthecrowdedstreets, ontoinnercourtyardswherefamilies ate and childrenplayed. • Onhotnights, peoplesleptoutdoors, ontheirhomes’ flat roofs. • Oillampssupplied light forSumerianhomes.

13. SumerianReligion • Thesite of the temple to themaingodorgoddess of a Sumeriancitywascalled a ziggurat. • Religious, social, and economicactivitiesalltook place at the temple sites. • Zigguratswerepyramidsmade of terraces, oneon top of another, linkedbyramps and stairs. • At the top of eachzigguratwas a shrine. • TheSumeriansbelievedthatgods descended to Earthusingtheziggurat as a stairway.

14. AncientReligiousBeliefs • Thepeople of Sumer worshippedmanygods and goddesses, thisiscalledpolytheism. • Poly- a greekprefixthatmeans “many”; theismmeans “belief in a godorgods. • Sumerianmyths-storiesaboutgodsthatexplainpeople’sbelief- warnedthatgodwouldpunishpeoplewhoangered them.Theyalsopromisedrewards to peoplewhoservedthegodswell.

15. HonoringtheGods • Sumerianshonoredtheirgods in religiousceremonies: • Priestswashedthestatues of godsbefore and aftereachmealwasoffered. • Musicsounded and incenseburned as theplates of foodwerelaidbeforethem. • Foodwaseatenafteritwaspresented to thegods.(theythoughtthatbyeatingtheoffering, theywould be taking in thequalitiestheyadmired in thegods) • Poetrywasalsoused to expresswhatwas important to them.

16. TheFall of Sumer • Sumer’swealthbecameitsdownfall: Sumeriancity-statesfoughteachotheroverland and the use of riverwater. • Rulersfromvariouscity-states won and lost control of all Sumer. • Around 2300 B.C. Sumer wasconqueredbythearmies of Akkad. Itsruler, King Sargon, unitedtheSumeriancity-states and improvedSumer’sgovernment and itsmilitary. • Sumer remainedunitedforabout 100 years, untilitdissolvedintoindependentcity-statesagain. • In the 1700s B.C., itfell to Babylonia.

17. Section 1 Assessment • Describe thegeography of Mesopotamia. • HowdidMesopotamia’sgeographyhelpcivilizations to develop in thearea? • In whatwayswereSumeriancitiesalike? • In whatwayswerethecities of Sumer different? • ExplainhowdidSumerianspracticereligion. • What do religiouspractices of theSumerianstellusabouttheirvalues?

18. Section 2 FertileCrescentEmpires

19. Introduction • King Sargon II of Assyriaheardthe news: Assyriahadattackedthenearbykingdoms of Urartu and Zikirtu as planned. Butthetwokingdomshadthenunitedforcesagainsthim. Howdaretheyresistthemostpowerfulmonarch in theworld? In thesummer of 714 B.C., King Sargon II set out to confronthisenemies.

20. Introduction • Thetwokingdomswere no match forthepowerfulSargon. Hisarmiesquicklyovercametheirforces and killedwhoresisted. TheAssyrianshowledwithlaughterwhentheysawtheking of Urartufleeingonanoldhorse. Sargon II lethimgo; he knewthedefeatedkingwouldserve as a warning to otherswhomightlater be tempted to challengethemightyAssyrians.

21. TheBabylonianEmpire • Hammurabi createdtheBabylonianEmpire in 1787 B.C. byconqueringcities in Sumer. Then he conqueredlandsfar to thenorth. • Empire: anarea of manyterritories and peoplesthatiscontrolledbyonegovernment. • Thebeautifulcity of Babylonwasthe capital of theBabylonianempire.

22. TheBabylonianEmpire • TheBabyloniansbuiltroadsthroughouttheempire, theymadetravelingeasier, whichencouragedtrade. Babylon’slocationmadeit a crossroads of trade. • Caravans, orgroups of travelers, stopped in Babylonontheirwaybetween Sumer (south) and Assyria (north). • In thecity’sBazaars, ormarkets, shopperscouldbuycottonclothfrom India and spicesfromEgypt. • TrademadeBabylonrich. Theempirethat Hammurabi conquered, shrank and wasfinallydestroyedbyinvaders in theearly 1500s B.C.

23. TheEmpire of theAssyrians • Theempire of Assyria lay in open land, makingiteasierforotherpeople to invade. Assyrianswereconstantlydefendingthemselvesfrominvaders, so theybecameskilledwarriors. • About 1365 B.C. theydecidedthebestmethod of defensewas to attack. By 650 B.C., itstretchedfromtheNileRiver to thePersianGulf.

24. Assyria’sContributions • Assyriansinventedthebatteringram, a powerfulweaponhaving a woodenbeammountedonwheels. Theypoundedcitywallsto rubble. • Warriors usedslings to hurlstones at theenemy. • Expertarcherswereprotectedwithhelmets and armor. • Armedcharioteersslashedtheirwaythroughenemytroops.

25. Assyria’sContributions • Assyria’s capital of Ninevehbecame a city of greatlearning. Ithad a remarkablelibrarythatheldthousands of claytabletswithwritingsfrom Sumer and Babylon. • BecausetheAssyrianskeptthese records, wenowknow a greatdealaboutlife in early Mesopotamia.

26. AssyriaOverthrown • Assyrianconqueredpeoplesattempted a number of revoltsagainstAssyrian rule. • Twogroups,the Medes and Chaldeans, joinedtogether to defeattheAssyrianEmpire in 612 B.C. • UndertheChaldeans, Babylon rose again to evengreatersplendor. Itbecamethe center of the New BabylonianEmpire, whichcontrolledtheentireFertileCrescent.

27. Nebuchadnezzar: King of Babylon • King Nebuchadnezzar II rebuiltthecity of Babylon, whichtheAssyrianshaddestroyed. • He put up massivewallsaroundthecityforprotection. • He alsobuilt a giganticpalace, decoratedwithcolored tiles. Itwasbuiltonseveralterracesthat rose to 350ft (110m) high. Ithad a dazzlinglandscape of trees and gardens. According to a legend, he builtthosegardensforhiswife, whohatedthedryplains of Mesopotamia.

28. HangingGardens of Babylon Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfg1YE-BqTc

29. Advances in Learning • Underthe rule of theChaldeans, Babylonagainbecame a center of learning and science. • BuildingonearlierBabylonianknowledge of mathematics, Chaldeanastronomerschartedthepaths of thestars and measuredthelength of a year. Theirmeasurementwasonly a few minutes differentfromthelengthmodernscientistshavefound. • Chaldeanfarmersraisedhoneybees.

30. ThePersianEmpire • TheChaldeanswere open to attackbypowerfulneighbors. In 539 B.C., the New BabylonianEmpirefell to thePersians, led by Cyrus the Great. • ThePersiansbuiltthelargestempirethattheFertileCrescenthadeverknown. By 490 B.C., theirempirestretchedfromGreece to India.

31. A Rich and Tolerant Culture • Persian culture includedZoroastrianism, anancientPersianreligion. Zoroastriansoriginallyworshipedonegod. • ThePersiansdeveloped a bureaucracy, or a complexstructure of governmentoffices, to rule theirgiantempire. • ThePersiansalsobuilt a roadnetworkacrosstheirvastempire, whichenabledtradewithneighboringcivilizations. • ThePersianstoleratedpeopleswithdifferent cultures: • TheyfreedJewswhohadbeenheld captive in Babylon. • TheysupportedBabylonianscience and mathematics.

32. LastingInfluence • ThePersians spread theirreligion, theirsystem of bureaucracy, and Babylonianscience to neighboringpeoples, includingtheGreeks, throughconquest and trade. • ThesePersian cultural achievementssurvived to helpshapeourmoderncivilization.

33. Section 2 Assessment • Wherewasthecity of Babylonlocated, and whywasitimportant? • Howdidthe New BabylonianEmpirebuildontheachievements of earlierempires? • HowdidtheAssyriansbuildanempire? • HowwastheAssyrianempire similar to ordifferentfromotherFertileCrescentempires? • Wherewasthehomeland of thePersians? • Whatwerethemainachievements of thePersians and what has beentheirlastinginfluence?

34. Section 3 TheLegacy of Mesopotamia

35. Introduction • Sometimesthecustoms and laws of othercountriesmayseemstrange to us. Imagine whatitwould be like to have to obeythelaws set downbyearlycivilizations. • “If a man has destroyedtheeye of a man of theclass of gentlemen, theyshalldestroyhiseye. If he has broken a gentlemen’sbone, theyshall break hisbone. If he has destroyedtheeye of a commonerorbrokenthebone of a commoner, he shallpayone mina [measure of weight] of silver. If he has destroyedtheeyeof a gentlemen’sslave, orbroken a bone of a gentlemen’sslave, he shallpayhalf [theslave’s] price. If a gentleman’sslave strikes thecheek of a gentlemen, theyshallcut off [theslave’s] ear.” .-FromHammurabi’sCode

36. Hammurabi’sCode • A writtencode, ororganizedlist of laws, helpspeopleknowwhatisexpectedfromthem and whatpunishmenttheywillreceiveiftheydisobey a law. • Hammurabi ruledBabyloniafromabout 1702 to 1750 B.C. He set down rules foreveryone in hisempire to follow. This rules are known as Hammurabi’sCode.

37. Hammurabi’sCode • Thecodetoldpeople of Babyloniahow to settleconflicts in allareas of life. • ItwasbasedpartlyonearlierSumeriancodes. Itcontained 282 lawsorganized in differentcategories: trade, labor, property, and family, amongothers. • Thecodehadlawsforadoptingchildren, practicing medicine, hiringwagonsorboats, and controllingdangerouesanimals.

38. AnEyeforanEye • In thecode, punishmentshould be similar to thecrimecommitted. • Thecodedidnotapplyequally to allpeople. Theharshness of thepunishment depended onhowimportantthevictim and thelawbreakerwere: • Thehighertheclass of thevictim, thegreaterthepenaltywas. • A personwhoaccidentallybroke a lawwasjust as guilty as someonewhomeant to break thelaw. Peoplewhocouldnotalways control theoutcome of theirwork, such as doctors, had to be verycareful.

39. LawsforEveryone • Theimportance of thelaws in Hammurabi’sCode to usisbecausetheywerewrittendown. Withwrittenlaws, everyonecouldknowthe rules and punishments. • Hammurabi’slawswerenotthefirstattemptby a society to set up a code of laws, buthislawswerethefirstorganized, recorded set that has beenfound.

40. The Art of Writing • Writingfirstdeveloped in Mesopotamia around 3100 B.C. • WritingmettheneedSumerianshad to keep records. Record keepers and scribeswereveryimportant and busypeople in Sumer. • Sumerians’ earliestwrittendocuments are records of farmanimals. • Scribesrecorded sales and trades, taxpayments, giftsfromthegods, and marriages and deaths. • Somespecialtasks: • militaryscribescalculatedtheamount of foodsuppliesthatanarmywouldneed • Governmentscribesfiguredoutthenumber of diggersneeded to build a canal; writtenordersthenwentout to local officalswhohad to providethesesuppliesorworkers.

41. A Record in Clay • Paperhadnotyetbeeninvented. Scribes in Mesopotamia kepttheir records and notes in clay. • The Tigris and Euphratesriversprovidedscribeswiththeclaytheyused to writeon. • Scribesshapedthewetclayintosmooth, flat surfacescalledtablets. • Theymarkedtheirletters in theclaywithsharptools. • Whentheclaydried, itwas a permanent record. • Theshape and size of a tablet depended onitspurpose: largertabletswereusedforreferencepurposes, theystayed in one place; smallertabletswereusedfor personal messages.

42. HowWritingWasInvented • Long beforeSumeriansinventedwriting, theyusedsharpedpieces of clay as tokens, or symbols. Theyusedtheclaytokens to keep records: theycouldkeeptrack of howmanyanimalswereboughtand sold, orhowmuchfoodhadbeengrown. Byaround 3100 B.C., thisform of record keepinghaddevelopedintowriting. • At first, written records were symbols thatrepresentedspecific objects: grain, water, oxen, stars, etc. As peoplelearned to record ideas as well as facts, the symbols changed.

43. TheDevelopment of Cuneiform • Eventually, scribescombined symbols to makegroups of wedges and linesknown as cuneiform. • Cuneiformcould be used to representdifferentlanguages. • ScholarsbelievethatSumeriansdevelopedtheirsystem of writingindependently. Thismeantthattheyhadmanydecisions to make: • Symbols should be set in rows, eachrowshould be readfromleft to right, a page should be readfrom top to bottom.

45. Section 3 Assessment • Whatweresome uses of writing in Sumer? • How do theearlyforms and methods of writingdifferfromthewaywewritetoday? • Whywasthedevelopemt of writinganimportantstep in human history? • WhatwasHammurabi’sCode, and whatwasitspurpose in AncientBabylonia? • Whatdoestheexpression “aneyeforaneye” mean in relation to thelaws in Hammurabi’sCode? • Hammurabi’sCodewasfair in somewaysand unfair in others. Explain.

46. Section 4 MediterraneanCivilizations

47. Introduction • WhilethegreatEmpire of Hammurabi wasrising and falling, thepeople of a cityontheshores of theMediterranean Sea werebecomingrichbygatheringsnails . • Thesnailscollectednearthecoastalcity of Tyrewerenotordinarysnails. Theyproduced a richpurpledye.

48. ClothmadepurplewiththedyewashighlyvaluedbywealthypeoplethroughouttheMediterraneanregion. ShipsfromTyresoldthepurplecloth at extremelyhighprices. TheprofitshelpedmakeTyre a wealthycity.

49. Phoenician Sea Power • Tyrewasthemajorcity in a regioncalledPhoenicia. • ThePhoenicianshadsettled in a landthathadlimited, butveryimportantresources. Besidesthesnails, ithad a greatamount of dense cedarforests. • Phoenicianssoldtheirdyedcloth and thewoodfromtheirforests to neighboringpeoples.

50. As tradegrew, thePhoenicianslooked to the sea to increasetheirprofits. In time, theycontrolledtradethroughoutmuch of theMediterranean. • Fromabout 1100 to 800 B.C., Phoeniciawas a great sea power. • PhoenicianshipssailedovertheMediterranean Sea and intotheAtlanticOcean. Theycame back withstories of horrible monstersthatlived in theoceandepths. Thesestorieshelpedkeepotherpeoplesfromtrying to compete fortrade in theAtlantic.