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Civilization & Mesopotamia

Civilization & Mesopotamia. Early Civilizations. What is civilization?. Characteristics of Civilizations. Advanced Cities Large group living together Trading center. Characteristics of Civilizations. Specialized Workers Develop skills in a specific kind of work (trader or priest)

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Civilization & Mesopotamia

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  1. Civilization& Mesopotamia

  2. Early Civilizations

  3. What is civilization?

  4. Characteristics of Civilizations • AdvancedCities • Large group living together • Trading center

  5. Characteristics of Civilizations • SpecializedWorkers • Develop skills in a specific kind of work (trader or priest) • Why? Abundant food

  6. Characteristics of Civilizations • ComplexInstitutions • Long-lasting pattern of organization in a community • Examples: • Religion • Government • Economy

  7. Characteristics of Civilizations • RecordKeeping • System of writing • Taxes, laws, religious rituals • Scribes – professional keepers

  8. Characteristics of Civilizations • AdvancedTechnology • Anything that makes life easier

  9. Example of Civilization: Sumer

  10. Civilizations of MesopotamiaFertile Crescent, “land between the rivers”People: Sumerians

  11. Geography • Tigris & Euphrates Rivers • Annual flooding • Silt – rich layer of soil deposited by a river (good for growing crops) • Alluvial Plain – flat landform created by deposit of silt from rivers coming from highlands

  12. Geography:Disadvantages & Solutions • Unpredictable flooding & little rain irrigation ditches • No natural barriers for protection built city walls • Limited natural resources traded grain & cloth for stone & wood

  13. Government • City-state: city & surrounding area functioning as a country does today • Priests head government 3,000 BCE • Kings head government 2,500 BCE • Create Dynasties - series of rulers under one family Ziggurat – walled temple

  14. Government: Forming Empires • Akkadian – Sargon of Akkad (2350 - 2150 BCE) defeated city-states of Sumer • 1stempire: brings together several independent peoples, nations, or states • Babylonian – Babylon (2000 - 539 BCE)

  15. Laws • Hammurabi’s Code • Hammurabi (Babylonian King) • 1792-1750 BCE • Unified code of laws • Oldest known legal system • Stressed justice & punishment based on social class

  16. Religion • Polytheism: belief in two or more gods (kings representatives of gods) • Human-like, but immortal & powerful • Humans were servants • Built ziggurats & offered sacrifices to please gods

  17. Society/Culture Sumerian Social Hierarchy

  18. Society/Culture • Arithmetic, Geometry • Helped in building projects • Architecture • Arches, columns, ramps, pyramid shape • Cuneiform • Writing system • Pictograph – symbols stand for words

  19. Cuneiform

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