1 / 18

Middle East: Mesopotamia

Middle East: Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia means: “land between two rivers ”. The civilization developed between the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers The area is often called the “ Fertile Crescent ” By 3200 B.C. a number of cities are established by the Sumerians.

kathy
Download Presentation

Middle East: Mesopotamia

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Middle East: Mesopotamia

  2. Mesopotamia • Mesopotamia means: “land between two rivers”. The civilization developed between the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers • The area is often called the “Fertile Crescent” • By 3200 B.C. a number of cities are established by the Sumerians

  3. Major Contribution: The Invention of Writing • Origins of writing probably go back to the 9000 B.C. • 4000 BC - realized that drawing tokens was easier than making tokens • Developed of cuneiform: • “wedge-shaped” • pictographic system

  4. Sumeria: 3200 BC

  5. Sumeria • Developed advanced city-states • Specialized workers, social classes • Advanced Math: Number system based on 60 (60 seconds = 1 min.) • Polytheistic

  6. Sumerian Inventions • Sail • Some of the earliest known maps • New architecture • Metal plow • Wagon wheel • Potter’s wheel (shape containers) • Number system • 12 month calendar

  7. Akkadians • Sumeria fell to foreign invaders • The Akkadians: • Nomadic people f/ Arabian Peninsula that migrated to Mesopotamia • Sargon (2300-2200 BC) unites all Mesopotamian cities (creates first empire) • The Akkadians did not rule for long …

  8. Babylonia • Located in modern day Syria • Hammurabi--created a system of civil law (a code with harsh punishments) • Borrowed heavily f/ Sumerian culture • After Hammurabi’s death Babylon declined

  9. Hittites: 1400 BC

  10. Hittites • Conquered Babylon in 1400 BC • A strong army with chariots • Knew how to make iron which was plentiful and cheap • Borrowed from Mesopotamian and Egyptian culture

  11. Assyrians: 1100 BC

  12. Assyrians • Powerful army / warfare was central to their culture • Treated conquered people cruelly • Large empire with good roads • Collapsed about 612 BC

  13. Babylon Revived: 612 BC

  14. Babylon Revived: • Descendents from Hammurabi’s Babylonians • At its height during the rule of Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BC) • Spent a lot of money on Babylon • Built Hanging Gardens of Babylon • Empire collapsed after being defeated by the Persians

  15. Persians: 539 BC

  16. Persians • Cyrus conquered in 539BC, & eventually conquered from Nile to Indus • Darius I – the skilled organizer • Used satraps (governors) • Tolerant to those who were conquered • Increased trade and built roads • Money economy using coins • Believed in a Single God • Lost to the Greeks in 480 BC

  17. Meanwhile, those Phoenicians ...

  18. Phoenicians • A small state with own contributions: • Sailors around present day Mediterra-nean, including Lebanon and Syria • Manufacturing and trade gurus who set up colonies • Created the basis for the alphabet we use today! • Spread middle east civilization around Mediterranean

More Related