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Lesson 3 - Mesopotamia

The earliest civilizations emerged around major river valleys between 3500-1500 BCE. Mesopotamia's civilization developed in the fertile region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The rivers provided abundant water for irrigation, allowing the Sumerians to develop agriculture, which supported larger populations and the emergence of cities. The rivers also acted as trade routes, allowing the spread of culture. Control of irrigation works required social organization under priest-kings, leading to the development of the first civilization. Geography thus played a key role in the emergence of early river valley civilizations by providing resources and incentives for cultural and technological development.

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Erwin Osorio
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139 views62 pages

Lesson 3 - Mesopotamia

The earliest civilizations emerged around major river valleys between 3500-1500 BCE. Mesopotamia's civilization developed in the fertile region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The rivers provided abundant water for irrigation, allowing the Sumerians to develop agriculture, which supported larger populations and the emergence of cities. The rivers also acted as trade routes, allowing the spread of culture. Control of irrigation works required social organization under priest-kings, leading to the development of the first civilization. Geography thus played a key role in the emergence of early river valley civilizations by providing resources and incentives for cultural and technological development.

Uploaded by

Erwin Osorio
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Targets:

✔explain the difference of civilization and


urbanity;
✔enumerate the factors that create a
civilization;
✔state the effects of geography to the
early communities that emerged in the
world;
Targets:
✔cite the factors that paved the way to the
rise and fall of ancient civilizations and
the empires in the world;
✔analyze the origin and characteristics of
the ancient civilizations in the world; and
value the contributions of the early
humans in enriching the global culture.
GGUZIRATS

ZIGGURAT
NEIFORMCU

CUNEIFORM
RAHAMAB

ABRAHAM
ESEMO

MOSES
CYURS

CYRUS
Key Terms:
✔Ziggurat ✔Code of Ur-Nammu
✔Cuneiform ✔Ashurbanipal
✔Anthropomorphic ✔Zoroastrianism
✔Code of Hammurabi
✔Satrapy
✔Alphabet
✔Lugal
✔Zend-Abesta
✔Royal Road
Key Persons
✔Nebuchadnezza ✔Moses
r
✔Abraham ✔Cambyses
✔Cyrus the ✔Darius
Great
THE CONCEPT OF URBANITY AND
CIVILIZATION
Four of the earliest
civilizations in the
world emerged in
between 3500 BCE and
1500 BCE in every
valley of significant
rivers in their
respective regions.
In Southwest
Asia,
Mesopotamia
can be found in
Tigris-Euphrates.
In North
Africa, Nile is
essential to
the lands of
Egypt.
In South Asia,
ancient cities
emerged in
India at the
shores of
Indus.
In East Asia,
the Chinese
civilization
emerged in
Huang He.
URBANITY
is usually
associated with
having a complex
culture based on
centers, such as
city-state.
CITY-STATE
• derived from
Latin word
civitas- “city”
• advanced
cultivation and
technology
CITY
• In some cases,
the terms cities
and civilizations
are used
interchangeably.
• From the term
“civilized”
• means having an
advanced knowledge
or skills in terms of
social and cultural
development.
• may pertain to
various aspects of an
individual’s daily life
• Civilization has a
broader scope
• language, art,
religion, and
others in the
development.
FACTORS OF HAVING A
CIVILIZATION
• central order
• organized religion
• economic and social
development
• knowledge in the
aspects of art,
technology, literature,
science, and
architecture
To date, Sumer is the
oldest civilization ever
discovered. Its beginnings
could be traced to early
as 3500 BCE.
Discover how early people
of Sumer succeeded in
harnessing the Tigris and
Euphrates for their own
purposes.
Geographic setting
The earliest civilization
were supported and
sustained by river
systems.
The Tigris-Euphrates rivers
that stretch from Turkey and
Iraq to the Persian Gulf
played host to what is
believed to be the earliest
civilization.
The Greeks
referred to this
area as
Mesopotamia
meaning “the
land between
two rivers.”
Bordered on the
northeast by the
Zagros Mountains
and the edge of
the Arabian
plateau on the
southwest.
• The southeast stretches from the
Persian Gulf and northwest to the
Anti- Taurus Mountains
• The two rivers were the lifeblood of
this area
• “taming the river meant survival, it
meant life”
• Nomads began to settle in the
southern part of Mesopotamia
about 6,000 years ago
• Learned how to control the river
• Able to construct irrigation canals
• Developed rudimentary government
with a leader and a set of support
staff
• Ruled by a priest who demonstrated
religious and political role
• Groups of people were organized like
skilled artisans, scribes and military
The success with which the early
settlers in Mesopotamia had in
harnessing the potentials of the
rivers allowed them to reap
abundant harvest that gave them
the ability to sustain a larger
number of people.
Mesopotamia
is situated on a
flat alluvial
land.
This gave the area the
advantage of being accessible to
different groups of people who
were able to enrich the lives and
culture of the community.
However, this
also made the
area vulnerable
to invasions and
plundering
groups.
Different groups of people
such as the Babylonians,
Assyrians and Persians over
the area and established
their own hegemony.
The physical challenges posed by
the environment in Mesopotamia
contributed in unleashing the
creative potentials of people to
prevail and to establish one of the
earliest civilizations of humankind.
RELIGION
The religion of the
peoples of Mesopotamia
was polytheistic. They
worshipped many gods.
✔ had more than 1000 deities
✔Believed that the gods controlled all
aspects of their lives such as peace,
health and fertility.
✔City-states were dedicated to
particular gods for whom they built
temples called ziggurats.
ZIGGURAT
-was a step-
pyramid made
of sun –baked
bricks or tiles
on which stood
a shrine.
The gods were also believed
to be anthromorphic. The
Sumerians saw their gods
capable of human passions
and weaknesses.
Government
With the success of the
agricultural communities,
city-states began to
emergence in Mesopotamia
around 3,000 BCE.
The most prominent feature
of the city-states was the
temple dedicated to god
who was believed to own
the city and the around it.
An important element that
paved the way for the
growth of a bureaucracy was
the invention of a system of
writing.
It appeared that the
writing in Mesopotamia
was invented as a tool for
administration first and
foremost.
The typical city-state
had about 12,000 to
36,000 inhabitants.
A system of resolving conflict
among the inhabitants had to
be devised to promote peaceful
coexistence within the city-
state.
Code of Hammurabi
What is the impact of
geography on the
emergence of
civilizations?
Why did the bodies of water
become essential in the
emergence of the early
civilizations in the world?

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