CHAPTER TWO- SESSION I

CITIES OF ANCIENT LANDS

The Fertile Crescent

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 Contents of the Lecture
• Introduction
• Agriculture and Urbanization
• The Fertile Crescent
– Mesopotamia
– Sumer
• The Empire in Mesopotamia
– Assyrian
– The Persian Empire
– Babylonian
• The Kingdom of Babylon
– Chaldean (Neo-Babylon)

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 Introduction

• The domestication of Plants and Animals

• The beginnings of Agriculture
• Agriculture, Mobility and Urbanization
R/ship b/n agriculture and urbanization
– About five thousands years separate the appearance of
Agri & urbanization both in Mesopotamia and in China.
– This shows the complexity of the conditions that are
required for Urbzn !!
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 Agriculture & Civilization

The appearance of urbanization has historically linked

to the increase of the productivity in agriculture
 To redraw our understanding of the r/ship between
Agri & Urbzn let’s look certain facts
Trade
– The invention of wheel & wagon
– The invention of boat
– Writing
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 Agriculture & Civilization

• The dates of the appearance of cities, wagon, boat, and

writing, coincide and all these innovations were came
from the fertile Crescent of the Black Sea Regions.
• Urbanization developed at that time in only one region,
the Near East where these three innovations took
place.

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 Agriculture & Civilization
• The historical link between the increase in mobility
and urbanization remains incontestable
/undeniable
• The Prerequisite to both Urbzn and Surplus producing
agriculture is
– The possibility to exchange, and the possibility to
exchange directly depends on the means of
oTransportation, transport cost and
oThe existence of efficient markets.
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 Agriculture & Civilization
• So the complementarity b/n cities & countryside suddenly
generates the development of both cities and market-
oriented agriculture.
• Remarkable cities that clarify the links b/n agriculture and
the urban phenomenon.
• These very first cities were named pre-urban and include;
– Catalhoyuk (185 miles SE of Ankara)
– Jericho (town in West Bank in Jordan Valley)
– Jarmo (in Iraq)
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 1. The Fertile Crescent
• The Fertile Crescent
– Is the middle east region stretching across the northern part
of Syrian desert and extending from Nile Valley to Tigris and
Euphrates
– The name of Fertile crescent reflects the early development of
irrigation and urban civilization in the region especially in
Mesopotamia.
– Modern countries= Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey.
– Ancient civilization=
• Assyrian, Babylonian, Mesopotamia, Phoenician, Sumerian etc.

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Fertile Crescent
 The Fertile Crescent…Cont’d
 Mesopotamia- Greek Word= B/n Rivers
• It was one of the earliest civilization center in the area of
modern Iraq and eastern Syria b/n Tigris and Euphrates
River.
– Both Rivers flow south out of Turkey and 400km apart
– The River valleys and plains were open to attacks from the River.
– Mesopotamia’s richness also attracted its poorer neighborhoods
and its history is a pattern of infiltration and invasion.
– Rainfall is sparse in the area, but when irrigated by canals, the
fertile soil yields heavy crops.
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Mesopotamia
 The Fertile Crescent…Cont’d
• The need for self –defense and irrigation led the ancient
Mesopotamia to organize and build canals and walled
settlement
• The settlement grow and became cities
– The oldest settlement in the area is believed to be Eridu,
Erech (Urk) Ur etc
– The settlements were characterized by having mud-brick
temple which are decorated by fine metal work and stone
work.
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 Sumer
• Ancient country of western Asia, corresponding
approximately to Babylonia of the Biblical times.
• The growing administrative needs stimulated the invention
of a form of writing called Cuneiform- writing system in
which a wedge shaped impression were made on soft clay.
• The Sumerian were probably responsible for this early
urban culture, which spread north up the Euphrates .

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 Sumer…Cont’d

• A people known as the Ubadians established settlements

in the region known latter as Sumer.
• These settlements gradually developed into the chief
Sumerian cities namely
– Adab, Isin, Kish, Kullab, Lagash, Lasrsa, Nippur and Ur.
• Art Architecture, crafts, and religions and ethical thoughts
flourished by Sumerian people and Sumerian language
became the prevailing speech of the land.
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 Sumer…Cont’d
• There were a lot of dynasties= invading and conquer
approach
• Sumerian invent chariot-two wheel vehicle
• The city of Ur- it was the largest of the Sumerian
cities and have a population of 25,000?? not
including the suburbs.
• At the center of the Sumerian city, there is usually
stood Ziggurat- Holy Mountain
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ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CITY-STATES

• Always in constant conflict

over water rights and land

• Created walls for protection,

with moats along the outside

• Farms were located along

the outside of the city
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION

• Divided into city-states

• Helped to develop the first form of organized religion

• Created one of the earliest form of writing

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN RELIGION

• Ziggurats: pyramid site of

the temple of the main gods.
– Each city-state had its own
gods and goddesses

– Sun god – most important.

• Life after death was an

extension of life.
Ziggurat – Holy Mountain
Ziggurat – Holy Mountain
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- SUMERIAN WRITING

• Called cuneiform (latin for wedge)

• Written on clay tablets
• Needed for religion, government,
and trade
• Learned in school, by males that
lasted from sunrise to sunset
Cuneiform
The Empires in Mesopotamian civilization
 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
A. Assyrian Empire
• A north Mesopotamia kingdom.
• Assyrian armies defeated and conquered Babylon.
• At its greatest extent the Assyrian Empire Controlled
the middle East from Egypt to Persian Gulf.
• Internal pressure and attack from Iranian Medes and
Chaldean from Babylonia caused Assyria to collapse.

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Assyrians
• Chariots used
• First Cavalry
 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
B. The Persian Empire

• Built on the foundation laid by the Assyrians and

ruled with administrative skill that only Roman
Empire would surpass in ancient times.
 A great highway was constructed to run across the empire
from the capital Susa to Sardin of Lydia. 1000miles
distance

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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
C. Babylon
 The Kingdom of Babylon
 Hammurabi as a king
– He was a king who ruled Babylonia
– Under his rule the city of Babylon which had been an unimportant
city, became the capital of a large Empire.
– He defeated the neighboring kingdom and unified an empire that
extend northward from Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
• Historians consider Babylonian history to have began with
Hammurabi.
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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization

The Kingdom of Babylon

Hammurabi as a Ruler
• Hammurabi was an active and capable administrator
• He devoted his energies to protecting the frontiers of his empire
and improving its prosperity.
• Main concerns of his government was
– National defense
– The administration of justice
– The direction of agricultural production
– The collection of taxes
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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization

The Kingdom of Babylon

Hammurabi as a Ruler
• He has carried out many instructions. For example, he
provided details on the cleaning of the irrigation canals.
• He also supervised the building of many temples and other
buildings.

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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization

The Kingdom of Babylon

Hammurabi as a Ruler
• The basic principle behind criminal law was equal
retaliation
– “If a man destroys the eye of another man, they
shall destroy his eyes”
– As old testament “eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth”

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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
The Kingdom of Babylon
Hammurabi as Law-Giver
• He primarily remembered for his codification of the laws
governing Babylonian life known as code of Hammurabi.
• The several sections of the code contain laws relating to
personal property, real estate, trade, business relations, the
family, labor and personal injuries.

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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
Code of Hammurabi
• A copy of the code was found by a team of French
archeologists in 1901-02.
• The code was engraved on a block of black basalt that
is 2.25m in height.
• The block, broken in three pieces and has been
restored and is now in Louvre in Paris (National art &
museum)

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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
Code of Hammurabi
Composition of Hammurabi’s code
– It was assumed that the code has the divine origin in
which the king depicted receiving the code from the sun
god Shamash (a god that has the quality of justice)
– E.g.. Of urban regulation
• If a wall of a blg. Should fall and kill the son of the
occupants, the life of the builders’ son would be
sacrificed.
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Babylonians
• Chief god: Marduk
– Prayed for good harvest
and success in business.

• King Hammurabi
• Hammurabi’s Code
– Earliest code of law
– Based on equal
retaliation.
 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
 Structure of the City of Babylon
• It was fortified (walled) for defensive purpose
• Ruled by a city state
• Herodotus who visited the town in 450 BC
– Made an exact square of 14 miles each way
– Broad and deep moat full of water
– Immense brick walls and 100 gates
– Monumental gates
– Hanging gardens of nebuchadnezzar's palace
– Narrow streets lined with 3-4 story dwellings of the ordinary people.

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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
D. The Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonian)
• Babylon was the capital and well known as a center of
luxury and wealth.
• King Nebuchadnezzar built lavish temples and the
terraced roof garden known as the Hanging Gardens- which
is considered as one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world.

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 The Empire in Mesopotamian civilization
• The Hanging Garden of
Babylon • The Canopy Tower
 Concluding Remarks
• In general, these ancient cities were constantly subject to
attack that they were walled. Thus the population was
highly concentrated that results in CONGESTION.
• This high density pressure within a restricted area resulted
in legal restrictions regarding
– Private property rights, protected public ways= this can
be considered as introduction of property mgt and legal
frameworks

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 Concluding Remarks
• Moreover the elite (the aristocrats, gov’t officials,
clergy and the wealthy) lived in the center of ancient
cities, whereas the poor were made crowded together
outside the city walls. This implies for the current
zoning principles.

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 Concluding Remarks
Dubrovnik, Croatia Brielle, Netherlands

Binche, Belgium Harar, Ethiopia

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 2. The Indus Valley Civilization
Introduction
• Sometimes called the Harappan's Civilization.
• Harappa city was the first to be discovered in Indus valley
civilization.
• But Harappa and Mohenjo Daro are the two prominent towns.
• This civilization was considered as the largest of the four
ancient civilization.
• But the least was known about this civilization because the
Indus script not yet been translated.
 The Indus Valley…Cont’d
• In General the Indus civilization is Mysterious due to the
above mentioned reason.
• The two cities were sophisticated enough to have brick
walls surrounding them. Why?? For Flooding protection
from Indus River.
 Economy
• Just like other River Valley civilization, the Indus River
people were mostly farmers.
• Their traditional economy- trade with Chinese and
Sumerians
 The Indus Valley…Cont’d
 Urban Planning
• Harappa grew into an immense economic center as people
started living together and advanced in irrigation technology.
• The city was laid out in a grid like pattern
• The city has many drinking water wells, & highly sophisticated
system of water removal.
• All Harappa houses were equipped with latrines, bathing
houses.
• The site layout and street patterns were similar through out
the Indus Regions.
• The bricks used to build were all uniform in size.
 The Indus Valley…Cont’d
 Disappearance of Mohenjo Daro And Harappa
Civilization
– B/n 1800 & 1700 BC civilization in Indus plain vanished
– But what happen to these people is unknown.
– The suspected causes include:
• A shift in Indus River Valley/ River Direction/
• People might dammed the water along the lower portion of
the River (Siltation= layer of silt)
• A decline in the rainfall= agricultural decline= people
abandoned the cities in search of food.
 3. Ancient China
 As all the other civilization, Chinese civilization began
within a major River Valley (Along the Yellow River).
Thus, sometimes called Yellow River Civilization.
 Modern China- is huge geographical area having an
infinite number of ethnic groups and language.
 However Chinese history is part of the most dominated
single ethnic groups and language.
 3. Ancient China Cont’d
 Economy
– Chinese invented silk -from silk worm
– Silk was exotic and expensive, so it was good for trading with the
rest of the world.
– Most agricultural practices were taken on the Yellow River Basin
(Rice is the most cultivated crop)
– Chinese were also renown for research in Astronomy.

• The great wall of China-was built to keep the Mongols out

• Many died building it and their bodies were used as filler for it.
 Ancient China Cont’d
Political
• China was ruled by Dynasty

• Every dynasty goes through the so-called Dynasty-Cycle.

– A new ruler unifies china and found a new dynasty

– China under the new dynasty achieves prosperity= Golden Age.

– Then the royal family of the dynasty-begins to decay-due to

corruption

– The dynasty loses the mandate of heaven and overthrown by

Rebellion.
 Ancient China Cont’d

Dynasty is founded
a powerful leader

Period of rebellion Period of great

dynasty overthrown power and
Prosperity

Period of Decline
 Ancient China Cont’d
 The famous of the China’s
wall is the one built 220–
206 BC by Qin Shi Huang,
the first Emperor of China.
 Little of that wall remains.

 The Great Wall has been

rebuilt, maintained, and
enhanced; the majority of
the existing wall is from the
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).

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