Mesopotamia - The Land

Between Two Rivers

Mesopotamia was a place where many cities began to grow. As
its name suggests, Mesopotamia was located between two
rivers. The two rivers were the Tigris River and the Euphrates
River.

Mesopotamia was located in the Middle East, and surrounded

by desert. People came to Mesopotamia because the soil
between the two rivers was very fertile.
USA

Mesopotamia was
located in the
Middle East.
Mesopotamia
was located in
what is now the
country of Iraq.
Mesopotamia was part of a larger region called the Fertile Crescent.
This area, that stretched from the eastern edge of the Mediterranean
Sea down to the Persian Gulf, had fertile soil and was where many
civilizations started. The shape is somewhat similar to a crescent
(think of a crescent roll, or a crescent-shaped moon).
 The Cradle of Civilization
Mesopotamia is located in the Middle East, which is located
in Southwest Asia. As we’ve discussed before, the first
civilizations and examples of writing were found in
Southwest Asia. These things began in Mesopotamia.

When a newborn baby begins life, he or she is placed in a

cradle. Mesopotamia is called the cradle of civilization
because the first civilizations began there, about 5,500 years
ago in 3500 B.C.
 Sumer
The first major civilization in Mesopotamia
was in a region called Sumer.
City-States Formed Along the Rivers
Many city-states formed
along the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers in
Mesopotamia. They each
had their own form of
government, and the people
worshipped different gods
and goddesses. Eventually,
they each had their own
kings. The region where the
two rivers meet was called
Sumer. The people who
lived in the Sumer region
were called Sumerians.
 Why Did These Cities Develop?
Due to the fertile soil in As cities began to develop, people
Mesopotamia, farming was began to worry about others who
very successful. In fact, might come and invade their city.
people were able to create They wanted to protect themselves
surpluses of food. This from enemies, so people in
meant that some people Mesopotamia built walls around
could stop farming and their cities.
begin doing other things,
like building a city.
 A Sumerian City
Sumerian city
streets were so
narrow that you
could hardly get a
cart through them. Narrow Streets

Sumerian houses
faced away from
crowded streets.
Instead, they faced
onto courtyards
where families ate
and children played. Courtyard Area
 Sumerian Cities
On hot nights, Sumerians had a form of light
people slept at night. They burned oil
outdoors on the top lamps.
of their house’s flat
roof.
Sumerians even had plumbing!
Clay pipes that were buried
underground carried their waste
away. Inventions like plumbing
wouldn’t come around for
another thousand years in other
parts of the world!
 City-states
• Each Sumerian city and the land around it
became a separate city-state.
• Each city-state had its own _____________
• Each city-state had its own
__________(protected over the city-state)
• Each city-state believed in
__________________ (polytheism)
• At the center of the city-state was the
____________________
 City-states
• Each Sumerian city and the land around it
became a separate city-state.
• Each city-state had its own government
and was not part of any larger unit.
• Each city-state had its own god (protected
over the city-state)
• Each city-state believed in many gods
(polytheism)
• At the center of the city-state was the
ziggurat (temple).
 Writing

• The most important

invention of the
Sumerians was
writing.
• The writing of the
Sumerians was
called cuneiform.
 Sumerians
Writing first began in Sumerian
cities. The first schools were set
up in Sumer over 4,000 years
ago. Sumerian schools taught
boys the new invention of
writing. Those who graduated
became professional writers
called scribes. Scribes were the
only people who could keep
Remember, Sumer is the records for the kings and priests.
region where the Tigris Boys that wanted to be scribes
and Euphrates Rivers had to attend school from the
meet. age of 8 to the age of 20.
 Sumerian Writing
Scribes used a sharp point called a stylus to etch words
into clay tablets. These tablets have been discovered by
archaeologists and looked at by historians.
Cuneiform alphabet
 Sumerian Religion
Sumerians
worshipped
many gods, not
just one. This
belief in many
gods is called
polytheism.
“Poly” means
many and
The picture above shows a ziggurat.
“Theism”
Ziggurats were the main temples used to
means gods.
worship the gods of a city. Ziggurats were
built in the center of the city. They had steps
and ramps, and it was believed that the gods
descended to the Earth using the ziggurat as a
ladder.
 Sumerian Mythology

Sumerian myths, or stories, explained people’s

beliefs. Sumerians believed that a person must keep
the gods happy by going to the ziggurat and praying
to them. They believed that the gods would reward
them for good service. They also believed that the
gods would punish the people who made them angry.

ziggurat Gods
 Sumerian ideas about kingship would later have a
huge impact on later civilizations.

★ Each city-state was believed to be under the protection of a

particular god who looked after them.

★ Sumerians believed that the kings were chosen by gods to

carry out the gods’ wishes.
ziggurat
★ The also believed that the right to rule was god given. The
Sumerians were the first to practice this. (Divine Kingship)

★ They also believed that the right to rule could be passed

down from father to son. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axVubWiGUMM&t=176s
 The world’s first great civilization
was called Sumer. Sadly, it was also
the first great civilization to be
conquered.

Use your questioning strategy to learn

more information about this statement!
(Remember your 5 W’s!)
 The Downfall of the Sumerians

Each of the Sumerian city-states

had a ruler, and these city-states
began fighting each other. They
fought over land and the use of
river water. Since the Sumerians
were constantly at war with each
other, they became weak. By
around 2300 BC, Sumer was so
weakened that a King from
Northern Mesopotamia came
down to Southern Mesopotamia
and united all of Mesopotamia
under one single ruler.
 The World’s First Empire
Emerges
★ The Sumerian people lost their city-states to the Akkadians who were from the
north.

★ The king of the Akkadians was Sargon.

★ Sargon conquered all of Mesopotamia around 2340 B.C. and created the
world’s FIRST EMPIRE!

★
ziggurat
EMPIRE: a group of many different lands under one ruler

★ Sargon passed his empire on to his son. A ruling family is known as a dynasty.

★ After 200 years, Sargon’s empire fell to a new group of people who created
Babylon.
★ From 1793 B.C. to 1750 B.C. Hammurabi was the king of Babylon.
 The World’s First Empire
Emerges
★ The Sumerian people lost their city-states to the ______________ who were
from the _________________.

★ The king of the Akkadians was __________________.

★ Sargon conquered all of Mesopotamia around 2340 B.C. and created the
world’s FIRST ___________________!

ziggurat
★ _____________: a group of many different lands under one ruler
★ Sargon passed his empire on to his son. A ruling family is known as a
__________________

★ After 200 years, Sargon’s empire fell to a new group of people who created
Babylon.
★ From 1793 B.C. to 1750 B.C. Hammurabi was the king of Babylon.
 Imagine a world without any laws. What do you
think would happen?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDALXORbtR4

ziggurat
 Imagine a world without any laws. What do you
think would happen?

WHY DO SOCIETIES HAVE LAWS IN PLACE?

On your post-it, jot down one example of a law that someone has
broken. What would happen if there was no
punishment/consequence for that crime?

Example: TRESPASSING
If there were no laws stopping people from coming into someone’s
ziggurat
home without being invited, what would happen?
 At each station, brainstorm as many laws/rules you
can think of relating to that element of society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDALXORbtR4

Home
example:

School
example:
ziggurat

Community
example: