Southwest Asia

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Mesopotamian Civilization

• Southwest Asia
• (3500 BC 331 BC)
• The Fertile Crescent between Persian Gulf and
  Mediterranean-
• Watered by Jordan River, Tigris and Euphrates

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What are some key characteristics of
civilization?

• Development of cities
• Government Religious Institutions
• Division of labor or specialized workers
• System of writing/record-keeping
• Advanced technology
• Art

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Sumerian Art
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Sumer

• First real civilization (began 3,100 B.C.)
• Located in Mesopotamia within the Fertile
  Crescent
• Self governing
• city-states with
• shared culture

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(No Transcript)
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5 Characteristics

• Cities
• - by 3000BC 12 or more with populations
• of 10,000 or more (Ur, Uruk etc.)
• Trade and Specialization
• - scribes, artisans, merchants, teachers,
• priests, warriors
• - food surplus
• - taxes

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Characteristics (continued)

• 3) Writing cuneiform wedge shaped
• on clay tablets
• 4) Advanced technology wheel, plow,
• sail boat, number system (base 60), and
  bronze (2800 B.C.-700 B.C.)
• 5) Complex institutions (long lasting patterns
• of organization)
• - government laws and officials, defense,
• irrigation
• - organized religion- large ziggurats with
  priests

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Cuneiform
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Sumerian Ziggurats
Mesopotamian Ziggurat at Ur, c. 2100 B.C.
Artists Recreation of a ziggurat
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Akkadians Take Control

• 2350 B.C.- Sargon (King of Akkad) conquers the
  city-states of Sumer. Worlds first empire
  established.
• Empire lasted about 200 yrs.

Sargon I
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Akkadian Empire
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Amorite Invaders

• 2000 B.C. People called the Amorites invaded
  Mesopotamia
• (Old) Babylonian Empire established
• Most famous King Hammurabi
• Hammurabis Code Ham. issued a standard code of
  282 laws engraved on stone tablets (why
  significant?)

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The Code of Hammurabi