Mesopotamia

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The Ancient Middle East
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1. Mesopotamia "Land Between the Two Rivers"
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Indo-European Migrations 4m-2m BCE
The Middle East The Crossroads of Three
Continents
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The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area
The Middle East The Cradle of Civilization
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Sumerians
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Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic
Enki water or life
Innana - heaven
Anthropomorphic (having human characteristics)
Gods
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Mesopotamian Trade
The Cuneiform World
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Cuneiform Wedge-Shaped Writing
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Cuneiform Writing
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Deciphering Cuneiform
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Sumerian Scribes
Tablet House
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Sumerian Cylinder Seals
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• Cuneiform deciphered by Sir Henry Creswicke
  Rawlinson in 1838 using carving on Behistun Rock
  by Darius I

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Gilgamesh
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Gilgamesh Epic TabletFlood Story
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Ziggurat at Ur

• Temple
• Mountain of the Gods

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The Royal Standard of Ur
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Mesopotamian Harp
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Board Game From Ur
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Sophisticated Metallurgy Skillsat Ur
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Dates 3000 to 2000 BCE

• Sumerian achievements also include
• The wheel
• The arch
• A number system based on 60
• A calendar not accurate
• Govt. was a city-state with each city controlling
  the surrounding land each city-state had its
  own king
• By 2500 BCE began to decline

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Sargon of AkkadThe Worlds First Empire
Akkadians
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The Babylonian Empires
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Hammurabis r. 1792-1750 B. C. E. Code
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Hammurabi, the Judge
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Babylonian Math
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Babylonian Numbers
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Babylonians
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Babylonians

• Dates 1800 1600 BCE
• Important Ruler Hammurabi
• By 1763 BCE Hammurabis kingdom stretched from
  northern Mesopotamia to the Persian Gulf.

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• Important accomplishment Hammurabis Code
  (Laws)
• Code was very much an eye for an eye
• Poor people were punished more severely than the
  rich
• Defined the position of women in Babylonian
  society and established marriage, divorce and
  adoption laws.

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• Beginning in 1600 BCE and continuing for several
  centuries, the region of Mesopotamia was
  conquered by a succession of invading armies.
• HITTITES attacked 1530 BCE and reached peak of
  power _at_1300 BCE.
• First to use Iron weapons and introduced the use
  of horses in warfare.

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