Mesopotamia

City-States

Geography of the Fertile Crescent

Geography • Arc of land that provided good farming • Located in SW Asia • Mesopotamia “land between rivers” in the Persian gulf and Med. Sea • Rivers: Tigris and Euphrates

• Every year the rivers flooded the land, and then receded leaving a thick mud called silt.

• Soil was rich for farming and grew large quantities of wheat and barley.

• Villages grew

Environmental Challenges

• • Sumerians- 1 st to settle in Mesopotamia

3 challenges

1. Unpredictable flooding/drought 2. No natural barriers for protection 3. Limited natural resources

Solving Problems • Dug irrigation ditches • Built city walls with mud bricks • Traded goods for more raw materials •

These projects led to an organized gov’t in Sumeria

City- States

: a city and surrounding country side with its own gov’t • Each city-state acted like its own mini country • All city-states shared in the Sumerian culture

Priests and rulers share control • Governments ruled by Priests • In time of war-a tough fighter would command the army.

• • A commanders power ended after the war • Over time…priests gave commanders permanent control and become full time leaders

Dynasty:

series of rulers from 1 family

Sumerian Culture • Polytheism: belief in many gods • Gods were immortal and all powerful • People worked hard to earn protection

Life • Kings landlords __________________________________ • Wealthy Merchants __________________________________ • Farmers, Artisans ___________________________________ • Slaves

Science and Technology • Used arithmetic and geometry • Arches, ramps, wheel, sailboats • Created a writing system cuneiform