Intro to River Valley Civilizations
Mesopotamia
Tigris Euphrates River Valley
The Tigris Euphrates river valley(MESOPOTAMIA) are known to be the Ancient Middle East. It is made up of 2 main rivers called the Euphrates river and the Tigris river. These rivers make a moon shaped fertile land called the fertile crescent. It is called this because it is in the shape of a moon's crescent and is a very good piece of fertile land for farming and growing goods. Mesopotamia is made up of many different parts of countries such as Egypt, Palestine, Persia and Jordan. It is now present day Iraq. Other bodies of water near ancient Mesopotamia is Persian Gulf, Mediterranean sea black sea and Caspian sea.
Tigris Euphrates River Valley
The Tigris Euphrates river valley(MESOPOTAMIA) are known to be the Ancient Middle East. It is made up of 2 main rivers called the Euphrates river and the Tigris river. These rivers make a moon shaped fertile land called the fertile crescent. It is called this because it is in the shape of a moon's crescent and is a very good piece of fertile land for farming and growing goods. Mesopotamia is made up of many different parts of countries such as Egypt, Palestine, Persia and Jordan. It is now present day Iraq. Other bodies of water near ancient Mesopotamia is Persian Gulf, Mediterranean sea black sea and Caspian sea.
For More Reading on Mesopotamia go to these websites :)
The Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent is located in between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea in a dry region. This region lies in an arc/curve shaped land. It is as well the best farming land.!
The Disadvantages and Advantages of the Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia's Location
Some solutions to these Disadvantages....
Don't think that the Sumerians let this pass them. They manged and made up ideas that are still used all over the world.
Don't think that the Sumerians let this pass them. They manged and made up ideas that are still used all over the world.
- For water the Sumerians made a ditch in the ground as well as an irrigation system where they can send water to other places.
- For defense they built mud walls, with mud this protected them from invaders and water at times
- The made more leaders in charge
- For supplies they traded with others to get what they need.
The Life of a Sumerian :)
What are Sumerians?
People who lived in Mesopotamia were called Sumerians. Sumerians were short people who had black hair. Sumerians were divided in classes.
1.PRIEST AND KINGS
2.WEALTHY MERCHANTS
3.ORDINARY FOLKS
4.WOMEN
5.SLAVES
People who lived in Mesopotamia were called Sumerians. Sumerians were short people who had black hair. Sumerians were divided in classes.
1.PRIEST AND KINGS
2.WEALTHY MERCHANTS
3.ORDINARY FOLKS
4.WOMEN
5.SLAVES
Sumerians culture
-Sumerian men wore wool skirts while women wore long dresses that were over one shoulder. Men had beards while women had braids.
-Sumerians wrote in cuneiform. A writing using symbols,lines and shapes on a clay tablet.
-When a women is married her parent would choose her spouse
-Women were able to own property.
-Sumerian's homes where made of mud and stone.
-If you were rich you can own lots of land and have carpets and furniture
Religion
-All Sumerians were polytheistic meaning they believed in more then one god.
-Sumerians prayed in Ziggurats. Only the rich owned them.
-Religion tied Sumerians together. They would all unite and pray in the Ziggurat
+THEY BELIEVED IN ABOUT 3,000 GODS+ OH MY GODS :P
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-Sumerian men wore wool skirts while women wore long dresses that were over one shoulder. Men had beards while women had braids.
-Sumerians wrote in cuneiform. A writing using symbols,lines and shapes on a clay tablet.
-When a women is married her parent would choose her spouse
-Women were able to own property.
-Sumerian's homes where made of mud and stone.
-If you were rich you can own lots of land and have carpets and furniture
Religion
-All Sumerians were polytheistic meaning they believed in more then one god.
-Sumerians prayed in Ziggurats. Only the rich owned them.
-Religion tied Sumerians together. They would all unite and pray in the Ziggurat
+THEY BELIEVED IN ABOUT 3,000 GODS+ OH MY GODS :P
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Some inventions made by the Sumerians....
- Invented the wheel -Pyramid shaped ziggurat
- Sail -Writing system called cuneiform
- Plow -Use of bronze to make tools
- Arches -Math system
Some vocabulary to know.......
1. Cultural Diffusion: The process of a new idea or a product spreading from one culture to another
2. Pharaohs: A title of an ancient Egyptian king
3. Fertile Crescent: An agricultural region around the Middle East
4. Mesopotamia: An ancient region in west Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates river
1. Cultural Diffusion: The process of a new idea or a product spreading from one culture to another
2. Pharaohs: A title of an ancient Egyptian king
3. Fertile Crescent: An agricultural region around the Middle East
4. Mesopotamia: An ancient region in west Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates river
Sumerian government and Myth
-Sumerians were influenced by myths
-One famous won was Gilgamesh
-He was the king of Urak land,was wild,is a demi good,had super strength and had a son named Urlaguk
Hammurabi Code
-Sumerians followed a code called Hammurabi code.
-Hammurabi's code consisted of 282 laws based on justice and retaliation meaning(AN EYE FOR AN EYE)
-The code had different punishments for the various levels of society
EX-IF A MAN LOOKS AT ANOTHER WOMEN, HIS EYE IS BURNED.
EX-IF A MAN STEALS,HIS HAND IS CUT
-Sumerians were influenced by myths
-One famous won was Gilgamesh
-He was the king of Urak land,was wild,is a demi good,had super strength and had a son named Urlaguk
Hammurabi Code
-Sumerians followed a code called Hammurabi code.
-Hammurabi's code consisted of 282 laws based on justice and retaliation meaning(AN EYE FOR AN EYE)
-The code had different punishments for the various levels of society
EX-IF A MAN LOOKS AT ANOTHER WOMEN, HIS EYE IS BURNED.
EX-IF A MAN STEALS,HIS HAND IS CUT
A selection from the code of Hammurabi
A Selection from the Code of Hammurabi
- If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judge's bench, and never again shall he sit there to render judgment.
- If any one owe a debt for a loan, and a storm prostrates the grain, or the harvest fail, or the grain does not grow for lack of water; in that year he need not give his creditor any grain, he washes his debt-tablet in water and pays no rent for this year.
- If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded, then shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for money, and the money shall replace the corn which he has caused to be ruined.
- If any one give another silver, gold, or anything else to keep, he shall show everything to some witness, draw up a contract, and then hand it over for safe keeping.
- If any one place his property with another for safe keeping, and there, either through thieves or robbers, his property and the property of the other man be lost, the owner of the house, through whose neglect the loss took place, shall compensate the owner for all that was given to him in charge. But the owner of the house shall try to follow up and recover his property, and take it away from the thief.
- If a man wish to put his son out of his house, and declare before the judge: "I want to put my son out," then the judge shall examine into his reasons. If the son be guilty of no great fault, for which he can be rightfully put out, the father shall not put him out.
- If a man take a wife, and she be seized by disease, if he then desire to take a second wife he shall not put away his wife, who has been attacked by disease, but he shall keep her in the house which he has built and support her so long as she lives.
- If a builder build a house for some one, even though he has not yet completed it; if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the walls solid from his own means.
- If a builder build a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
Some Vocabulary
Cultural Diffusion-The process of new ideas or product spreading one culture to another.
Polytheism-The belief of many gods
Ziggurt-Temple where Sumerians pray in.
Polytheism-The belief of many gods
Ziggurt-Temple where Sumerians pray in.