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I.the Impact of Geography A. Fertile Crescent- an arch of land from the Mediterranean sea to the Persian gulf B. Farming in ancient Mesopotamia 1. could be done only when people controlled the flow of the rivers 2. Irrigation and drainage ditches a. part of a large-scale of water controls b. made it possible to grow crops on a regular basis C. The abundance of food and water enabled large numbers of people to live together in cities D. Ancient Mesopotamia 3 general areas include Assyria, Akkad, and Sumer E. Sumerians- the first creators of Mesopotamia civilization II. The City-states of Ancient Mesopotamia A. Sumerian people- established a number of independent cities in southern Mesopotamia that included Eridu, UR, and Uruk B. city-states- the basic units of Sumerian civilization 1. surrounded by walls 2. made of sun-dried brick 3. invention of the arch and dome C. Ziggurate- a massive step tower built like a temple D. Theocracy- a government by divine authority E. The invention of the wheel around 3000 B.C. G. Sumerian City- states contained 3 major socials groups 1. nobles- included royal and priestly officials and their families 2. commoners- worked for places and temple estates and as farmers, merchants, fishers, and craftspeople 3. slaves- belonged to place officials, and also used as rich landowners III. Empires in Ancient Mesopotamia A. city-states fought city-states for control of land and water B. Akkadians- to the north of the Sumerian city-states, and called the Semitic people C. Sargon- leader of the Akkadians 1. overran the Sumerian city-states 2. set up the first empire in world history D Empire- is a large political unit or state 1. usually under a single leader that controls many people and territories 2. often easy to create but maintain 3. rise and fall is the most important part of history E. Hammurabi- creator of Babylon 1. death came in 1750 B.C. IV. The Code of Hammurabi A. remembered for his code- a collection of 282 laws that was based on a system of Justice 1. severe penalties for criminal offenses 2. different social classes not treated the same under the law 3. officials held strictly accountable for enforcing laws 4. consumers protected against shoddy workmanship 5. regulated marriage 6. patriarchal society ( dominated by men) 7. women had few rights and privileges 8. obedience V. the impact of religion A. The physical environment strongly affected the way Mesopotamian's viewed the world B.. Ferocious floods, heavy downpours, scorching winds, and oppressive humidity were all part of the Mesopotamian climate C.The Mesopotamian s identified almost 3,000 gods and goddesses 1. their religion was polytheistic- belief in many gods E. Human Beings obeyed and served the gods 1.created to do the manual labor that the gods were unwilling to do for themselves under sumerian beliefs 2. inferior to gods because they did not know if they were going to help or hurt them VI. The Creativity of the __**sumerians**__ A. invented the oldest wring system in the world called __**cuneiform**__ (wedge-shaped) 1. dates from about 300 B.C. 2. made on clay tablets 3. used in schools to train tribes ( members of the learned class who served as copyists, teachers, and jurists) B. **//The Epic of Gilgamesi//**- a Mesopotamian epic poem of literature C. Sumerian Technology 1. developed the wagon wheel- helps transport people and goods from place to place 2. the pottery wheel- shaped containers, the sundial (to keep time) and the arch (used in construction) 3. geometry- used to measure fields and erect buildings 4. a math system based on the units of 60.
 * __ chapter 2.1 outline __**