Mesopotamia Lecture Notes

Mesopotamia - Geography

Standard 6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush, in terms of:

1. The location and description of the river systems, and physical settings that support permanent settlement and early civilizations.



Why is Mesopotamia called Mesopotamia and what else is it called?

Meso = middle
To north = mountains
To east = mountains
To south = Persian Gulf
To west = desert
Also known as the "Fertile Crescent"

Where is Mesopotamia located?

Parts of the modern countries of Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Iran
Covers the river valleys of the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers (rivers too shallow for large boats
Traditional Garden of Eden

What is the geography of Mesopotamia like?

600miles long
Hot, dry, doesn't rain
Alluvial valley = broad, flat, no internal barriers
Highest points are the buildings in the cities
Benefits = annual yet unpredictable flooding renews soil's fertility
Unpredictable because based on snow melt, not rain (little vs. lots of snow, fast melt vs. slow melt)
Challenges = flooding a constant threat, disastrous to cities & farms, leads to starvation
Few internal barriers lead to constant warfare for good farmland and water
Drought prone, relied on irrigation, little rain, water from distant mountains
Salinization = irrigated land leaches salt to surface, makes soil useless

How did the Mesopotamian people respond to their geography?

Sedentary villages become cities
Collective action needed to build dams, irrigation canals, walled cities
Excess food let some people do jobs other than raising food = professionals
Craftspeople, military, priesthood, education
Elsewhere, people had to move often, this set civilization's development back or slowed it


Mesopotamia - Economy


Why do we study the Mesopotamian economy?

Mesopotamia is where agriculture (farming) first started in the entire world

How did agriculture change how people lived?

Originally nomadic (wandering0) hunters and gatherers with low populations and no spare time
With farming: time outside growing season used for socializing, inventing, building
Food surplus led to division of labor - stoneworkers, potters, weavers, leather, metal, merchants
Staying in one area makes building worthwhile
Need organizational skills for collectively building irrigation systems
Desirable land and water makes them subject of attack by neighbors and nomads
Excess food traded for imported goods, trade routes set up, ideas traded also
Copper, tin, wood, salt, gems, weapons, armor
Marketplaces make trade easier


Who controlled the Mesopotamian economy?

Temples and palaces had the organization
Donations to churches and taxes to king made them rulers
Control and building of city-states

What technologies helped Mesopotamia te the area?

Wheel - wheeled carts - pulled by domesticated animals that could pull heavy loads of construction materials

Writing - about 3200 BCE
First to keep t of possessions, temple donations, taxes, buying & selling
Spread throughout region
Cuneiform (cuni = wedge)

Coins - easier to transport
Had a value other than the value of the metal
First in Lydia


Mesopotamia - Political System



How were people organized in Mesopotamia from the very early times?

4000 - 23-00BC farmers always needed irrigation so cooperation & community required building canals
Farmers liked living in cities for protection from nomads & thieves
Loose confederation of city/states, each about 100 square miles
Originally small group of leaders
Built temples, palaces, & market places
Priests and royalty controlled the money


As cities grew, how did the political system change?

2700 - 2500 BC great cities of Sumer, Lagash and Ur grew until territories overlapped
Led to wars over land, water, slaves, food, metals, trade goods
New war technology = 2-wheeled chariots pulled by horses
Entire populations killed or put into slavery
War winners completely destroyed losing cities, pulling down walls,
Led to great kings

Who were some of the Great Kings of this time?

Gilgamesh = Sumerian king, 1/3 man, 2/3 god
"He who knew everything", hero
written about in epic poem

Hammurabi = 6th king of Babylon
Great leader,
Power independent of priesthood & temple
Promoted trade, built canals, reorganized tax system
Pulled various laws together and published "Hammurabi's Code"
Purpose of code was "to cause justice to prevail… to destroy the wicked…to further welfare of people"


What came after the Great Kings?

1100-612 BC Assyrians = militaristic society since constant warfare
Eventually weakened by internal revolts + war with outsiders,
Invaded by others

612 - 538 BC = New Babylonia (Chaldeans) king Nebuchadnesser
Destroys Temple of Solomon and puts Jew into slavery


Mesopotamia - Social Structure



What were the social classes?

King
Priests
Palace officials
Free people dependent on nobility
Commoners = free citizens, protected by law
Slaves (prisoners of war, criminals, debtors), not enslaved for life



What did household look like?

Men had absolute power over households
Women had few rights
Women were protected by their dowry
Sickness caused by evil spirits, cured by magic



What was school like for Mesopotamian children?

Only rich went to school
Usually only the boys
Learned to write cuniform (wedge) alphabet on clay tablets with stylus
Memorized 600+ symbols
Learned writing, math, botany, linguistics,



What were some inventions from this time period (4,000 PC - 500 BC)?

Writing
Mathematics used base 60 system
Developed place value, unlike Roman numerals
Time = 60 seconds/60 minutes/24 hours
Calendar = 7 day weeks, 30 day months/12 months
Degrees = 360 degrees/60 minutes/60 seconds
Seasons = Zodiac
Square roots





Mesopotamia - Religion


What was the religion like during the time of the Sumerians?

4000 - 2300 BC

Many gods divided into warring factions struggling to control Earth
god of wind, god of rain,… storms, water, wisdom
gods worshipped because they were powerful
People needed to please and calm the gods
Supplied gods with food sacrifices at the temples


What were early temples like?

Ziggurat = stepped mound
Steps to heaven
Mud-brick temples
Shrine at top
Largest building in city
Center of city activity
Built to honor gods


What religion came later?

About 500 BC
Zoroastrians
Monotheistic
God wants to enlist the goodness of humans to struggle against evil
Life judged by action (good vs. bad)
All get to heaven eventually


Where to we read about Sumerian religion these days?

Bible story of the Good Samaritan
Helped a man at the side of the road when the Jewish priests just walked on by

4. The significance of Hammurabi's Code


What did H. do?

Pulled together traditions and laws that were shared by many Mesopotamian people


When was H's Code written?

About 1750 BC
1,000 years before Ten Commandments by Moses


Why did he write them down?

Needed because of complexity of urban setting dependent on rural farmers
H's code not the only one, best known since it survived almost complete


Why is it important?

Considered first written laws
Influence much of ancient world by spreading along trade routes

What were the distinctive features of H's Code?

1. Administration of just ice is unequal
Social class determines punishment
Recognized three classes: rulers, free, slaves

2. Law of retaliation
Reciprocal punishment
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

3. Administration of justice was semi-private
Individuals and families responsible for enforcing the code
Now in USA, government enforces the criminal codes, State vs. Jones