MESOPOTAMIA

( Iraq, today)
-Cradle of Civilization
-Land between two rivers- Tigres-Euphrates river system
- it was in western Asia, the area around Iraq, were the first
developed civilization appeared
Why do Cave man have no cavities?
Bronze Age of Mesopotamia
the world
a. Sumer
b. Akkadian
Nile)
c. Babylonia
d. Assyria

4 Important Civilization in

1. Mesopotamia Tigres-Euph
2. Egypt - Nile River (Gift of the
3. India -

Indus Valley
4. China - Yellow River

Iron Age was controlled

a. Neo-Babylonia
b. Neo-Assyria
Dominated Mesopotamia
a. Sumerian
b. Akkadian
c. Assyrian
d. Babylonian
e. Persia

Important Leaders
King Ur
Sargon
Ashuruballi and Tiglah-Pileser
Hammurabi
King Cyrus

The Iron Age, it was controlled by the Neo- Assyrian and NeoBabylonian Empires. The Babylonia fell of Babylon in 539 BC to

Alexander, the Great in 332 BC and after his death, it became

part of the Greek Seleucid Empire

4 Important cities of Mesopotamia Major Territorial States

1. Uruk
2. Nippur
3. Nineveh
4. Assur
Empire

1. Eridu
2. Akkadian Kingdom
3. Third Dynasty of Ur
4. Various Assyrian

Why Mesopotapia
Perish?
1. Calamities
2. Flood
3. Wild animals
4. Invasion
A.
History starts in
Sumer
It was the first and most important civilization in
Mesopotamia
The crucial elements the sets the Sumer apart from their
nomadic neighbors was the practice of irrigation and farming
Soon villages sprang up, with larger scale, planned irrigation
projects
Made great amount of surplus food
They traded with items that they do not have such as
copper, jewelry and weapons
Trade stimulated the formation of cities
This was the first place on earth where everyone did not
need to be engage in getting or producing food

 Merchants , traders and artisans, those with skills, and

creative works lived in the cities of Sumer
They traded or made goods in exchange for surplus food
produced in the country side
Some men formed armies to protect their cities and expand
the territories
Around every Sumerian city stood huge walls made of mud
and brick, to protect the city from attack
Sumer lasted for about 3,000-2,000BC. It collapsed because
of frequent wars
Most prominent building temple or the ziggurat
(mountain of God)
They believe that the place is owned by the gods and the
goddess
Southern Mesopotamia
Priests and priestesses played an important role in
administration, making the state a theocracy (government
by a divine authority)
Their economy, primarily agricultural, but there is also
commerce and industry
Foreign trade are for royal monopoly.they imported luxury
items
They invented the wheel
They established laws for peace and order
The constant wars, left many Sumerians in deep despair. It
became open to invasion.

B.

Akkadians

 They are called the Semitic people because of the type of

language they spoke
Sargon, their leader, overran the Sumerian city-states and
established an empire that included most of the
Mesopotamia
They eventually disintegrated and it end brought a return to
warring city-states, until Ur Nammu of Ur , succedded in
reunifying Mesopotamia

C.Old Babylon (or Amorites)

With the coming of the Amorites, under Hammurabi, bronze
dagger a large group, a Semitic, -speaking semi nomads,
created a new empire they employed a well army-disciplined
army of foot soldiers, who carried axes spears or copper or
bronze. He gained control of Sumer and Akkad and
reunified Mesopotamia.
After his conquest, He called himself Sun of Mesopotamia
and Babylon became the new capital.
He was a man of war and man of peace. He assimilated the
Mesopotamian cultured despite Sumerians non existing.
An archeologists found his collection of letters, reveals that
he took a strong interest in state of affairs.

 Hammurabi established a set of laws for Mesopotamia. The

concept of law applies to all, or none at all, is
called the Law of Hammurabi

King Nebuchadnezzar's Palace in Ancient Babylon

The Code of Hammurabi / Hammurabi Unites Mesopotamia/Creates Code

of Laws
D. The Assyria About 1500 BC, Assyria became a dependency of
Mitanny, a kingdom of imperial proportions that had extended its way
thru northern Mesopotamia. After it suffered serious defeat , it
remained in that kingdom

E. Persia Old Persian Empire or Achaemenid Empire was the

first empire in Western and Central Asia, in 6th Century
BCE by Cyrus, the Great, the dynasty draws its name
from king Achaemenis, who once ruled Persia. Cyrus the
Great, defeated Kingdoms of Media and Lydia and the
Babylonian Empire to form the Achaemenid Empire.
The territories conquered:
a. The three continents, Africa, Asia and Europe
b. Iran
f. Syria
c. Iraq
g, Palestine
d. Jordan
h. Lebanon
e. Israel
The disunification of this region was caused by the invasion
of Alexander, the Great, when he took advantage the
weakening empire
Contribution of Persia:

 Zoroastrianism, became known religion in the empire

Official Language : Aramaic
Centralized government

PERSIAN CARPET