1. AIM: How did geography encourage the rise of civilization in
Mesopotamia?
DO NOW:
(1) I am a group of people working together to create an
organized society _________________
(2) I am the geographic feature where early people settled
_______________
(3) I am two features of a civilization that helps to bring
people together ____________ & ______________
civilization
River valleys
Writing system infrastructure
HW: Discuss the importance of water to the people of the
Middle East. How has climate and topography of the Middle
East effect how people lived?

2. 1. What two rivers
run through the
Fertile Crescent?
2. Which two river
valley civilizations
are shown on this
map?
3. In what present
day country is
Mesopotamia
located?
Tigris & Euphrates
Rivers
Egypt & Mesopotamia
Iraq

3. *NOTES*
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA (4000 B.C.)
“land in between the rivers”
Why was this a perfect place for the 1st civilization?
1. Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in
the Middle East
2. Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for
farming
3. Cattle, pigs, goats & sheep were accessible

4. *NOTES*
WHAT CHALLENGES DID PEOPLE FACE IN
MESOPOTAMIA?
1. Unpredictable floods destroyed
crops, homes & people
2. Some areas were marshy and
unsuitable for farming
3. This land was vulnerable to
attack and invasion

5. Religions have attempted to build their sanctuaries on
prominent heights. Since no such natural heights were
available in the flat flood plains of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq),
ancient priests and kings determined to build ziggurats, square
or rectangular artificial stepped temple platforms. Functionally,
temples were placed on raised platforms to give them
prominence over other buildings in a city, and to allow more
people to watch the services performed at the temple.
Symbolically, however, the ziggurat represents the cosmic
mountain on which the gods dwell. The priests ascent up the
stairway to the temple at the top of the ziggurat represents the
ascent to heaven. The great ziggurat at Khorsabad, for
example, had seven different stages; each was painted a
different color and represented the five known planets, the
moon, and the sun.
WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE REVEAL ABOUT THE
RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF PEOPLE IN MESOPOTAMIA?

6. ZIGGURATS

7. BABYLONIAN ZIGGURAT

8. *NOTES*
THE MANY PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA:
1. Sumerians (ancient Sumer’s city-states)
(3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.)
2. Babylonians (Babylonian Empire)
( 1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.
3. Assyrians (Assyrian Empire)
(1200 B.C. - 539 B.C.)
4. Persians (Persian Empire)
(539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)