2. MESOPOTAMIA
Derived from the Greek words
“meso” which means
“between” and “potamos” or
“river”.
“Land between two rivers”
“The Fertile Crescent”
“The Cradle of History”
3. SUMERIANS (3000-2340 B.C.E)
“The first builders of civilization”
ACTIVITIES OF THE SUMERIANS;
Hunting
Planting
Making dams, dikes, and canals
Domistication of animals
CUNEIFORM
System of writing
Came from the Latin words “cuneus”
meaning
“wedge-shaped” and “forma”, “form”
4. SUMER
“The southern part of Mesopotamia”
Composed of 12 city-states and headed
by “Lugal” or “priest-king”
Some well-known city-states in sumer;
- Eridu
- Kish
- Lagash
- Uruk
- Ur
- Nippur.
5. ZIGGURATS
Temple-like structures;home and temple
of the Gods
6. LEGACY OF SUMERIANS
Cuneiform
Plow and wheel
Built first cities, school, and temples
(Ziggurats)
Cartography, astronomy, and mathematics
Nippur (the oldest map in the world, the
map of Nippur)
Mixed copper and tin and made bronze
Different weapons in war made from
bronze
7. AKKADIAN EMPIRE (2340-2100 B.C.E)
“World’s first empire”
AKKAD
- city-state in a region north of Sumer
- Founded by Sargon I
Next rulers of Akkadian Empire;
- Naram-Sin
- Ur-Nammu
- Ibbi-Su
8. BABYLONIANS (1792-1595 B.C.E)
SUMUABUM- invaded mesopotamia
and established the kingdom of
Babylonia
BABYLON- capital of Babylonian
Empire
HAMMURABI
- descendant of Sumuabum,and great
leader of Babylon
9. SOCIAL CLASSES;
The Nobles (king, aristocrat, priest and
rich
landlords)
The Freemen (farmers, merchants,
soldiers,
and artisans)
The Slaves
FARMING- chief industry of ancient
Babylonians
10. LEGACY OF BABYLONIANS
Hammurabi Code (285 laws)
Ziggurat
Epic of Gilgamesh
Sexagesimal system of calculation by
sixties
Divided the circle into 360 degrees or
60s
Divided the hour into 60 minutes and
each minutes into 60 seconds
11. ASSYRIANS (1813-605 B.C.E)
ASHUR- capital of Assyria
Shamshi-Adad I- established the capital
Tiglath-Pileser I- founder of Assyrian
Empire
OTHER GREAT LEADERS;
Ashurnasirpal II (important leader that
time)
Tiglath-Pileser III (greatest Assyrian
emperor)
Sennacherib
12. CHALDEANS (612-539 B.C.E)
“New or second Babylonian Empire”
Nabopolassar-established the new empire
of
Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar
- son of Nabopolassar
-Great leader of Chaldean Empire
LEGACY;
Hanging Garden of Babylon ( Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World)
Tower of Babel
13. PERSIANS (539-330 B.C.E)
CYRUS THE GREAT AND DARIUS THE
GREAT
- Great leaders of Persia
SATRAPIES- division of provinces in the
Persian Empire and headed by a governor
(satrap)
ZOROASTRIANISM
- Religion of perians
- Founded by Zoroaster or Zarathushtra
- “Believe that life is a constant struggle
between good and evil.
AHURA MAZDA- God representing good side
14. MEDITERRANEANS LEGACY;
Hittites-
used iron in making
weapons
Lydians- used coin in trading
Phoenicians- developed a
modern system of writing
“phoenetic alphabet”
Hebrew- embraced Judaism and
began to practice “monotheism”
