Mesopotamia "The Land Between the Rivers"

Interaction w/ Environment
1. Valleys of Tigris + Euphrates
  1. Little Rain --> develop irrigation (6,000 BCE)
    1. Increase in Food Supply
      1. increase in migrants (esp. Semites)
      2. Sumer (S. Mesop) = population center
      3. First Cities emerge (4,000 BCE)
        3,200~2,350 BCE cities evolve into City-States
        gov. sponsored building projects + irrigation
        attacks from others --> wall building + military development
        cooperation of noble families --> kingships
Politics
1. Beginnings of Empire
  1. Sargon of Akkad (2,370-2,315 BCE)
    1. coup against King of Kish
    2. seize trade routes + natural resources
    3. weakens + collapses 2,000 BCE
  2. Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE)
    1. centralizes bureaucracy + regulates taxation
    2. capital = Babyon
    3. Hammurabi's Code: law of retribution _ importance of social status
    4. crumbles in the face of Hittite assault (1595 BCE)
2. Later Mesopotamian Empires
  1. Assyrians (N. Mes.) (1300-612 BCE)
    1. Cities: Assur + Ninevah
    2. Powerful Army: professional officers (based on merit), chariots, archers, iron weapons
    3. Unpopular rule --> rebellions --> end 612 BCE
  2. New Babylonian Empire (600-550 BCE)
    1. Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 BCE)
    2. Hanging gardens of palace = wealth + luxury
Economy
1. Economic specialization + Trade
  1. Bronze (copper + tin) --> weapons + agricultural tools
  2. iron (1000 BCE) = cheaper + widely available --> tools + weapons
  3. Wheel (3500 BCE) --> trade; carts can carry more
  4. shipbuilding --> maritime trade increases --> network develops
Society
1. Emergence of Stratified Society
  1. Cities = more opportunities to accumulate wealth
  2. 4 classes
    1. King (hereditary) + nobles (royal family + supporters)
    2. Priests + Priestesses = temple communities have large incomes + staff
    3. Free commoners (peasants), dependent clients (no property); pay taxes + labor on building projects
    4. slaves (POWS, criminals, debtors) + domestic servants
2. Patriarchy
  1. Hammurabi's code : men = head of household
  2. Women get fewer rights after 2000 BCE
    1. 1500 BCE wearing veils
Culture
1. development of written cultural traditions
  1. Cuneiform becomes standard
    1. Reed stylus pressed in clay + baked
    2. mostly commercial + tax documents
  2. Education = vocational for scribe / gov. official
  3. literature: astronomy, mathematics, abstrac
    1. religious texts + literature like Gilgamesh
Influence on others
1. Hebrews, israelites, Jews
  1. Pastoral nomads btwn Mesopotamia + Egypt 2mi BCE
    1. Settle in some cities
    2. Abraham leads group to Palestine (1850 BCE)
    3. Descendents borrow law of retribution / Hammurabi's Code + flood story from mesopotamia
  2. Migrate to Egypt in 1700 BCE then back to Palestine w/ Moses
    1. 12 tribes = Israelites
    2. Mesopotamian style monarchs in Jerusalem (capital)
    3. David (1000-970 BCE)
    4. Solomon (970 - 930 BCE)
  3. Moses + Monotheism
    1. 10 commandments = moral + ethical standards
    2. Torah = teachings (1000-400BCE)
  4. conquered by Assyrians
    1. A. conquer I in north + Judah in S. + destroy Jerusalem
    2. Deportees return to Judea --> become known as Jews (586 BCE)
    3. prophets --> incrase devotion
    4. Build Jewish community in Judea w/ strong group identity
2. Phoenicians
  1. 1st settlers 3000 BCE
    1. develop into kingdoms of independent city-states
  2. little agriculture; live on trade + communications networks
    1. overland trade to Mesopotamia --> influence on culture
    2. Maritime trade most important`q
      1. get raw materials + trade for manufactured goods
  3. Early alphatecial script (1500 BCE)

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Mesopotamia "The Land Between the Rivers"

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