from Arabian Peninsula

Rainfall declined- lakes and grasslands

were dried up

other people from highlands (present

day Turkey) moved south

poor weather- fled war and overpopulation

both groups- crescent-shaped fertile land

Mediterranean Sea to Persian Gulf

Fertile Crescent- included parts of modern

Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria and Iraq

many chose to settle in Mesopotamia

eastern part of Fertile Crescent

did not have regular supply

no rain fell in summer

water shortages- fall planting season

spring harvest season- rivers swelled

with rain and melting snow

silt

overflowing

strong floods- swept away whole villages

and fields

flooding- never predictable

dams, channels, ditches-irrigation

farmers- producing food in abundance by

4000 BC

Asia or Asia Minor- Sumerians arrived

in Mesopotamia

settled in lower part of Tigris-Euphrates

river valley- Sumer

Sumerian City-States

3000 BC Sumerians formed 12 city-states

in Tigris-Euphrates valley

Ur, Uruk and Eridu

city-state- city itself and land surrounding it

population- ranged from 20,000- 250,000

Sumerians- similar culture

ziggurat- temples made from sun-dried brick

only priests/priestesses allowed to enter temple

dedicated to city-state's chief deity

raised to shrine to the sky

Later, faced threats of invaders, compete for land

and water rights, citizens chose military leader

2700 BC leaders of several city-states ruled as kings

kingships- hereditary

Sumerian king- military leader/high priest

theocracies- governments mixed with religion

king and priests closely monitored farming

king- enforced law/set punishments

writing- dominated Sumerian city-states

system of writing- keep accounts and prepare documents

believed to be oldest writing system

cuneiform- pictograms/ hundreds of wedge shaped markings

end of sharpened reed on wet clay tablets

dried or baked tablets until hardened

pictograms- developed into symbols representing complex ideas

scribes- eddubas (schools)

scribes, rose to high positions in Sumerian society

business records, historical dates and literary works

Epic of Gilgamesh- epic poem 1850 BC

oldest story in the world

each god- natural force like rain, moon, air

human activity- plowing, brick making

An- seasons

Enlil- created hoe

predicted gods and goddesses- unpredictable, selfish

beings

angry- misfortunes- flood/famine

religious ceremonies and rituals

arch

potter's wheel

sundial 

number system based on 60

12 month calendar

bronze

metal plow