Mesopotamia was the first civilization in history located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in modern Iraq, Syria, and surrounding areas. It began as independent Sumerian city-states like Ur and Uruk before being unified under empires like the Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Neo-Babylonian. Mesopotamian society was hierarchical with kings and priests at the top. Their economy was based on irrigated agriculture and they developed writing, mathematics, astronomy, law codes, and architectural achievements like ziggurats and arches. Their polytheistic religion influenced later civilizations.

1. MESOPOTAMIA
The land between
rivers.

2. What was
Mesopotamia?
It was the 1st civilization in
History.
The word “MESOPOTAMIA”
has a Greek origin, and it means
the land between rivers. Those
rivers were Tigris and Euphrates.
Today in this area we can find the
countries of Iraq and Syria, and a
little part of Iran and Turkey.

3. The beginning of History
It is in Mesopotamia where the
first written remains have
been found. They were
CUNEIFORM texts on clay
tablets. The most ancient tablets
date back to 3,300 BC.
Thanks to these tablets we know
about the periods that you are
about to discover…!!

4. Activity 1

Why is Mesopotamia considered the first
civilisation in history?

What does “MESOPOTAMIA” means?

What modern countries can be found today
in the area where the Mesopotamian
civilisation developed?

5. Political evolution of Mesopotamia
Every spring the rivers Tigris & Euphrates overflowed fertilising the
sourrounding land. The richness of the soil brought different people to the
area who argued over the land for centuries.
Therefore, Mesopotamia was the land for many different political entities
(from a city-states based civilization to some of the most powerful empires).
The history of Mesopotamia can be subdiveded into 5
3,500 BC
2,330 BC
1,800 BC
1,300 BC
periods:
625 BC 539 BC

6. CHRONOLOGY
SUMERIAN
AKKADIAN
BABYLONIAN
ASSYRIAN
NEOBABYLONIAN
CHARACTERISTICS
3,500 – 2,350
BC
• Developed in Sumer (South Mesopotamia).
• Organized in independent city-states (Ur, Uruk, Lagash).
• Shared language and culture (same civilization), but they were not
part of an empire
2,330 – 2130
BC
• 3rd millennium BC: new settlement in central Mesopotamia :
Akkad.
• 2,330 BC: Akkadian king Sargon I conquered Sumer. Akkadian
Empire: a single leader for all the territory.
• 2,130 BC: Akkadian Empire destroyed and Mesopotamia lost its
unity.
1,800 – 1500
BC
• 1,800 BC: Babylonian king Hammurabi unified Mesopotamia again
(he ruled over the rest). He created the 1st law code in history.
• 1,500 BC: Babylonian Empire destroyed and Mesopotamia lost its
unity again.
1,300 – 625 BC
625 – 539 BC
• 1,300 BC: Assyrians (inhabitants of North Mesopotamia) unified
Mesopotamia again: Assyrian Empire ruled over a huge territory
(from Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea). They were very
fierce & cruel.
• 625 BC: Babylon got independence from Assyria: Neo-Babylonian
empire. They allied with the Persian empire and together they
destroyed the Assyrian Empire.
• 539 BC: Persians conquered the Neo-Babylonian Empire. End of
historical independence of Mesopotamia, which became a province
of the Persian empire.

7. Sumer (3,500- 2,350 BC)
Sumerians settled in Sumer, the southern part of
Mesopotamia.
They founded a group of city-states  they were
independent, and each one ruled over its surrounding lands.
The most important of these cities were Uruk, Ur and Lagash.
They shared language and culture (they were part of the
same civilization), but they were not part of an empire.

8. Akkadian Empire (2,330 - 2,130 BC)
In the 3rd millennium BC new people settled in
Mesopotamia among the Sumerians, such as the
Akkadians, which settled in the city of Akkad in
central Mesopotamia.
In 2,330 BC, the Akkadian king Sargon I, conquered
Sumer and established the Akkadian Empire. From
that city of Akkad he controlled all Mesopotamia. It
was the first time this land was ruled by the same
leader.
In 2,130 BC the Akkadian Empire was destroyed
(due to the invasions of the Gutians, a tribe from the
Zagros Mts.). Mesopotamia lost its unity.
Sargon’s mask

9. Babylonian Empire
(1,800 – 1,500 BC)
In 1,800 BC, king Hammurabi from the city
of Babylon (located between Akkad and
Sumer) began to dominate over the rest of the
territory, and unified Mesopotamia again.
Hammurabi became very famous because of his
law code (Code of Hammurabi): it was the
first in History!!!
In 1,500 BC the Babylonian Empire was
destroyed (conquered by the Hittites & the
Kassites). Mesopotamia lost its unity again.

10. Assyrian Empire (1,300 - 625 BC)
Around 1,300 BC the Assyrians, the
inhabitants of the northern part of
Mesopotamia, created a great
empire. They ruled over a very large
territory that went from the Persian
Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.
They were famous because of their
ferocity and cruelty.
But the Mesopotamian civilization
was reaching its end…

12. Neo-Babylonian
Empire (625-539 BC)
In 625 BC, Babylon got independence
from Assyria (which so far had been
dominating South Mesopotamia), and
created the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
Then the Neo-Babylonian allied with the
Persians and together they conquered the
Assyrian empire.
In 539 BC the Persians conquered the
Neo-Babylonian Empire. This meant the
end of historical independence of
Mesopotamia, that became a satrapy
(province) of the Persian empire.

13. Mesopotamian political organization
WHO GOVERNED/RULED THE TERRITORY??
SUMMERIAN
PERIOD
(independent citystates)
• Each city-state was
governed by a priest
(patesi).
EMPIRES
• Military chiefs took political
(Akkadian,
Babylonian, Assyrian control, and became kings
and Neo-Babylonian) of vast empires.

14. Mesopotamian social organization
King & his
family
Priests & nobles
Traders & clerks (the most
important were the scribes)
Farmers & craftsmen
Slaves (prisoners of war,
people that had not paid their debts…)
Mesopotamian
society was very
HIERARCHICAL

15. Activity 2: Mesopotamian
hierarchical society
To represent the HIERARCHICAL SOCIETY of
Mesopotamia, you are going to…
a)
b)
Draw a Ziggurat with 5 levels.
Put the following Mesopotamian social groups in
its corresponding level.
–
–
–
–
–
Priests & nobles
Traders & clerks (the most important were the scribes)
Slaves (prisoners of war, people that had not paid their
debts…)
King & his family
Farmers & craftsmen

16. Mesopotamian economic organization
Money!!
Trade (comercio)
Craftwork (artesanía)
Irrigated agriculture  cereal, vegetables, lentils, palm trees.
Stock farming  sheep, goats, horses, oxen.
Their economy was
based on agriculture
& farming.
Agricultural
prosperity (producing
more than what they
needed for themselves)
enabled them to
develop craftwork &
trade.
Trade led them to
the invention of
money.

17. Mesopotamian religion & beliefs
They were POLYTHEISTIC  believed in many gods.
They believed in life after death.

19. Mesopotamian cultural legacy
 They invented writing. They used clay tablets on which
they made inscriptions with a sharp object.
They developed the CUNEIFORM script.

21. Mesopotamian cultural legacy
 CUNEIFORM script was…
 1st  PICTOGRAPHIC: each
symbol was a picture that
represented a word which was
quite similar to it.
 2nd  IDEOGRAPHIC: the
symbols & their combination
represented concepts. Example:
man + crown = king.
 3rd  PHONETIC: each symbol
corresponded to a sound or
syllable.

22. Evolution of pictographic symbols

23. Ideographic symbols

24. Evolution of the symbol that
meant “king”

25. Mesopotamian cultural legacy
 Other discoveries:
 Mathematics  enabled them to keep accounts.
 Astronomy  enabled them to make a calendar.
CALCULATION OF THE AREA OF A PLOT OF LAND

26. Mesopotamian cultural legacy
S
 They developed the first
Law Code in history (by
Babylonian king
Hammurabi).
s

27. Activity 3: Mesopotamian economy,
religion & culture
a)
b)
c)
Explain the basis of the Mesopotamian economy.
Mesopotamian religion was monotheistic or
polytheistic? What does it mean?
Answer true or false correct the mistakes:
–
–
–
–
–
Mesopotamian people trade using bartering.
The most important Mesopotamian gods were Zeus &
Aphrodite
Mesopotamians first developed writing in Uruk in 3,300 BC.
Writing was done on paper with a pencil.
Mesopotamian script was called Hieroglyphics. It was first
ideographic, then phonetic and then pictographic.
Mesopotamians made discoveries in astrology & mathematics
that enabled them to develop horoscopes, calendars and keep
accounts.

28. Mesopotamian artistic
achievements
 IN ARCHITECTURE:
 Materials used: adobe bricks.
 They invented: the arch (arco) & the dome (cúpula).
 Most important buildings:
 Palaces
 Ziggurats: temple in the shape of a terraced
pyramid with successively smaller levels; the last
one was the sanctuary.

29. MESOPOTAMIAN ARCH
(The Ctesiphon arch)

30. MESOPOTAMIAN DOMES

31. ZIGGURAT IN THE CITY OF UR (IRAQ)
ZIGGURATS:
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/b
kf3/igraphics/AC_03_093_ziggurat/AC_03_093_
ziggurat.html

32. Mesopotamian artistic
achievements
 IN SCULPTURE & POTTERY:
 Statues of important people (e.g.: priests, kings)
 Reliefs to decorate walls & doors of palaces.
 Ceramic plates to cover the walls, in order to hide the
basic building materials that they used. Main figures:
lions, dragons, bulls…

33. Mesopotamian artistic
achievements
CHARACTERISTICS:
•They represented kings and
priests.
•They were represented in a
praying attitude.
•They didn’t respect human
proportions, the head is
bigger than the rest of the
body.
•They had big eyes and no
expression on their faces.
GUDEA, KING OF LAGASH
MESOPOTAMIAN STATUES

34. BAS-RELIEF OF SARGON I
BAS-RELIEF OF A WAR SCENE IN THE
PALACE OF THE CITY OF NINEVEH
(ASSYRIAN PERIOD)

35. ISHTAR GATE (ONE OF THE ENTRANCE DOORS OF
THE CITY OF BABYLON).
PÉRGAMO MUSEUM, BERLIN.
REPLICA OF THE ISHTAR GATE IN
BABYLON (AL HILLA), IRAQ.
THE LION, A SYMBOL OF ISHTAR (GODDESS OF
LOVE & WAR)

36. BAS-RELIEF OF THE SNAKE-DRAGON, THE SYMBOL
OF THE GOD MARDUK (GOD OF THE GODS, AND
GOD OF BABYLON)
BAS-RELIEF OF THE LION, THE SYMBOL OF THE
GODDESS ISHTAR (GODDESS OF LOVE & WAR)
ISHTAR GATE
ISHTAR GATE