1. CHAPTER 2
EARLY RIVER VALLEY
CIVILIZATIONS
SECTION 1 City-States in Mesopotamia
SECTION 2 Pyramids on the Nile
SECTION 3 Planned Cities on the Indus
SECTION 4 River Dynasties in China
5. GEOGRAPHY OF FERTILE
CRESCENT
Fertile Crescent: curved shape and richness of the land.
Mesopotamia, the land that is facing the Mediterranean
Sea meaning “land between the rivers”
The rivers in Mesopotamia are the Tigris and the
Euphrates.The rivers created soil called silt, which made
it easier for farmers to grow produce on.
6. 3 DISADVANTAGES
People started to settle down in Mesopotamia
as early as early as 3000BC, however, this area
also had several disadvantages.
1. Unpredictable flooding + sometimes no rain
2. No natural barriers for protection
3. Limited natural resources in the area
7. 3 SOLUTIONS
1. Create irrigation ditches in order to control
water supply for farming and drinking.
2. Create brick walls around the city for defense.
3.Trade with civilizations nearby for natural
resources that you cannot find in Mesopotamia
(such as stone, wood and metal).
9. CITY-STATES
Kind of like countries/Europe.
The Sumerians were the first to
develop what is known as a city-state.
Within Sumer, there were several cities,
and each city operated as its own
independent organization.
URUK, LAGASH
10. PRIESTSThe earliest governments were
controlled by the temple priests.
They would pray at the largest building
at the center of the city, the Ziggurat.
The Ziggurat would also serve as a
type of city hall.
This pattern
continues for
centuries
11. MILITARY
LEADERS
However, the priests were not always in charge.
When there was a war, the people chose as a
leader tough fighter who could command the city
soldiers.
Often the military leaders would pass their power
on to their sons, this is known as a Dynasty.
12. CULTURAL DIFFUSION
Cultural diffusion is the process
by which a new idea or a
product spreads from one
culture to another.
As the various cities in Sumeria
became more prosperous, trade
increased, which also increased
cultural diffusion.
13. RELIGION
The Sumerians were polytheistic: this means they
believed in many different gods and goddesses.
For the Sumerians the strongest god was Enil, the god of
storms and air. There were also demon gods that
protected humans from other demons.
The Gods of Sumeria was similar to the gods of the Romans
and Greeks (Quarter 3), and had very humanlike
personalities: they would get involved with humans’
personal affairs, have children, fall in love, and so on.
14. Humans were at complete disposal of the
Gods. If the gods became angry, they could
swiftly kill many people.
Humans believed that sacrifices were
necessary to keep the gods happy.
They believed that life after death was gloomy-
that people were sent to a “land of no return”.
How does this compare to
most modern religions?
15. 2000-3000 BC THE VARIOUS CITY
STATES ARE CONSTANTLY AT
WAR
As a result, the weakened city states could no longer ward
off attacks from other civilizations.
Around 2350BC, a conqueror named Sargon defeated
the city-states of Sumer. Sargon adopted most of
Sumerian culture and created the world’s first empire.
An Empire brings together several peoples, nations,
or previously independent states under the control
of one ruler.
FUTURE EMPIRES
17. BABYLONIAN EMPIRE
Nomadic warriors from west of the Euphrates (called
Amorites) took over of the region around 2000BC.
They call Babylon, a city on the Euphrates, the new
capital.
During the Babylonian Empires rule, Hammurabi would
be in charge of the empires peak (1792BC)
Nomadic
18.
19. HAMMURABI'S
CODE
One of the most prominent leaders of the Babylonian
Empire, Hammurabi, is most well known for the set of
laws that he created.
There were 282 laws total, engraved on stone and made
public.
The punishments differed depending on ones social
class and gender.
20. EXAMPLE LAWS BY
HAMMURABI
• If any one steal the property of a temple or of the
court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who
receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.
• If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall
be put out. (An eye for an eye)
• If he break another man's bone, his bone shall be
broken.
21. HAMMURABI ASSIGNMENT
You will be provided with all of Hammurabi's Codes.
Task: Read through the list of codes set by Hammurabi.
Explain in a 5 paragraph structure why these codes would
not be applicable to todays society. Your answer must
include at least three specific examples from the codes
themselves.
Format: 5 paragraph essay. Introduction, Point 1, Point 2,
Point 3, Conclusion (word count: 500-900 words)
DUE: August 30th by 11:59PM
