Ancient Mesopotamia Geography

Geography of Mesopotamia

• Mesopotamia is a region in Southwest Asia, known as the Fertile Crescent, with a desert climate.
• The Fertile Crescent is a curved shape of rich land, ideal for farming, between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.
• Mesopotamia, meaning "land between the rivers," is a plane surrounded by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
• The rivers would flood annually, leaving behind silt, making the land suitable for farming and planting crops.

Sumerian City-States and Culture

• Around 3300 BC, the Sumerians arrived in Mesopotamia, attracted by the fertile land.
• Despite the challenges of unpredictable flooding and lack of natural resources, the Sumerians developed solutions, such as irrigation ditches and city walls, to overcome these disadvantages.
• Sumerians are credited with being the first to form a civilization, characterized by:
  • Advanced cities
  • Specialized workers
  • Complex institutions
  • Record keeping
  • Improved technology

Sumerian City-States

• Around 3000 BC, the Sumerians built multiple cities, each with its own government and culture, forming city-states.
• Each city-state was an independent country, with its own ruler and priests.
• The Ziggurat, a walled temple, was at the center of each city-state, where priests managed irrigation systems and collected taxes from farmers.

Sumerian Government and Society

• Initially, Sumer's government was run by temple priests, who were believed to have a connection to the gods.
• During times of war, commanders led the city's soldiers, and eventually, this role became permanent, leading to the formation of dynasties.
• Sumerian society was divided into social classes, including kings, landholders, priests, merchants, ordinary people, and slaves.
• Women in Sumerian societies had more rights than in other societies, including the ability to be merchants, farmers, hold property, join the priesthood, and learn to read and write.

Sumerian Science and Technology

• The Sumerians are credited with inventing the sail, wheel, and the use of bronze.
• They developed arithmetic and geometry for building purposes.
• The Sumerians created a system of writing, known as cuneiform, and produced the first known maps on clay tablets.
• They made architectural innovations, including the use of arches and columns, which influenced Mesopotamian civilization.

First Empires

• Between 3000-2000 BC, Sumer city-states were constantly at war, making them vulnerable to surrounding desert and hill people.
• The weakness of the city-states eventually led to their downfall.