Early river valley civilizations arose all along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the time period of 3200 b.c.- 539 b.c. The land was called Mesopotamia, meaning “land between the rivers”. Mesopotamia was large, it once contained many many Ancient civilizations including Akkad, Babylon, Hittites, Israel, New Babylon, then probably the biggest, Sumer. Mesopotamia developed when the New Stone Age began. The first civilization was Sumer. Sumer began in 3200 b.c and fell in 1200 b.c. Sumer was probably the largest civilization there was in Mesopotamia. This area was apart of the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent is really what made people settle there in the first place, it offered rich soil which made it easy to farm. Sumer’s king was in charge of maintaining city walls and also the irrigation systems. They believed in hereditary rule, which meant when a ruler passes, his son takes over. Sumerians also were polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods. They believed that when they pass, …show more content…
In 2300 b.c.e. Akkad developed into a decent empire. The ruler, Sargon, conquered and invaded many neighboring cities-states. He became the first empire to control a group of cities-states. Five hundred ten years later, the civilization of Babylon came about. Babylon played an important role in Mesopotamia. They were most known for their Code of Hammurabi, it was an established set of laws that was extremely strict. This civilization was the first codify a set of laws. The king, Hammurabi, took over most of the sumerian region. Not long after, about 140 years later, the Hittites civilization developed. This civilization was extremely important because they learned to extract iron out from ore. Their tools were very complex, they were made of harder, and sharper material than those made of copper and bronze. After the empire fell, they moved out of Anatolia, the ironsmiths spread their knowledge to Asia, Africa, and
Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was and is still an extremely important region for the water it provides. For this and its ability to support agriculture, it’s known also as the Fertile Crescent. It’s also been called the Cradle of Civilization for providing the earliest existence of a civilization.
The first one is the Sumerian civilizations. Sumerian cities began in the south of Mesopotamia. Ruler was dependent upon to make sure that the city walls and irrigation systems were okay. Their government was based heavily on religion. They had created a system of laws which allowed them to keep order in their society. These laws were later called the Hammurabi’s Codes of Laws. The Sumerian cities also had a system of ranks. The ranks are as followed: leading family, priests, scribes, merchants, artisans, and peasant farmers. Majority of the population was made of farmers. As for education, only the royals went to school. Can you imagine only the upper class humans being able to go to school? Next, when the Mesopotamians were first civilizing women were equal to women. Although as time progressed the society became a fairly patriarchal society. Despite the women’s setbacks they still had some political rights. The Sumerians were polytheistic. Not surprising since it was an early civilization huh? They built ziggurats or a pyramid temple that soared towards the heavens. Although they were the first to create them Assyrians and the Babylonians also built them due to cultural diffusion. With these temples they praised their gods and thank them for all they have done. The Sumerians believed in an afterlife. Although they never went to extremes they buried their dead with weapons in case they needed them. The
The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt began to develop circa 3,000 B.C. Located near rivers, the lands offered fertile soil and an excess of crops that drew in many people. As more people arrived, the small settlements flourished into large, thriving civilizations. Many aspects of Mesopotamia and Egypt, such as their cities, their strongly organized government, and their religion, greatly contributed to the success of these two civilizations.
The Babylonians were the 2nd group of people who conquered Sumer. The Babylonians rose by being lead by Hammurabi. Hammurabi was best known for his code of laws. The code of laws was meant for everyone in the city. The Babylonians were located on the banks of the Euphrates river. The river became an important part of trade. Hammurabi worked to unite his empire. The trade helped his empire economy a lot. Many types of artisans used materials brought back from different lands. These arts flourished so much. The code of laws helped him keep control of his empire and how he took care of his people in his empire. The kings begun to stop listening to Hammurabi and listening to other
The school system of the Sumerians set the educational standards for Mesopotamia culture and other cultures to follow. Their studies included mathematics, botany and linguistics. Some students tha...
The Nile and Indus River Valley civilizations were both unique civilizations in their own way in comparison. Yet despite being separated by thousands of miles there are similarities in these two ancient civilizations. It is seen that amongst ancient civilizations, rivers are fundamental for them to prosper and provide for a relatively stable society for which a people can grow and develop. There are general similarities with pinpoint differences as well as general differences with pinpoint similarities. Both civilizations have left their influence on human civilization and history, with their unique characteristics of their religion, way of life, social classes, cultures, technological advancements, government systems, rulers and notable
The first civilization to rise was the Mesopotamia, located in present day Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and Egypt, along the Nile River. It’s split in two ecological zones. In the south Babylonia (irrigation is vital) and north Assyria (agriculture is possible with rainfall and wells). By 4000 B.C.E., people had settled in large numbers in the river-watered lowlands of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Archaeologists have shown that large-scale irrigation appeared only long after urban civilization had already developed, meaning major waterworks were a consequence of urbanism (population). Mesopotamia cities were made of people called the Summerians in the land of Sumer located on the south of Babylonia. The Summerian city was one of
In conclusion, there were some beliefs and customs that the Egyptians and the Sumerians shared. They were both polytheistic and they both relied on the surrounding rivers for agriculture/life support. Yet their attitudes and prayers towards the gods and goddesses differed as well as their views on the afterlife. As explained, these views differed due to their location, climate and yield in agriculture.
There have been many contributions from a very long time ago that still influence life today. Specifically the three River Valley Civilizations, Egypt, China and Mesopotamia. Starting in around 3500 B.C. the first of the River Valley Civilizations was formed in southwestern Asia, and soon grew into these three major contributions to society today.
Mesopotamia was the first primordial, and influential cradle of civilization. Nestled in the valleys of the vehement Tigris-Euphrates Rivers around the time of the Lower Paleolithic period
Egypt and Mesopotamia were two of the world’s earliest city-based civilizations, creating the basis for Middle Eastern and Western history. Both Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations existed on the banks of major rivers. While Egyptian civilization thrived along the Nile, Mesopotamia settled between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Although they shared this characteristic, it was also the cause of many of their differences in political systems, religions, and social stability.
Mesopotamian civilization exercised profound and cultural influence throughout west Asia and beyond for about 3,000 years. Mesopotamia had many independent city-states with its own government and ruler. Priests ruled these city-states with other administrators such as organizers and managers. Since turmoil and tension would often arise between the city-states, Mesopotamian Political Unification was rarely achieved. Mesopotamia was constantly invaded by foreigners who would incorporate their culture into newly society and form a new one by force.
Soon after the Akkadians came the Amorites. They were also known as the old Babylonians. They built the city of Babylon and made it one of the biggest trade centers in the Middle East. Hammurabi was the King of the Amorites and was famous for the code of Hammurabi.
Millions of years ago the procreant low lands in the river basins of Euphrates and Tigris was probably the home of some animal life, but no great civilizations. However, things change over time, and just a few thousand years ago the same fertile low lands in the river basins of Euphrates and Tigris became the home of a very rich and complex society. This first high society of man was located in what some still call "Mesopotamia". The word "Mesopotamia" is in origin a Greek name meaning "land between the rivers." The name is used for the area watered by the Euphrates and Tigris and its tributaries, roughly comprising modern Iraq and part of Syria. South of modern Bagdad, this alluvial plain was called the land of Sumer and Akkad. Sumer is the most southern part, while the land of Akkad is the area around modern Bagdad, where the Euphrates and Tigris are closest to each other. This first high, Mesopotamian society arose as a combined result of various historical, institutional, and religious factors. The reality of these factors occurring at a specific place within the fabric of space / time indeed established the basis for this first high civilization. Items like irrigation, topography, and bronze-age technical innovations played a big part along with the advent of writing and the practice of social conditioning (through the use of organized religion) in this relatively early achievement of man.
Ancient Mesopotamia was one of the first of the ancient civilizations. It formed in present-day northeastern Egypt, in the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent is a crescent-shaped region of good farmland created by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The first people to settle in Mesopotamia made important contributions to the world, such as wheeled vehicles, and an early form of writing called Cuneiform. Later, the Phoenicians here developed an alphabet much like the one we use today. Also, the Sumerians of this region developed algebra and geometry. Most importantly, the Sumerians made extensive irrigation systems, dikes, and canals to protect their crops from floods. The Great Hammurabi of Babylon, another empire in the Fertile Crescent, made the Code of Hammurabi. It was the first significant set of laws in history. Also, the Hittites and the Lydians settled in Mesopotamia. The Hittites developed a way to produce strong plows and weapons. The Lydians created a system of coined money. The contributions from the region of Mesopotamia in ancient times are still used today and are very useful.