Text 1: Civilizations Arise in the Fertile Crescent

Transcription

1 Text 1: Civilizations Arise in the Fertile Crescent Topic 2: The Ancient Middle East and Egypt (3200 B.C.E B.C.E.) Lesson 1: A Civilization Emerges in Sumer

2 Civilizations Arise in the Fertile Crescent The Middle East was home to one of the world s first civilizations Its location and other environmental features posed unique challenges

3 Civilizations Arise in the Fertile Crescent The Sumerians were the first of many peoples to contribute to the civilization of the region Made distinctive contributions that influenced a long line of later people in the Middle East and in other parts of the world

4 Geography of the Fertile Crescent Sumerian civilization rose over 5,000 years ago along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers The Tigris-Euphrates Valley lies in eastern end of the Fertile Crescent, the area that stretches in an arc from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea The ancient Greeks called the valley Mesopotamia, meaning between the rivers

5 Geography of the Fertile Crescent The fertile soil attracted Stone Age farmers, who began to raise crops on the land Their descendants produced the surplus food needed to support growing populations Around 3300 B.C.E., the world s first civilization developed in Sumer

6 Geography of the Fertile Crescent The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow from the highlands of modern-day Turkey through Iraq into the Persian Gulf Spring or early summer, melting snows from the mountains can cause the rivers to flood In some years, savage floods cause huge damage

7 Geography of the Fertile Crescent Despite the danger of flooding, farmers planted a variety of crops Silt left by floodwaters made the soil fertile Good soil meant that the people of Mesopotamia could rely on a stable food supply

8 A World Crossroads The Fertile Crescent has often been called the crossroads of the world because it commands access to three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe The region has few natural barriers Nomadic herders, ambitious invaders, and traders moved through the deserts and crossed the mountains leading into the Fertile Crescent

9 A World Crossroads The region also became a crossroads where people and ideas met and mingled Each new group made its own contributions to the history of the region These civilizations passed on their achievements eastward toward India and westward into Europe

10 Sumerians Overcome Environmental Challenges Control of the Tigris and Euphrates was key to the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia The rivers rose in terrifying floods that washed away topsoil and destroyed mud-brick villages when they were at their most violent

11 Sumerians Overcome Environmental Challenges People told stories about the wanderings of a hero named Gilgamesh These stories were collected into a long narrative poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh It describes a great flood that destroys the world

12 Sumerians Overcome Environmental Challenges Archaeologists have found evidence of these catastrophic floods occurring regularly in ancient times Lower Mesopotamia suffered summer droughts and hot winds, which could turn fertile soil to dust, shrivel crops, and cause famine

13 Sumerians Overcome Environmental Challenges Early farming communities had to worked together to build dikes, dams, and irrigation systems This work led to the rise of an elaborate, well-run government Temple priests and then royal officials provided the leadership needed to ensure cooperation and a large work force

14 Sumerians Overcome Environmental Challenges Villagers were organized to build dikes to hold back floodwaters and irrigation ditches to carry water to fields Successful farming communities grew into cities Sumerian civilization thrived thanks to fertile soil, water, and the complex organization of government, religion, and specialized classes

15 Sumerian City-States By 3000 B.C.E., Sumerians built a number of cities Each city and the land surrounding formed a city-state Few natural resources were present to build these cities They build with clay and water

16 Sumerian City-States The clay was used to make bricks, which they shaped in wooden molds and dried in the sun These bricks were the building blocks for some of the world s first great cities, such as Ur and Uruk

17 Sumerian City-States Trade brought riches Traders sailed along the rivers or risked the dangers of desert travel to carry goods to distant regions Unclear where and when the wheel was invented, the Sumerians may have made the first wheeled vehicles Goods from as far away as Egypt and India have been found