Mesopotamia, located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, was known as the "Cradle of Civilization". The flooding of the rivers provided ideal conditions for the development of settlements and agriculture. Individual city-states emerged along the rivers, each with their own patron deity, government, and eventually king. Sumer was an early Mesopotamian civilization centered around cities like Ur and Uruk, known for innovations like the ziggurat temple towers and a polytheistic religion. Later, Babylonia rose to power under the rule of King Hammurabi, who developed one of the earliest known code of laws.

1. Mesopotamia
“between the rivers”
Also known as the :
-Fertile Crescent
-Cradle of Civilization
Flooding=ideal for farming
(unpredictable).
Tigris & Euphrates provided
ideal conditions for human
settlement.
Location!, Location!, Location!

2. City-States
CITY-STATES: Cities grew
up at different points along Regions/Kingdoms
the Tigris & Euphrates Sumer=Sumerians
rivers. Each city acted as
“state” with its own special Assyria=Assyrians
god or goddess, its own Babylonia=Babylonians
government, and
eventually its own king.

3. Sumer
Modern city
(traffic jams, plumbing, merchants)
Sumerian Religion
- Ziggurats (ladders for gods)
- Polytheism (many gods)
*Unfortunately for Sumer, the
wealth of the city-states became
their downfall. They began to fight
each other over land and, Sumerian Ziggurat
especially the use of the rivers.
Became weak=
fell to the Babylonians

4. Babylonia
● King Hammurabi
➢ Powerful king that
united the cities of
Sumer under one
ruler.
➢ Babylonia became
a trading/military
powerhouse.

5. Hammurabi's Code
What would our 12
world look like 10
without laws? 8
Hammurabi developed a 6
law system that set rules 4
for all to follow.
2
-282 laws
0
(trade, labor, property, and family)
“Eye for an Eye”

6. If any one is committing
a robbery and is
caught, then he shall be
put to death.

7. If a slave says to his
master: "You are not
my master," if they
convict him his master
shall cut off his ear.

8. If a builder build a house for
some one, and does not
construct it properly, and the
house which he built fall in and
kill its owner, then that builder
shall be put to death.

9. If a physician make a large
incision with the operating
knife, and kill him, or open a
tumor with the operating knife,
and cut out the eye, his hands
shall be cut off.

11. Assyria
B/C they were constantly
defending themselves,
the Assyrians became
skilled warriors.

12. Cuneiform
● Cuneiform was a writing
system developed in
Mesopotamia. Scribes
carved symbols into clay that
had diff. Meanings.
● They used cuneiform a
variety of different reasons,
but mostly to keep records.
(sales, trades, taxes,
marriages, deaths)