Civilization in the Middle East

1. The Ancient Middle East Sir Chock Encabo Lecture for 3 rd Yr AS Student

2. Mesopotamia: "Land Between the Two Rivers"

3. Indo-European Migrations: 4m-2m BCE The Middle East: “The Crossroads of Three Continents”

4. The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

8. Worshiped many gods. Believed gods controlled every aspect of life. Saw afterlife as a grim place. Everybody would go into darkness and eat dust. To keep the gods happy, each city built a ziggurat , or pyramid temple. Each state had distinct social hierarchy , or system of ranks. Most people were peasant farmers. Women had legal rights; some engaged in trade and owned property. City-states with hereditary rulers. Ruler led army in war and enforced laws. Complex government with scribes to collect taxes and keep records. RELIGION SOCIAL STRUCTURE GOVERNMENT

9. “ The Cuneiform World” Mesopotamian Trade

11. Cuneiform Writing

12. Deciphering Cuneiform

14. Sumerian Scribes “ Tablet House”

16. The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

18. Sumerian Cylinder Seals

20. Gilgamesh Epic Tablet: Flood Story

22. The Royal Standard of Ur

23. Mesopotamian Harp

24. Board Game From Ur

25. Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills at Ur

26. Sargon of Akkad: The World’s First Empire [Akkadians]

27. The Babylonian Empires

28. Hammurabi’s [r. 1792-1750 B. C. E.] Code

29. Hammurabi, the Judge

31. Babylonian Numbers