The document discusses Mesopotamia, known as the "cradle of civilization", located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. It describes how the Fertile Crescent region, including Mesopotamia, had rich soil and water from the rivers, making it ideal for agriculture. Nomadic tribes settled here, forming small villages that grew into the Sumerian cities. The Sumerians are credited with many innovations, including the first system of writing called cuneiform, as well as advances in government, religion, and technology. Each Sumerian city-state had its own ruler and patron god worshipped in a ziggurat temple.

1. MESOPOTAMIA
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2. MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia: meaning
“the land between the
rivers”
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3. FOLDABLE WORDS
Cradle of Civilization
fertility
Fertile Crescent
cuneiform
Sumerians
ziggurat
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4. THE FERTILE CRESCENT
Today, The Fertile
Crescent includes the
countries of Iraq, Syria,
Lebanon, Cyprus,
Jordan, Palestine,
Kuwait, the Sinai
Peninsula, and Northern
Mesopotamia. It is a big
place.
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5. THE FERTILE CRESCENT
identified as the sites
of the emergence of
civilization
Consisted of various
cultures
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6. FERTILE CRESCENT
The Fertile Crescent is
known is considered the
birthplace of:
agriculture
urbanization
writing
trade
Science
organized religion
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7. RIVERS
Tigris and Euphrates
rivers
Label rivers on your
map
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8. FERTILE CRESCENT
Label the Fertile
Crescent on your map
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9. FERTILE
the combination of
RICH soil and WATER
from the rivers made
Mesopotamia the most
FERTILE farmland in
the region
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10. FERTILITY
Fertile: rich in
materials to sustain
plant growth
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11. SUMERIANS
Sumerians: “land of the
civilized kings”
Many historians think that
cities and towns were first
formed in Sumer
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12. SUMERIANS
Nomads moved into the
fertile land and began to
form small villages
these villages slowly grew
into large towns
Eventually these cities
developed into the
civilization of the Sumer.
This land is one of the
cradles of civilization
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13. SUMERIANS
CONTRIBUTIONS
invented the first form of
writing,
a number system,
the first wheeled vehicles
sun-dried bricks
irrigation for farming
All of these things were
important for the
development of human
civilization.
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14. SUMERIANS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Government: cities
formed city-states
each state had its own
ruler
city-states fought each
other
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15. CONTRIBUTIONS: RELIGION
Each city-state also had
its own god
In the center of each city
was a large temple to the
city god called a ziggurat
The ziggurat looked like a
step pyramid with a flat
top
Here the priests would
perform rituals and
sacrifices.
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16. CONTRIBUTIONS: WRITING
wedge-shaped marks
in clay tablets
used for four thousand
years in various
languages
lost and
undecipherable until
the 1800s!
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17. THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH
earliest known story!
about a hero-king and
his adventures
based on a real king
(maybe...)
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