Mesopotamia



media type="custom" key="11433498" ===Ancient Mesopotamia was referred to as the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers or the Twin Rivers. This region lies on the Fertile Crescent, which is located from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. Since Mesopotamia is a part of the fertile crescent, it has very rich soil for farmland. Rivers overflowing also contributed to the soil being rich with fertile silt. The fertile land of Ancient Mesopotamia created an area perfect for a civilization to live and grow. Mesopotamia was home to the first civilization in history.===

===As a result of the fertile land, many people settled in the area, making Mesopotamia the birth of civilization in 5000 BC. The Sumerians were the first civilization in history in the area where modern day Iraq is located today. Sumerian life was based of off farming and trade. The social classes that the Sumerians used consisted of the nobles, commoners, and the slaves. This group of citizens brought many important things to our modern day society.===

===The Sumerians contributed greatly to our modern society. They invented cuneiform writing in 3100 BC. They also invented many other things such as schools, the number system based on 60 seconds, 60 minute hour, and the 360 degree circle. For the first civilization in history, the Sumerians have had a great impact on our civilization even today. With out the creations of the Sumerians, life would be very difficult.===

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**__People__**

 * 1.****Hammurabi**- He created the first code of laws. This code is known as the code of Hammurabi. It consists of a total of 282 laws.
 * 2.****Sargon of Akkad**- He was known as the king of battles because he went 34-0 in battle. He also founded the 1st empire in history.
 * 3.****Nebuchadnezzar**- This man or “Mad Ox” as he was often called, was the leader of the Chaldeans, defeated the Assyrians and rebuilt babylon.
 * 4.****Cyrus the Great**- The King of Persia and was the founder of the Persian Empire. His reign was the first serious contact of Persians and Greeks.
 * 5.****King Croesus****-** He was the first to use coins and his face was featured on the coins. He was very wealthy and the phrase "As rich as Croesus" was often said.




 * "Ur is destroyed, bitter is its lament. The country's blood now fills its holes like hot bronze in a mould. Bodies dissolve like fat in the sun. Our temple is destroyed, the godshave abandoned us, like migrating birds. Smoke lies on our city like a shroud." - Legacy: The search for Ancient Cultures, Michael Wood, 1995**

__**Vocabulary Terms**__

 * City-states:** The basic units for the Sumerian civilization. The town and surrounding country side formed a government. The Sumerians had twelve of them and were used for mutual defense.
 * Ziggurat:** A massive stepped tower on which was built a temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of a Sumerian city. The Sumerian people devoted much of their wealth to building these temples.
 * Polytheistic:** To have many gods. Human beings were supposed to obey and serve the gods. According to Sumerian beliefs, human beings were created to do the manual labor the gods were unwilling to do for themselves.
 * Empire:** A large political unit or state, usually under a single leader, that controls many peoples or territories. They are often easy to create but difficult to maintain.
 * Cuneiform:** “Wedge-shaped,” a system of writing developed by the Sumerians using a reed stylus to create wedge-shaped impressions on a clay tablet.



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__**Links**__
Cuneiform This link is about cuneiform and the history of it and what the symbols mean. Nebuchadnezzar This link tells all about King Nubuchadnezzar and his life. Cyrus This site is great for finding out a lot of information on Cyrus and his legacy. Hammurabi This website will tell you about the history of Hammurabi and his life. Sumerians This link will take you to a website that tells about the Sumerian lifestyle and their writing system.