Early River Valley Civilizations 29
MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES
INTERACTION WITH
ENVIRONMENT The earliest
civilization in Asia arose in
Mesopotamia and organized
into city-states.
The development of this
civilization reflects a settlement
pattern that has occurred
repeatedly throughout history.
•Fertile
Crescent
Mesopotamia
city-state
dynasty
cultural
diffusion
polytheism
empire
Hammurabi
1
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Problem
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TAKING NOTES
SETTING THE STAGE Two rivers flow from the mountains of what is now
Turkey, down through Syria and Iraq, and finally to the Persian Gulf. Over six
thousand years ago, the waters of these rivers provided the lifeblood that allowed
the formation of farming settlements. These grew into villages and then cities.
Geography of the Fertile Crescent
A desert climate dominates the landscape between the Persian Gulf and the
Mediterranean Sea in Southwest Asia. Yet within this dry region lies an arc of
land that provided some of the best farming in Southwest Asia. The region’s
curved shape and the richness of its land led scholars to call it the
Fertile
Crescent. It includes the lands facing the Mediterranean Sea and a plain that
became known as
Mesopotamia (MEHS•uh•puh•TAY•mee•uh). The word in
Greek means “land between the rivers.
The rivers framing Mesopotamia are the Tigris (TY•grihs) and Euphrates
(yoo•FRAY•teez). They flow southeastward to the Persian Gulf. (See the map on
page 30.) The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flooded Mesopotamia at least once a
year. As the floodwater receded, it left a thick bed of mud called silt. Farmers
planted grain in this rich, new soil and irrigated the fields with river water. The
results were large quantities of wheat and barley at harvest time. The surpluses
from their harvests allowed villages to grow.
Environmental Challenges People first began to settle and farm the flat,
swampy lands in southern Mesopotamia before 4500
B.C. Around 3300 B.C., the
people called the Sumerians, whom you read about in Chapter 1, arrived on the
scene. Good soil was the advantage that attracted these settlers. However, there
were three disadvantages to their new environment.
Unpredictable flooding combined with a period of little or no rain. The
land sometimes became almost a desert.
•With no natural barriers for protection, a Sumerian village was nearly
defenseless.
The natural resources of Sumer were limited. Building materials and other
necessary items were scarce.
City-States in Mesopotamia
Page 1 of 6
Solving Problems Through Organization Over a long period of time, the people
of Sumer created solutions to deal with these problems.
•To provide water, they dug irrigation ditches that carried river water to their
fields and allowed them to produce a surplus of crops.
•For defense, they built city walls with mud bricks.
Sumerians traded their grain, cloth, and crafted tools with the peoples of the
mountains and the desert. In exchange, they received raw materials such as
stone, wood, and metal.
These activities required organization, cooperation, and leadership. It took many
people working together, for example, for the Sumerians to construct their large
irrigation systems. Leaders were needed to plan the projects and supervise the dig-
ging. These projects also created a need for laws to settle disputes over how land
and water would be distributed. These leaders and laws were the beginning of
organized government—and eventually of civilization.
Sumerians Create City-States
The Sumerians stand out in history as one of the first groups of people to form a
civilization. As you learned in Chapter 1, five key characteristics set Sumer apart
from earlier human societies: (1) advanced cities, (2) specialized workers, (3) com-
plex institutions, (4) record keeping, and (5) improved technology. All the later
peoples who lived in this region of the world built upon the innovations of
Sumerian civilization.
30 Chapter 2
IRAQ
IRAN
KUWAIT
SAUDI ARABIA
Present-day Persian Gulf
In 2500 B.C., the Persian Gulf
was larger than it is today.
Over time the Tigris and
Euphrates have joined together
and filled in this shallow area.
The ancient coastline is shown
above with a blue line.
Fertile Crescent
Sumer
Direction of flow
of the Tigris and
Euphrates
M
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ANATOLIA
EGYPT
SUMER
AKKAD
SYRIAN
DESERT
ARABIAN DESERT
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Jordan River
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30°N
Kish
Lagash
Ur
Uruk
Umma
Babylon
Agade
0 250 Miles
0 500 Kilometers
The Fertile Crescent, 2500 B.C.
GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps
1. Location Where are the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys found?
2. Place What is the most likely cause of the change in the Persian Gulf coastline?
Summarizing
What are three
solutions to the
environmental
challenges of
Mesopotamia?
Page 2 of 6
By 3000 B.C., the Sumerians had built a number of cities, each surrounded by
fields of barley and wheat. Although these cities shared the same culture, they
developed their own governments, each with its own rulers. Each city and the sur-
rounding land it controlled formed a
city-state. A city-state functioned much as an
independent country does today. Sumerian city-states included Uruk, Kish,
Lagash, Umma, and Ur. As in Ur, the center of all Sumerian cities was the walled
temple with a ziggurat in the middle. There the priests and rulers appealed to the
gods for the well-being of the city-state.
Priests and Rulers Share Control Sumer’s earliest governments were controlled
by the temple priests. The farmers believed that the success of their crops depended
upon the blessings of the gods, and the priests acted as go-betweens with the gods.
In addition to being a place of worship, the ziggurat was like a city hall. (See page
22 for a ziggurat.) From the ziggurat the priests managed the irrigation system.
Priests demanded a portion of every farmer’s crop as taxes.
In time of war, however, the priests did not lead the city. Instead, the men of the
city chose a tough fighter who could command the city’s soldiers. At first, a com-
mander’s power ended as soon as the war was over. After 3000
B.C., wars between
cities became more and more frequent. Gradually, Sumerian priests and people
gave commanders permanent control of standing armies.
In time, some military leaders became full-time rulers. These rulers usually
passed their power on to their sons, who eventually passed it on to their own heirs.
Such a series of rulers from a single family is called a
dynasty. After 2500 B.C.,
many Sumerian city-states came under the rule of dynasties.
The Spread of Cities Sumer’s city-states grew prosperous from
the surplus food produced on their farms. These surpluses allowed
Sumerians to increase long-distance trade, exchanging the extra
food and other goods for items they needed.
By 2500
B.C., new cities were arising all over the Fertile Crescent,
in what is now Syria, northern Iraq, and Turkey. Sumerians
exchanged products and ideas, such as living in cities, with neigh-
boring cultures. This process in which a new idea or a product
spreads from one culture to another is called
cultural diffusion.
Sumerian Culture
The belief systems, social structure, technology, and arts of the
Sumerians reflected their civilization’s triumph over its dry and
harsh environment.
A Religion of Many Gods Like many peoples in the Fertile
Crescent, the Sumerians believed that many different gods con-
trolled the various forces in nature. The belief in more than one god
is called
polytheism (PAHL•ee•thee•IHZ•uhm). Enlil, the god of
storms and air, was among the most powerful gods. Sumerians
feared him as “the raging flood that has no rival.” Demons known
as Ugallu protected humans from the evil demons who caused dis-
ease, misfortune, and misery.
Sumerians described their gods as doing many of the same things
humans do—falling in love, having children, quarreling, and so on.
Yet the Sumerians also believed that their gods were both immortal
and all-powerful. Humans were nothing but their servants. At any
moment, the mighty anger of the gods might strike, sending a fire, a
flood, or an enemy to destroy a city. To keep the gods happy, the
Iku-Shamagen,
King of Mari, a
city-state in
Sumer, offers
prayers to the
gods.
Analyzing Causes
How did mili-
tary leaders gain
power in the
city-states?
Early River Valley Civilizations 31
Page 3 of 6
32 Chapter 2
Sumerians built impressive ziggurats for them and offered
rich sacrifices of animals, food, and wine.
Sumerians worked hard to earn the gods’ protection in
this life. Yet they expected little help from the gods after
death. The Sumerians believed that the souls of the dead
went to the “land of no return,” a dismal, gloomy place
between the earth’s crust and the ancient sea. No joy awaited
souls there. A passage in a Sumerian poem describes the fate
of dead souls: “Dust is their fare and clay their food.
Some of the richest accounts of Mesopotamian myths
and legends appear in a long poem called the Epic of
Gilgamesh. (See a selection from the Gilgamesh epic on
page 83.)
Life in Sumerian Society With civilization came the begin-
ning of what we call social classes. Kings, landholders, and
some priests made up the highest level in Sumerian society.
Wealthy merchants ranked next. The vast majority of ordi-
nary Sumerian people worked with their hands in fields and
workshops. At the lowest level of Sumerian society were the
slaves. Some slaves were foreigners who had been captured
in war. Others were Sumerians who had been sold into slav-
ery as children to pay the debts of their poor parents. Debt
slaves could hope to eventually buy their freedom.
Social class affected the lives of both men and women.
Sumerian women could work as merchants, farmers, or artisans. They could hold
property in their own names. Women could also join the priesthood. Some upper-class
women did learn to read and write, though Sumer’s written records mention few
female scribes. However, Sumerian women had more rights than women in many later
civilizations.
Sumerian Science and Technology Historians believe that Sumerians invented
the wheel, the sail, and the plow and that they were among the first to use bronze.
Many new ideas and inventions arose from the Sumerians’ practical needs.
Arithmetic and geometry In order to erect city walls and buildings, plan
irrigation systems, and survey flooded fields, Sumerians needed arithmetic
and geometry. They developed a number system in base 60, from which
stem the modern units for measuring time (60 seconds = 1 minute) and the
360 degrees of a circle.
Architectural innovations Arches, columns, ramps, and the pyramid
shaped the design of the ziggurat and permanently influenced
Mesopotamian civilization.
Cuneiform Sumerians created a system of writing. One of the first known
maps was made on a clay tablet in about 2300
B.C.Other tablets contain
some of the oldest written records of scientific investigations in the areas of
astronomy, chemistry, and medicine.
The First Empire Builders
From 3000 to 2000 B.C., the city-states of Sumer were almost constantly at war
with one another. The weakened city-states could no longer ward off attacks from
the peoples of the surrounding deserts and hills. Although the Sumerians never
recovered from the attacks on their cities, their civilization did not die. Succeeding
sets of rulers adapted the basic ideas of Sumerian culture to meet their own needs.
Vocabulary
epic: a long heroic
poem that tells the
story of a historical
or legendary figure
This gold and
lapis ram with a
shell fleece was
found in a royal
burial tomb.
Page 4 of 6
Sargon of Akkad About 2350 B.C., a conqueror named Sargon defeated the
city-states of Sumer. Sargon led his army from Akkad (AK•ad), a city-state north
of Sumer. The Akkadians had long before adopted most aspects of Sumerian cul-
ture. Sargon’s conquests helped to spread that culture even farther, beyond the
Tigris-Euphrates Valley.
By taking control of both northern and southern Mesopotamia, Sargon created
the world’s first
empire. An empire brings together several peoples, nations, or
previously independent states under the control of one ruler. At its height, the
Akkadian Empire loosely controlled land from the Mediterranean Coast in the west
to present-day Iran in the east. Sargon’s dynasty lasted only about 200 years, after
which it declined due to internal fighting, invasions, and a famine.
Babylonian Empire In about 2000 B.C., nomadic warriors known as Amorites
invaded Mesopotamia. Gradually, the Amorites overwhelmed the Sumerians and
established their capital at Babylon, on the Euphrates River. The Babylonian
Empire reached its peak during the reign of
Hammurabi, from 1792 B.C.to
1750
B.C.Hammurabi’s most enduring legacy is the code of laws he put together.
Hammurabi’s Code Hammurabi recognized that a single, uniform code of laws
would help to unify the diverse groups within his empire. He collected existing
rules, judgments, and laws into the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi had the code
engraved in stone, and copies were placed all over his empire.
Early River Valley Civilizations 33
Contrasting
How does an
empire differ from
a city-state?
PRIMARY SOURCE
DOCUMENT-BASED QUESTIONS
1. Making Inferences Why might the punishments for the crimes be based on social class?
2. Forming Opinions What do you think the value was in making the punishments for the
crimes known to all?
8. If a man has stolen an ox, a sheep, a pig, or a boat that belonged to a
temple or palace, he shall repay thirty times its cost. If it belonged to a
private citizen, he shall repay ten times. If the thief cannot pay, he shall
be put to death.
142. If a woman hates her husband and says to him “You cannot be with
me,” the authorities in her district will investigate the case. If she has
been chaste and without fault, even though her husband has
neglected or belittled her, she will be held innocent and may return to
her father’s house.
143. If the woman is at fault, she shall be thrown into the river.
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
198. If he puts out the eye of freed man or break the bone of a free man,
he shall pay one gold mina.
199. If he put out the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bone of a man’s
slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.
CODE OF HAMMURABI, adapted from a translation by L. W. King
Hammurabi’s Code of Laws
The image at the right shows the top of a pillar that had Hammurabi ‘s Code engraved
on it. Hammurabi’s law code prescribed punishments ranging from fines to death.
Often the punishments were based on the social class of the victim.
Here are some examples of the laws:
Page 5 of 6
34 Chapter 2
The code lists 282 specific laws dealing with everything
that affected the community, including family relations,
business conduct, and crime. Since many people were
merchants, traders, or farmers, for example, many of the
laws related to property issues. Additionally, the laws
sought to protect women and children from unfair treat-
ment. The laws tell us a great deal about the Mesopo-
tamians’ beliefs and what they valued.
Although the code applied to everyone, it set different
punishments for rich and poor and for men and women. It
frequently applied the principle of retaliation (an eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth) to punish crimes.
The prologue of the code set out the goals for this body
of law. It said, “ To bring about the rule of righteousness in
the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil-doers; so that
the strong should not harm the weak.Thus, Hammurabi’s
Code reinforced the principle that government had a
responsibility for what occurred in society. For example,
if a man was robbed and the thief was not caught, the
government was required to compensate the victim.
Nearly two centuries after Hammurabi’s reign, the
Babylonian Empire, which had become much smaller, fell
to the neighboring Kassites. Over the years, new groups
dominated the Fertile Crescent. Yet the later peoples,
including the Assyrians, Phoenicians, and Hebrews, would
adopt many ideas of the early Sumerians. Meanwhile, a
similar pattern of development, rise, and fall was taking
place to the west, along the Nile River in Egypt. Egyptian
civilization is described in Section 2.
TERMS & NAMES 1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia city-state dynasty cultural diffusion polytheism empire Hammurabi
USING YOUR NOTES
2. Which of the problems you
listed required the most
complex solution? Explain.
MAIN IDEAS
3. What were the three
environmental challenges to
Sumerians?
4. How did the Sumerians view
the gods?
5. What areas of life did
Hammurabi’s Code cover?
SECTION ASSESSMENT
1
WRITING A STATUS REPORT
Research the South East Anatolian Water Project in Turkey. The project will place dams on the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Create a map and write a status report that summarizes the
current status of the project.
CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING
6. DETERMINING MAIN IDEAS How was Sumerian culture
spread throughout Mesopotamia?
7. R ECOGNIZING EFFECTS Why is the development of a
written code of laws important to a society?
8. ANALYZING CAUSES How did the need to interact with
the environment lead to advances in civilization?
9. WRITING ACTIVITY What
advantages did living in cities offer the people of ancient
Mesopotamia? Do modern cities offer any of the same
advantages? Write a compare-and-contrast essay
supporting your answer with references to the text.
POWER AND AUTHORITY
Hammurabi
? –1750
B.C.
The noted lawgiver Hammurabi was
also an able military leader, diplomat,
and administrator of a vast empire.
Hammurabi himself described some
of his accomplishments:
As for the land of Sumer and
Akkad, I collected the scattered
peoples thereof, and I procured
food and drink for them. In
abundance and plenty I pastured
them, and I caused them to dwell
in peaceful habitation.
RESEARCH LINKS For more on
Hammurabi, go to
classzone.com
Recognizing
Effects
How did
Hammurabi’s law
code advance
civilization?
CONNECT TO TODAY
P
roble
ms
Solutio
ns
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
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