Early Civilizations in Mesopotamia

                                                         Mesopotamia
                                                      
                              Mesopotamia is between 2 rivers called Tigris and Euphrates

                              
 Tribes of Mesopotamia

•   Sumerians

•    Amorites

•    Hittites

•    Assyrians

   Chaldeans

•     Persians

•     Phoenicians

•     Hebrews

•                              

                          

                                          Sumerians

Civilization 

The land of Sumer, to the south of Mesopotamia, was part of the rich Tigris-Euphrates Valley. The Sumerian civilization thrived in the regions that are now part of Iraq. Historical evidence shows that the Sumerian Civilization dates back to about 6500 BC Sumer is among the oldest known civilizations of the world. Non-Semitic wanderers found the fertile land ideal for agriculture, and an abundance of crop dissuaded the tribes from moving on at the end of every agricultural season. Sumerian civilization is believed to have been influenced by the culture of the Samarran tribes who had settled to the north of Mesopotamia. The culture of Sumer took on an individual identity in the Uruk Period (around 4000 BC)

 Contributions

The greatest contribution of early Sumerian civilization to the world is writing. Sumerians were the earliest known civilization to move from an oral tradition to a written one, recording important events on clay tablets. They practiced cuneiform writing and recorded significant aspects of their society. The crops, taxes, myths and legends, the movement of the stars, and their religious practices were all recorded in ancient Sumer. Ur-Nammu, the monarch of the Third Dynasty of Ur, was the first known king to have a written code of laws. They invented the wheel.They built a temple called Ziggurats,where  to honor their gods.

                                                                 Lunar Calendar

                                                                   Cuneiform
                                                           

                                                                           Wheel

                                                                        Zaggurats

          
                                                                   Amorites

Civilization
The fall of Sumerian civilisation in circa 2004 BC left a vacuum that lasted for about a century. Conflict and chaos in Mesopotamia were eventually overcome as the non-Semitic Amorites, who had inherited much of their civilisation and culture from Sumer, began to rise in power and importance.

Contribution

• Code of law
• "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth"

                          

                                                                 Hittites

Civilization

In around 1650 BC, Anatolia saw the emergence of King Hattusili who conquered all the warring states and united them. He established his capital in Hattusha, and in an attempt to further his territories, declared war against the neighboring Arzawa and Hurrian kingdoms. Under Hattusili I, the Hittite Empire stretched across Anatolia to the northern fringes of Syria. The empire reached its greatest glory under the reign of King Suppiluliuma I (1380-1346 BC). 

Contribution

• First to use Iron for their tools and weapons

                                  Assyrians

Civilization

At its peak around 650 BCE, the Assyrians fought the Hittites and settled along the Tigris river and built the city-state of Assur.

Contribution

• They collected heavy taxes 
• They built roads for the troops to move quickly

                                Chaldeans

Civilization

In 612 BCE, the Medes and the Chaldeans defeated the Assyrians and rebuilt Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar,the ruler of  the Chaldeans, made Babylon a city of wonders.The Chaldeans were known to be " Stargazers of Babylon."

Contribution

The Hanging Garden of Babylonian 

Zodiac signs (12 constellations)

The Ishtar Gate(entrance to the city of Babylon)

                                 Persians

Civilization

The Persians bore the name Persia, the land located at the eastern part of the Persian Gulf .The Persians support to the idea of a single currency, people didn't have to barter goods anymore. Also around 576 BC to 529 BC) - Under the rule of Cyrus II the Great, the Cyrus Cylinder was issued.

Contribution

•  coin type money system                                     

                                                        Phoenicians

Civilization

They settled in the area 7550 BC in cities like Byblos,Tyre and Sydon in Meditterranean."'Phoenicia' and 'Phoenician' are somewhat artificial terms which were applied by the classical authors to the city-states of the narrow coastal strip that corresponds roughly to northern Lebanon, and the inhabitants who occupied them, from 1200 BC onwards. Their main cities were Tyre, Sidon and Byblos on the coast of Lebanon. 

Contribution

• The Alphabet (22 consonants)
• Religion
• Purple Dye
• Trade and commerce (wine,glass,ivory and weapons)

                                Hebrews

Civilization

Phoenicians are not only who live in Palestine.Canaan was the ancient home of the Hebrews, who called by Jews later on.Canaan was the promised land of God for the Hebrews.

Contributin

• Ten Commandments
• Mosaic Law

Realization about the Contribution
I realize that the contributions of Mesopotamia greatly helped the people in their place.Because without them, the people will become uneducated.And because of their great history, it affected the lives and they were now greatly change.

Do you think their contributions have affected us? today? why?
Yes,because of their contributions, we are able to use them presently.Thus, also in our history,because of them, we are able to learn how to make things work.