Chapter 3 Ancient Mesopotamia - 6th Grade Social Studies
Chapter3AncientMesopotamiaBefore You Read: Previewing Key ConceptsThe Big Idea below is a general historical idea. Rewritethis idea as three questions that can be answered as youread this chapter. One example is:How did the geography of ancient Mesopotamia helpagriculture develop?Look for the answers to your questions as you read.Big Ideas About Ancient MesopotamiaGeography Civilizations arise in geographic locations thathelp the development of agriculture or trade or both.Mesopotamia is a region that has two great rivers. They providedancient people with water for drinking and for crops. When therivers flooded, they deposited fresh soil on the land, making itgood for farming. In addition, it was easy to move trade goods byboat down the rivers.Integrated TechnologyINTERNET RESOURCESGo to ClassZone.com for WebQuest Quizzes Homework Helper Maps Research Links Test PracticeAncient Mesopotamia Internet Activities Current EventsInteractive MapsInteractive Visuals Starting with a Story AFRICA20 E30 E 5000 B.C .People by the Euphrates Riverbegin to irrigate crops.(jug, about 3000 B.C. ) 4000 B.C .A dry period begins in Africa,causing the Sahara to spread.(the Sahara today)78
40 NArasRiCaspianSeaveMesopotamia, 2400 B.C.rTir isASIAgRi verMESZAOPOaIAS y r i a nD e s e r tMOUk hehINtesKarSTAhrMONEu hLagashEriduJordanRiverUr30 NPersianGulfNi l eARABIANPENINSULARiver007575150 miles150 kilometersNEReWFertile soil deposited by riversSumerian cultural areadSModern coastlineSea40 E3000 B.C .The first system of writingis in use.(tablet, about 2100 B.C. )2400 B.C .King Urukagina of Lagashreforms government. 3500 B.C .Farming villagesgrow into cities.2600–2500 B.C .People in the Indus Valleybuild cities.(city ruins today) 3100 B.C .King Narmer unifies Egypt.79
Background: The first people in Southwest Asia(sometimes referred to as the Middle East) were huntersand gatherers. In some places, they found animals andplants that people began to raise themselves. Someplants that people learned to grow were wild grains. Soas people learned how to plant crops for themselves, theybegan to settle in villages.This change happened over time more than 8,000 yearsago. The new way of life was not always easy. Imagineyou are there as your village fights for its life. Ancient people learned to grow wheat for food.80
Starting with a Storyou are a farmer in Southwest Asia. The oldest members of yourfamily decided several years ago to settle in a new village neara river. They knew the river had something special about it thatwould make this place suitable for farming.Every year the river floods and puts a fresh layer of rich, dark mud onthe fields. This mud provides moisture to the soil and somehow seems tohelp plants grow. You depend on the flood to be able to farm.This year the flood never happened because there wasn’t enough rain.With no moisture, the soil was hard when you were ready to plant. Yoursharpened digging stick barely penetrated the soil enough for you to putthe seeds in the ground.Now the weather is hot and dry, and the tiny plants are struggling tosurvive. Every day the scorching sun beats down on them. Their leaveswilt. Large cracks are appearing in the ground, and crops are dying.The brutal heat makes it difficult to work. Yet every day you must walkto the river with animal-skin bags to get water for the plants. You repeatthe trip hour after hour, until your legs feel like they won’t support youany longer. Your back aches from carrying water and from bending overyour crops. The plants need every drop of moisture they can get. But theheat of the sun seems to evaporate the water as soon as it hits the ground.At times like this, farming seems like fighting a losing battle. If yourcrops die, your family won’t have enough food. Trudging back and forth tothe river, you pray to the gods for help. Sick with worry, you wonder howto avoid this situation in the future.What can you invent to make farming easier?1. READING: Setting Setting is the place and time of astory. How did setting influence the problem in this story?2. WRITING: Explanation Write a description of yourinvention. Explain how it works step by step. Conclude bysummarizing how the invention will change farming.81
Lesson1MAIN IDEASGeography The land between the Tigrisand Euphrates rivers was a good regionfor agriculture.Geography The environment of Mesopotamiapresented several challenges to the people wholived there.Geography Mesopotamians changed theirenvironment to improve life.TAKING NOTESReading Skill: SummarizingTo summarize is to restate a passage in fewerwords. After you read Lesson 1, write a sentence ortwo summarizing each of the three main sections.Use a chart like this one to record your summaries.Geography of MesopotamiaThe rivers of Mesopotamia were important because . . .Mesopotamians watered their crops by . . . Ram This figurine showsa ram caught in a thicket. Itis made of gold, shell, and ablue stone called lapis.Because of a lack of resources, . . .Skillbuilder Handbook, page R3Words to KnowUnderstanding the following words will help you read this lesson:current a flowing partof a river or stream(page 83)Experienced travelers knewhow currents affected boatson the river.82 Chapter 3swell to increase in sizeor volume (page 84)clog to block up(page 85)steal to take withoutpermission (page 85)The farmers knew that theriver would swell, pour overits low banks, and floodtheir fields.The water slowed to atrickle because the canalthrough which it flowedwas clogged with dirt.The thieves planned tosneak into the village atnight to steal food andvaluables.
TERMS & NAMESGeography ghtsurplusBuild on What You Know Think of a time when youhave seen pictures of a flood on television or in newspapers.Floods cause destruction by washing away objects in theirpath. Do you think a flood can also have good consequences?The Land Between Two RiversESSENTIAL QUESTION How did the land between the Tigris andEuphrates rivers support agriculture?The Tigris (TY grihs) and Euphrates (yoo FRAY teez)rivers are in Southwest Asia. They start in the mountains ofwhat are now Turkey and Kurdistan. From there they flowthrough what is now Iraq southeast to the Persian Gulf. (Seethe map on pages 78–79.)Mesopotamia The region where these two rivers flowis called Mesopotamia (MEHS uh puh TAY mee uh). Thename means “land between the rivers.” This land wasmostly flat with small, scrubby plants.The rivers provided water and means of travel. In ancienttimes, it was easier to travel by boat than over land. Boatscan carry heavy loads. River currents helped move boatsthat were traveling down river. Also, few roads existed.Connect to TodayEuphrates RiverEven today, peopleof Mesopotamia farmthe land next to theEuphrates River. Theflat land by a river isa floodplain. 83
Fertile Soil Almost every year, rain and melting snow in themountains caused the rivers to swell. As the water flowed down themountains, it picked up soil. When the rivers reached the plains,water overflowed onto the floodplainfloodplain, the flat land bordering thebanks. As the water spread over the floodplain, the soil it carriedsettled on the land. The fine soil deposited by rivers is called siltsilt.The silt was fertile, which means it was good for growing crops.A Semiarid Climate Usually, less than 10 inches of rainfell in southern Mesopotamia a year. Summers were hot.This type of climate is called semiaridsemiarid. Although the regionwas dry, ancient people could still grow crops becauseof the rivers and the fertile soil. Farming villages werewidespread across southern Mesopotamia by 4000 B.C.What made Mesopotamia a good region for farming?Vocabulary StrategyThe prefix semimeans “half.” Theword arid means“dry.” A semiaridregion has some rain,but remains fairly dry.Controlling Water by IrrigationESSENTIAL QUESTION How did the climate affect farmers?Being a farmer is difficult. Crops need the right amount of waterto thrive. The floods and the semiarid climate in Mesopotamiameant that farmers often had either too much water or too little.Ancient IrrigationThe model below shows how an ancient irrigation system worked.1 Gates controlled how much water flowed from the river.2 Main canals led from the river. They sloped gentlydownward to keep the water flowing.3 Medium-sized branch canals ledaway from the main canals.4 Small feeder canals led water directlyto the fields.GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDERINTERPRETING VISUALSHuman-Environment Interaction Whydo you think it was important to controlhow much water flowed from the river?84 Chapter 3
Floods and Droughts The yearly flood was unpredictable. Noone knew when the flood would occur. It might come in April oras late as June. Farmers could not predict when to plant. Also, theflood’s size depended on how much snow melted in the mountainsin spring and how much rain fell. If there was too much, theflood might be violent and wash everything away. If there wastoo little rain and melting snow, the flood would not come.A drought is a period when not enough rain and snow fall.In a semiarid region, drought is a constant danger. During adrought, the river level would drop, making it hard to watercrops. If crops failed, people starved.Irrigation By about 6000 B.C., farmers built canals to carrywater from the rivers to their fields. Such a system is calledirrigation. Often, the silt in the water clogged the canals.Workers had to clean out the silt to keep the water flowing.They also built dams to hold back excess water during floods.How did Mesopotamians water their crops during droughts?Finding ResourcesESSENTIAL QUESTION How didMesopotamians cope with a lack of resources?Since the beginning of time, humans havehad to solve problems in the environment.For example, Mesopotamia had no foreststo provide wood. The region also lackedstone and minerals, such as metals.Mud Houses and Walls Because of thatlack of resources, Mesopotamians had fewbuilding materials. Since they could notbuild with wood or stone, they used mudfor bricks and plaster. However, mud buildingscrumbled easily and had to be repaired often.Also, Mesopotamia was easy to invade because it had fewmountains or other natural barriers. As a result, people fromother regions often came to steal from the Mesopotamians orconquer them. The ancient Mesopotamians wanted to protectthemselves, but they had no trees or stone to build barriers.So people built mud walls around their villages.Connect to Today Building of Mudand Reeds This styleof building has beenused in the regionfor at least 5,000years and is stillused today.Ancient Mesopotamia 85
Finding Resources Mesopotamians obtained some stone,wood, and metal outside their own land. They were able totrade for these things because they grew a surplus of grain.Surplus means more than they needed for themselves.Jobs such as digging canals, building walls, and tradinghad to be done over and over. Community leaders began toorganize groups of people to do the work at the right time.Lesson 2 explains more about the organization of society.Why was trade important in Mesopotamia?Lesson Summary The Tigris and Euphrates rivers made thesoil of Mesopotamia good for growing crops. The people of Mesopotamia developed anirrigation system to bring water to crops. Mesopotamia had few resources. People tradedsurplus crops to get what they needed.Why It Matters Now . . .The Mesopotamians had to overcome a lack of resources. Todaypeople still work to solve shortages of water, food, and resources.1Homework HelperClassZone.comTerms & Names1. Explain the importance sing Your NotesSummarizing Use your completed chart to answerthe following question:2. How did the Mesopotamians change the environmentto deal with geographic challenges?Geography of MesopotamiaThe rivers of Mesopotamia were important because . . .Main Ideas3. What did the Tigris and Euphrates rivers providefor ancient Mesopotamians?4. How did the lack of natural resources affectMesopotamians?5. How did Mesopotamian farmers obtain the rightamount of water for their crops?Critical Thinking6. Understanding Causes How was irrigationconnected to trade?7. Drawing Conclusions How did Mesopotamianscreate a successful society?Mesopotamians watered their crops by . . .Because of a lack of resources, . . .Writing Job Descriptions Create a job description for a worker in Mesopotamia. Somepossible jobs include irrigation system planner, canal digger, wall builder, trader, and projectscheduler. Form a small group, and share your job descriptions.86 Chapter 3
Extend Lesson 1Make a DiagramGoal:To explore the geographic relationship between resourcesand settlement in river valley civilizationsPrepare1Reread the paragraph “Fertile Soil” on page 84. Also, researchthe processes by which rivers pick up soil, carry it to otherplaces, and deposit it on floodplains.2Learn the terms erosion and deposition.Materials & Supplies posterboard colored markers orpencils ruler books on earth scienceor encyclopediasDo the Activity1Create a diagram showing a river flowing frommountains through a floodplain to a gulf. (Use thediagram at right as a model.) Draw an arrow to showwhich way the river is flowing.2Label the following areas: mountains, river, floodplain, gulf.3Color the fertile region green. (Use the map on page 79as a model.)4Add captions to explain how rivers pick up soil and howthey deposit it on the floodplain.Follow-UpWhere do you think ancient farmers built villages? Explain.ExtensionWriting a Comparison Research in booksor ask a science teacher whichU.S. river systems deposit soil onfloodplains. Write a paragraphcomparing those river systems tothe ones in Mesopotamia.87
Lesson2MAIN IDEASCulture Food surpluses, new technology, andadvanced social organization led to a complexway of life. It is called civilization.Government A new type of governmentdeveloped in Sumer that included a city and itssurrounding lands.Government Religion dominated life in Sumer,but in time, powerful men who were not priestsbecame the political rulers.TAKING NOTESReading Skill: Making GeneralizationsAs you read Lesson 2, use your own words torecord information about Sumer on a chart likethis. You will be asked to make a generalization,or broad judgment, later.Civilization in SumerAdvanced cities Votive Statues Sumerianartists made these statuesto worship the gods whenpeople were busy doingother things. Notice howbig their eyes are fromgazing at the gods.Specialized workersComplex institutionsRecord keepingAdvanced technologySkillbuilder Handbook, page R8Words to KnowUnderstanding the following words will help you read this lesson:advanced beyondothers in developmentor progress (page 89)Historians have studiedthe advanced societies thatlived in Mesopotamia.88 Chapter 3mouth the part of ahometown the townriver that empties intoa larger body of water(page 92)in which one is born orraised (page 92)foothill a low hill at thestart of a mountain range(page 93)The hometown of thereligious leader Abrahamwas Ur.The travelers approachedthe foothills of the ZagrosMountains.The mouths of the Tigrisand Euphrates rivers are inthe Persian Gulf.
TERMS & NAMESThe atpolytheismkingBuild on What You Know Cities today have a wide rangeof cultural options. These include sports, entertainment,museums, and restaurants. They also offer people thechance to gain a good education or a promising job. Asyou are about to read, even the earliest cities were places ofopportunity and culture.The Rise of CivilizationESSENTIAL QUESTION How did civilization develop in the regionof Sumer?The rise of agriculture enabled people to settle in villages. Theydidn’t have to search for food. As more people decided to livein communities, villages grew larger. In time, they becamecities. City leaders had to start organizing workers to solveproblems, such as building and cleaning irrigation canals. Overtime, society and culture grew more complex. These changesled to an advanced form of culture called civilizationcivilization. Mosthistorians think the first civilization rose about 3300 B.C. inSumer, which was a region in southern Mesopotamia.SumerRuins of Ur Theancient Sumerian cityof Ur once stood on thebanks of the Euphrates.The river has shiftedover time. Now it is tenmiles away. 89
Traits of Civilization Five traits characterize civilization:advanced cities, specialized workers, complex institutions,record keeping, and advanced technology.1. Advanced Cities Civilization is closely linked to life incities. At first, cities became important because farmersneeded a place to store and trade their surplus grain. Ascities grew, they began to offer other advantages. Forexample, the cities of Sumer had large temples wherepeople prayed. Cities also offered many different typesof work.2. Specialized Workers In general, a society needs foodsurpluses before civilization can develop. Having a foodsurplus allows people to do other types of work besidesfarming. Workers can specialize, which means to do a jobthat requires special skills. For example, Sumerian workersbuilt houses, made jewelry, sewed clothes, or createdpottery. When people specialize, the quality of theirwork improves because they can develop their skill.Because cities are crowded, people must learn to livetogether. They also have to cooperate on projects, such asbuilding irrigation canals. As a result, some people took onCivilization in SumerBasic Traits of CivilizationExamples from SumerAdvanced citiesKish, Nippur, UrSpecialized workerspriest, king, artisanComplexinstitutionsthe temple, the army,schoolsRecord keepingwritingAdvancedtechnologyirrigation, bronze tools Kings City-states in ancient Sumer were ruled bykings. King Gudea ruled the city-state Lagash.90 Chapter 3
the job of organizing society. In early Sumeriancities, priests did that job. They ran society andacted as judges.3. Complex Institutions In time, religion andgovernment became institutions. An institutionis a group of people who have a specific purpose.Often it exists to help society meet its needs. Forexample, schools are institutions that exist toeducate children. An army is an institution thatexists to protect a society. Sometimes societyuses an army to conquer others.4. Record Keeping Societies must keep track ofmany things. For example, the rulers may wantto measure the food supplies stored in the city.Keeping records usually involves writing, but notalways. In Mesopotamia, people started by usingwooden counting sticks. Later, they invented theworld’s first system of writing. (You will learn aboutthis in Lesson 3.)Helmet and SwordThis gold helmet andbronze sword areexamples of advancedtechnology. They alsoshow the skill of thespecialized workerswho made them.5. Advanced Technology Societies advance as people learnbetter ways to do things. For example, the people ofSumer learned to use canals to irrigate crops. They alsocreated new tools and used new materials. For instance,the Sumerians began to make tools of bronze (a mixtureof copper and tin). Bronze tools replaced tools made ofcopper, which is a softer metal.Why was Sumer a good example of civilization?Sumerian City-StatesESSENTIAL QUESTION What new type of community developedin Sumer?Sumerian cities offered many advantages to people who lived inthe surrounding lands. Cities were centers of trade, learning, andreligion. Most people still lived in the countryside. Even so, overtime the cities began to rule the surrounding lands and villages.A community that included a city and its nearby farmlandswas called a city-statecity-state. The nearby land might include severalvillages. Between 10,000 and 100,000 people might have livedin a city. Each city-state ruled itself.Ancient Mesopotamia 91
The City
the map on pages 78–79.) Mesopotamia The region where these two rivers flow is called Mesopotamia (MEHS uh puh TAY mee uh). The name means “land between the rivers.” This land was mostly flat with small, scrubby plants. The rivers provided water and means of travel. In ancient times, it was easier to travel by boat than over .
Part One: Heir of Ash Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 .
The name Mesopotamia means “between the rivers.” The land of Mesopotamia lay between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Because there was water nearby, the land was good for farming. Farmers grew the food that fed the people of Mesopotamia, including those who lived in the cities. The Land Between Two Rivers. The kings of Mesopotamia
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA- AKKADIAN EMPIRE The Akkadian Empire was the first Empire to rule all of Mesopotamia. It lasted about 200 years from 2300 BC to 2100 BC. Originally the Sumerians lived in the southern part of Mesopotamia and the Akkadians lived in the northern part. They had similar governments and cultures, but spoke different languages.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Contents Dedication Epigraph Part One Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Part Two Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18. Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26
Considered a River Valley Civilization. Mesopotamia Geography The rivers would overflow, leaving . development of to politics and civilizations. Mesopotamia marked by frequent change. Mesopotamia Geography and Development The first phase of Mesopotamia’s political history . Early
DEDICATION PART ONE Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 PART TWO Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 .
Timeline of Ancient Mesopotamia 5000-3500 BCE: The first city-states gradually develop in southern Mesopotamia. This is the achievement of the Sumerian people. BCE. 3500: Writing begins to be developed.
the asset management industry and we devote special attention to the international diversification of portfolios and the problem of global asset allocation. We also use international data to illustrate the quantitative tools employed in the industry. The final class in this segment examines emerging markets and how the globalization process has affected asset prices. II. Performance .
