Ancient civilisation: Mesopotamia

Before civilizations...

-People migrated in search of food

-People did not have a way to learn things

- people cannot read and write.

-People did not have permanent homes

You will learn about these civilizations in 2nd- 3th grade:

-Mesopotamia

-Egypt

-India

-China

-Greece

- maya, inca aztec

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Sumer, Mesopotamia

• The first civilization

• People started farming villages

• They grew into cities

Can you visit Sumer today?

No, it is called Iraq

All civilizations have...

A stable food supply

(A way to get food)

All civilizations have...

Government

(People in charge)

People with jobs/roles in the city

All civilizations have...

A system of writing

All civilizations have...

A religion that many people share

(Belief in gods or spirits)

A place to come together to worship

Most of the first civilizations were. ..

Polytheistic

poly-thee-is-tic

They believed in MANY gods

All civilizations have...

Things invented by its people

Ancient Sumerians invented the WHEEL!

You are part of a MODERN civilization!

A civilization is a complex human society, usually made up of different cities, with certain characteristics of cultural and technological development. In many parts of the world, early civilizations formed when people began coming together in urban settlements.

What is a civilisation?

Mesopotamia

• The name mean land between rivers.

• It describes an ancient region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East.

• Some of the world’s first civilizations developed in Mesopotamia. 

FIRST WRITING SYSTEM

• After 4000 BCE. the world’s first cities began in Sumer. Sumerian cities included Kish, Uruk, Ur, and Lagash. In about 3000 BCE

• the Sumerians created the world’s first writing system, called cuneiform.

Religion and Gods

• The Ancient Sumerians worshipped many different gods and goddesses. They thought that the gods influenced much of what happened to them in their lives.

• Anu - Sometimes called An, Anu was the god of the heavens and king of the gods. The city associated with Anu was Uruk.

• Enlil - The god of air, wind, and storms, Enlil held the Tablets of Destiny. These tablets gave him control over the fate of man and made him very powerful.

ZIGGURATS

• At the center of each major city in Mesopotamia was a large structure called a ziggurat.

• The ziggurat was built to honor the main god of the city. The tradition of building a ziggurat was started by the Sumerians.

Multiple Choice

What is ancient?

• an object made by human beings

• very old; of a long time ago

• the stage of human social development and organization

• a ceremony

Multiple Choice

What is a civilization?

• a ceremony

• the stage of human social development and organization that is considered most advanced.

• an object made by human beings

• the time or period before recorded or written history

Multiple Choice

Messopotamia civilisation is located between which two rivers?

• White Nile and Blue Nile

• River Tigris and RIver Euphrates

• River Nile and River Messopotamia

• River Mississippi and River Tennessee

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the oldest civilisation in ancient history?

• Egyptian civilisation

• Inca civilisation

• Mesopotamia civilisation (summerian)

• Mayan civilisation

Multiple Select

What was the name of the first civilization built in Mesopotamia?

• Akkadians

• Babylonians

• Sumerians

• I don´t know

Multiple Choice

Where did the first civilization occur?

• river valleys

• coastlines

• deserts

• chokepoints

Multiple Choice

Egyptian civilisation is located along ..................?

• River Nile

• RIver Euphrates

• River Tigris

• River Tennessee