G.R.A.P.E.S. Theme Chart for
Mesopotamia / Sumer, Chapter 3
Geography

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded so the used
levees to help with the flooding – to water crops

Poked holes in levees to water crops – canals

No stone or timber – used mud bricks for
building

Desert – modern day Iraq
Religion

Ziggurat – home of the gods
o So tall to get them closer to heaven

Only priests could enter the top level of the
ziggurat

Had over 3000 gods – to represent forces of
nature

Only on earth to serve gods

Each city-state had own god

Thought there were only male gods at first but
then female gods
Achievements

City states were a city with a wall around and
then farmland on the outside

Ziggurat was in the middle, then upper, middle,
and on the edge the lower class houses

Made statues, pottery,

Had bronze gates (bronze a new metal)

Cuneiform (writing

Invented the wheel

360 degree circle

60 min hour, 60 sec. min.

Calendar based on moon

Invented sailboat

Invented plow

Cradle of Civilization (first civilization)

Oldest written records were Sumerian

Their ideas were copied and improved by others

Rise:
o Neolithic Revolution caused villages to
start because people could stay in one
place – then villages developed into
civilizations (Sumer)
o Specialization (jobs) started
o Writing developed
o Sargon I – pushed the civilization to
become larger
o Hammurabi – pushed it even farther
and wrote down laws (Code of Laws)
Politics

Hammurabi was best known for Code of Laws –
given to rule each city-state

Priests were kings, hereditary (parent to child)

At the beginning each city-state had an
independent government

Sargon I (from Akkad)– ruled for 50 years – he
united city-states – worlds first EMPIRE
o Akkadian become the language
o Pushed civilization to become larger
o When he died empire fell

Hammurabi (Babylon) – ruled for 40 years
o Golden Age of Babylon
o Improved city-states
o Made judges to give punishments
o Upper class punished harsher
o Increased trade
o When he died Mesopotamia fell and
divided into small city states
Economy

Fisherman/ farmers

Government officials / priests

Merchants / shop keepers

Artisans / metal workers

Scribes / teachers (went to school to learn to be
one)

Pottery makers (artisans)

Traders with the rest of the world
o Cuneiform (writing) – keep track of
trade
Social Systems

Upper class – priests and merchants (trader)

Middle class – government officials, shop
keepers, artisans (skilled workers)

Lower class – farmers, unskilled workers,
fisherman