Mesopotamian Civilization Flashcards
- Name of Mesopotamian writing
- Who was it limited to?
- What was it used to record?
- Cuneiform
- Elite
- Transactions
What type of economy did Early Mesopotamian Cities practice?
Early proto-Socialism
Farmers contributed produce to public storehouses
Other workers are paid uniform ‘wages’ in grain
What type of economy did New Mesopotamian Cities practice?
Private enterprises - produce as much as possible as long as you give a cut to the govt.
Which civilisation developed in Mesopotamia around 4000 BCE?
Sumerians
Which civilisation was in the South of Mesopotamia and which was in the North?
Sumerians in the South and Akkadians in the North
When did the Sumerians start interacting with the Akkadians
around 3000 BCE
What language was spoken by the Akkadians?
Akkadian - a Semitic language.
What is a Semitic Language?
Branch of Afroasiatic languages.
Spoken by descendants of Shem - Noah’s son in the Hebrew Bible.
another eg: Arabic
The first significant ruler of the Akkadian empire, when and why?
Sargon the Great (2350 BCE) - took control of Northern and Southern Mesopotamia
What epic was written about a historical Sumerian King? Where was he from?
Epic of Gilgamesh, from Uruk.
Which kingdom flourished under ruler Hammurabi and when?
Babylonian Empire around 2200 BCE.
What was Hammurabi known for?
Known for the Law Code
What was the Law Code established by Hammurabi?
it established wages. punishments and the idea of presumption of innocence
When did the city-state period end in Mesopotamia?
2000 BCE
The Assyrian Empire is named after…?
The home base of Assur
What was the territorial conquest of the Assyrian Empire?
From 911 BCE to 612 BCE, they conquered most of Mesopotamia and much of modern day Middle East.
When and to whom did the Assyrian Empire collapse?
It collapsed in the 7th Century BCE to the Neo-Babylonian Empire
What did the Assyrian Empire believe would avert the apocalypse from taking place? What happened after this belief was refuted?
They believed constant conquest would keep the world going.
When they lost a battle, this view collapsed and led to the conquering of City of Nineveh in 612 BCE
First diverse and multi-ethnic empire
The Assyrian Empire
What were some basic practices of the Assyrian Empire?
- Army based on meritocracy
- Deportation of people based on the skills of workers
- Mark potential rebels by cutting off limbs, especially noses
- Everything done in the name of God Ashur, through the regent who is the King
- Believed that conquest is required to stop the apocalypse
Name the famous ruler of Neo-Babylonian Empire
Nebuchadnezzar II
What is Nebuchadnezzar II known for?
For taking early Jewish people captive in the Bible
When was the Neo-Babylonian empire overthrown, putting an end to the civilisations in Mesopotamia. By whom?
6th Century BCE by Persians and Cyrus the Great
