Akkad Summary Sheet

Military and Conquest

●Sargon the Great!

●2400-2200 BC: Sargon of Akkad launched series of military campaigns to conquer Sumerian city-states, an area fought over for centuries

●Formed the first nation through military conquests by uniting independent states from Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean

●First ruler with a professional army needed to maintain the large empire

Significance

●Moved towards a lasting civilization

●Brought peace to Mesopotamia after centuries of inter-Sumerian conflicts

●Allowed for time for other areas of development (intellect, religion, etc.) and perpetuated the intellectual legacy of the Sumerians

●Inter-state trade made easy in the empire = stable empire

●Legacy of expansion through military conquest was used by Assyria, Babylon, and the Persian Empire

Government and Laws

●Akkadian government formed a classical standard, in which all future Mesopotamian states compared themselves to

●The ensis were the next highest official in government, after Sargon.

●The next position in the monarch is the lugal, who was called during times of trouble

●Whoever controlled the city of Kish was recognized as the king of Kish (sar kissati). They were also prominent in Sumer and controlled irrigation systems in other cities.

●Sargon the Great was more powerful than the ensis, the lugals, and the rulers of Kish.

●Their government was highly developed. It helped create a judicial structure (monarch) that’s still common in some countries. Also, their government, as well as our government, both have people in certain positions with specific roles.

Trade and Economy

By 3000 BCE, the increases in population lead to the networks of trade that existed in Akkad.

●The economy of Akkad relied on the abundance of agriculture

●However, agriculture alone was not able to support the Akkadians so trade was created to be able to access much needed materials such as metal, building stones and wood. There was also an increase in demand for tin, an ingredient for bronze. Northern Mesopotamia lacked these indigenous sources.

●Sargon the Great understood the importance of trade and therefore, secured all major trade routes by expanding his empire to acquire the resources.

Significance

●Trade created ties with city states and other countries such as the Nile Valley, the Indus Valley, areas surround the Euphrates River into Syria, and the south of the Persian Gulf

●Trade had contributed to financing other aspects of life in Akkad to finance military, buildings, and systems of administrations

Science and Technology

●Lost-wax casting, one of the oldest known metal-forming technique Lost-wax casting

○In ancient world, people used it as a process of making life-size metal sculpture or large bronze statue. sculpture by casting it out from an artist’s sculpture.

○Lost-wax casting allows metal to cast into complex shape.

○Now: lost-wax casting (investment casting) is also widely used by firearms manufacturers, aerospace, power generation, military and medical industries.

●The Composite Bow

○a military invention of Akkadians

○widely used as an effective primary weapon of war among ancient armies, especially for Persians

○more powerful and can reach twice the distance as simple bow

●Stela

○widely used in ancient world for people to recorded down some of their important events by caving pictures or text on it. (e.g. Hammurabi’s code)

○help us to study ancient history

●Abacus

○a primary tool for simple calculation (counting)

○widely used in many ancient civilizations, especially in China, Africa

Intellectual / Writing

●2300 BCE, the Akkadians rose to power and adopted the Sumerian cuneiform script and polished it to make it their own.

●Akkadian language became more commonly spoken (for 2 millennia) and was used as the official script for religious use in later times (i.e. Babylonian)

○Developed into Babylonian and Assyrian dialects

○Akkadian is the only and oldest Semitic dialect still preserved today due to its large and lasting influence in Mesopotamia, the Bible, in Greek writings, and surrounding areas in the East

●Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon the great, is the earliest author/poet that is known by name around the world wrote 42 written hymns (3 dedicated to the Goddess Inanna)

○Her writings helped to unify the people of Akkad, Sumer, and the rest of Mesopotamia through the belief of common Gods, influencing religion

●Treaties have been found demonstrating the increased awareness of peace and negotiation