1. Economies of the ME & NA Historical & Geographical Foundation

2. Historical Significance Religious sites: Mecca & Medina Jerusalem Other holly cities in Iraq, Iran, and Israel

3. Historical Significance Urbanization & Civilization: Farming and animal domestication Specialization of labor in industry Inventions: wheel, plow, armaments Development: writing, coinage, government

4. Historical Significance Irrigation farming in Tigris-Euphrates Valley Nile Valley & Delta Jordan Valley

5. Historical Significance Culture & Arts Architecture (towns & monuments) Artifacts & inscriptions Music & literature

6. Historical Significance Natural resources: Minerals; e.g., oil & natural gas Metals: e.g., copper & phosphates

7. Historical Significance Conflict Ancient times: wars resulting in the rise & fall of many empires Contemporary: Arab-Israeli dispute over land ownership, and inter-state wars (e.g., Iran, Iraq, Kuwait)

8. Early States Mesopotamia: Sumerians: 4,500-5,000 years ago Akkadians ending Sumerian rule in 2335 BC Babylonian emerging after 2000 BC Neo-Babylonian: 604-562 BC Assyrian: 300 years after 935 BC

9. Early States Egypt and Canaan: Egyptian: before 3000 BC Israelite: about 1020 BC

10. Early States Persia: Achaemenid: from 530-323 BC Parthian: after 330 BC Sasanian: 226-632 AD

11. Early States Greco-Roman: Alexander Seleucid & Ptolemic Roman & Byzantine

12. Early States Arab: Early conquest: after Mohammad’s death in 632 AD Umayyad: 661-750 AD Abbasid: 750-1258

13. Early States Tatars & Mongols: Genghis Khan conquering Iran in early 1200s Hulagu Khan sacking Baghdad in 1258 Tamerlane taking Baghdad in 1393

14. Early States Turks: Seljuk entering Baghdad in 1055 AD Safavid: from late 1500s for 200 years Ottoman: 600 years from early 1600s until 1918

15. Power Cores Major power centers Egyptians in the Nile Valley Persians in Iranian Plateau & Mesopotamia Turks in Asia Minor Arabs in Arabian Peninsula & Fertile Cresent

16. Power Cores Remains of power cores: Iran Turkey Saudi Arabia

17. Power Cores Arabian Peninsula remained Independent Iranian Plateau was occupied by several powers, but never colonized

18. Power Cores No one power has ever succeeded in conquering and occupying the entire ME. Power cores rotated between Iranian Plateau and Asia Minor Power cores controlled Egypt, but Egypt had limited control outside its territory

19. Power Cores Renewed conflict in Iranian Plateau (Iran) Mesopotamia (Iraq) Fertile Crescent (Arabs & Israel)

20. Why is Underdevelopment? Time PeriodMajor Scientific ContributionMajor Military Conflict 601-700 AD24 701-80063 801-90071 901-100072 1001-110044 1101-120024 1201-130016 1301-140013 1401-150003 1501-160005 1601-170028 1701-180006 1801-1900114 1901-2004132