1. Early Societies in SW Asia and the Indo-European migration
Ch. 2

2. The Quest for Order

3. Mesopotamia: “The Land between the Rivers”
Semitic Migrants
Sumerian City States
Sumerian Kings
Most gov’t were
Assemblies
Crisis led to the king
(monarch)
Absolute authority
Formal Gov’t develop
Due to internal/external
Pressure
Gov’t: organized city
Projects
Ziggurat: holy stepped
Pyramid temple
Irrigation systems to
Support agriculture and
Urban society
Used military forces for
protection
Sumerians were
Dominant people of
Mesopotamia
Created irrigation
Networks
Attracted Semitic
Speaking people (same
Language tongue)
Built 1st cities (centers
Of political and military
Authority)
Included Marketplace
And cultural centers

5. The Course of Empire Sargon of Akkad and Empire: A new form of
Political Organization
Hammurabi & the
Babylonian Empire
Hammurabi’s Laws
Created
Mesopotamian empire
Sargon gained power
Through a coup
Conquered city by city
Sargon had a personal
Presence
Many he conquered did
Not like this (raids,
Destruction, financial
Support)
Empire weakened due to
Chronic rebellion in city-
states
High standards of
Behavior
Stern punishment
For violators
Lex talionis= “law
Of retaliation”
Punishments
Resembling violations
Code took into
Account social standing
1595 Babylon falls to
The Hittites
Leader of Babylonian
Empire
Relied on central
Bureaucratic rule &
Taxation
Deputies in controlled
Territories
Efficient predictable
Gov’t

6. Discussion questions 1-4
What was the difference in rule between Sargon and Hammurabi?
Why do you think that Hammurabi had more success in his administration of his empire than Sargon?
The Code of Hammurabi provided the first set of laws that addressed moral behavior. Why do you think social inequality existed between punishments?
What can you infer about social inequality and power?

7. The Later Mesopotamian Empires
Nebuchadnezzar & the New
Babylonian Empire
Assyrian Empire
bce Chaldean empire
(aka Babylon)
Brought wealth to cities
Defensive walls, palaces, temples
6th c. lost control and absorbed
Into foreign empires
Extended power to SW Asia
Used iron weapons in army
Used administrative techniques
Followed laws like those of
Hammurabi
Preserved Mesopotamian
Literature (ex. Epic of Gilgamesh)
Empire ends due to internal/external
forces

8. Discussion Question 5
What does the Epic of Gilgamesh suggest about the society of Mesopotamia?

9. The Formation of a Complex Society and
Sophisticated Cultural Traditions

10. Economic Specialization and Trade
Bronze and Iron
Metallurgy
The Wheel
Shipbuilding and Trade
Networks
Metallurgical
Developments important
Due to specialized labor
Invention of bronze
Impact: militarily (swords,
Spears, axes, shields, etc..),
Agriculturally (knives, bronze
Tipped plows instead of bone
Or wood)
Iron is also used and
Becomes the metal of choice
Sumerians used water
Craft to go into the Persian
Gulf
Traded with Harappan
Society (India)
Mesopotamians
Traded with people in
All areas
Assyrians traveled by
Donkey to Assur & Kanesh
Families operated organized
businesses
Efficient means of
Transportation using
Wheeled vehicles &
Sailing ships
Facilitated long-
Distance trade
Wheeled carts &
Wagons: carrying
Heavy loads
Wheel diffused to
Other lands

11. Discussion question 6
Why is development of technology important to the economy?

12. The Emergence of a Stratified Patriarchal Society
Social Classes and
Temple Communities
Slaves
Patriarchal Society
Women’s Roles
Specialized labor
And trade led to more
Wealth
Kings & nobles (off-
Spring of gods)
Special projects &
Lavish capital cities
Promoted high status
Priests allied w/kings
Priest intervene w/
Gods to ensure good
Fortune for community
Temples generate
Income (banks=store
Wealth, trading ventures,
Help those in need)
Free Commoner,
Dependent clients, slaves
POWS,
Convicted
Criminals,
Heavily indebted
Many were
Domestic servants
Granted
Freedom w/a gift
Men ruled publicly
& privately
Privately: family work
Marriage arrangements,
Family decisions, sell fam
Into slavery
Publicly: policies
At times
Advised
Kings & gov’t
Obtained
Education
And worked
As scribes
Virginity of
Brides at marriage
Forbade
Casual socializing
Of married men
And women
1500bce
Wore veils

13. The Development of Written Cultural Traditions
Astronomy
& Mathematics
Cuneiform
Education
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Symbols to
Represent sound
Syllables & ideas
“wedge shaped”
Important for
Agriculture
Rhythms of
Seasons
Divided year
Into 12mths and
60=1hr &60 s.=1
min
Vocational
Formal schools
(ex. Scribes/Gov’t
officials, Priests,
Lawyers, etc.)
Writing to
Communicate
Complex ideas
About the world,
God, humans &
Relationships
Themes of:
Friendship, human/god
Relationships, life &
Death meaning
Principle vessel for
Moral issues

14. Discussion question 7
In what ways did culture help to promote advancement in the Mesopotamian civilization?

15. The Broader Influence of Mesopotamian Society

16. Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews
The Early Hebrews
& Migrations and Settlements
In Palestine
Moses and
Monotheism
Assyrian &
Babylonian
Conquests
Early Jewish
Community
Moses embraced
Monotheism
One god aka
Yahweh
Creator and
Sustainer of the world
Other gods imposters
Worship him alone
High moral & ethical
Standards
(ie. 10 Commandments)
Torah= holy book
(teaching)-Yahweh’s role
In guiding Human affairs
Obey=reward, disobey
=punishment
After king
Solomon
Israelites split
In two.
Kingdom
Of Israel=north
Kingdom of
Judah=South
KoI gets
Defeated
Becomes known
As 10 lost tribes
Lose identitiy
KoJ gets taken
Over but keeps
identity
Created a
Distinctive
Religious
Community
Based on their
Religion
Maintained
Identitiy different
From
Mesopotamians
Influence
Christianity & Islam
Pastoral nomads
Hebrew patriarch Abraham
Hebrew law used lex talionis
Migrated to Egypt in 18th c.bce
1300bce=left Egypt w/Moses
To Palestine
These Hebrews formed 12 tribes
Aka as Israelites
Came under unified rule with
King David & King Solomon

17. Discussion question 8-9
In your opinion, why do you think that monotheism did not gain a strong following w/in Mesopotamian civilization?
How is the 10 commandments evident in today’s society in terms of law?

18. The Phoenicians Phoenician Trade Networks The Early Phoenicians
Alphabetic Writing
Ancestors of Phoenicians
Settled 3000 BCE
Not a unified monarchy
but set up city states ruled
By local kings
Commercialism more
Important than military or
State building
Often ruled by Egypt or
Mesopotamians
Influenced societies
In Mediterranean basin
Through their trade and
Communication
Industry, trade, &
Maritime trade
Excellent sailors, ship
Est. maritime colonies
Went beyond Mediterranean
Imported: food raw materials
Exported: metal goods,
Textiles, pottery, glass, art
Adapted Mesopotamian
Culture to their own
Phoenicians developed
Alphabet we use today
Letters to build words
No vowels
More literacy develops
Phoenician alphabet
Spreads throughout the
Mediterranean basin
Later spreads to Asia,
S. Asia, SE Asia

19. The Indo-European Migrations

20. Indo-European Origins
Languages
The Indo-European
Homeland
Horses
Lang. of Europe, SW Asia
And India were similar
This created the term
Indo-European lang.
Explanation of similarity:
Descendants of ancestors
Spoke a common tongue
And migrated from their
Homeland
Migration led to evolution
Of different languages but
Basic grammatical structure
Of original lang.
Origin of Indo-Europeans:
Modern day Ukraine and S.
Russia region N. of Black Sea
& Caspian Sea
Indo- Euros domesticate
Horses in 4000
Used 1st as food source
Later domesticated them
For riding
Attached to carts, wagons
And chariots
Faster & more efficient
Transportation
Military advantage

21. Indo-European Expansion and it Effects
The Nature of Indo-European
Migrations
The Hittites
War Chariots
Expanded beyond the
Homeland
Population explosion
Led to migration
Migration continued
Till about 1000ce
Indo-European migrants
They their language and
Rule on the places they
Inhabited
Traded with Babylonians
And Assyrians
Adapted cuneiform to
Their lang.
Accepted Mesopotamian
Deities
Conquered Babylon;
Controlled area: Anatolia,
N. Mesopotamia, Syria,
Phoenicia
Two technological
Inventions: light
Horse drawn chariot
And iron metallurgy
Used lighter spoked
Wheels
Charioteers were
The elite force of the
Army in the ancient
world

22. Indo-European Expansion and it Effects
Iron Metallurgy
Indo-European Migrations
To the East and West
Indo-European Migrations
To the South
Cheap effective
Weapons in large
Quantities
Iron production
Diffused into Eurasia
Hittites improved
On existing methods
Indo-Europeans also migrated
East into central Asia
Some Indo-Europeans
Went west to the following
Areas: Greece, C. Italy,
S. Russia to C. Europe,
British Isles, Baltic region,
Iberian Penisula

23. Discussion Question 10
Argue how Indo European could have possibly been the most successful group during this time in SW Asia.