APWH Chapter 2 M-W

Review Culture develops before “civilization” Agriculture did not quickly, or inevitably lead to civilization. Some agricultural societies reached the modern period without forming the apparatus we associate with civilization (West Africa).

Components of “civilization” After agriculture, the next step in setting up a framework for world history is the emergence of civilization as a form of human organization. 1.Cities 2.Control of geographic areas 3.Status distinctions 4.Record keeping.

Early Period of Civilization Mesopotamia 3500 BCE BCE Begins 5000 years after the advent of agriculture. Before then, there were isolated cities with populations of around 10,000. Next 2000 years 3 other major civilizations will develop - all agricultural in origin.

New Inventions Theme - New technologies along with the maturation of agriculture came before the emergence of civilization in the Middle East. Key innovations have not had to be reinvented since. By 4000 BCE, Mesopotamians were beginning to use bronze for tools and weapons. The wheel (probably brought to region by nomads from Central Asia)

Indo-European Migrations BCE Indo-European Migrations BCE The Middle East: “The Crossroads of Three Continents”

Bronze Improved military and production capacities. Required long-distance trade and travel to acquire (another feature marking this early civilization period).

The Ancient Fertile Crescent Area The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

Sumerians Earliest documented people of Mesopotamia. Tigris and Euphrates Rivers area Over next 2000 years evolved into the states of Babylonia, states of the Hittites, Assyrians, Chaldeans and others. The idea of “civilization” drew immigrants and invaders to the area, mostly from Central Asia.

Sumerians

Sumeria Prototype of civilization. Features: agricultural surplus. “stated societies” v. stateless. dependence on cities for techno development and cultural exchange. Writing for recordkeeping, long-distance communication, trade, generation and preservation of knowledge. City-State – an urban center and control of surrounding agricultural lands.

Sumerian Religion - Polytheistic Enki Innana Anthropomorphic Gods

Semitic Language Family Hebrew Arabic Aramaic Phoenician “Middle Eastern”

Later Civilizations Egypt along Nile River - from 3000 BCE. Harappan (Harappa was major city) along Indus River, now Pakistan BCE Asia along Huang He (Yellow) River in northern China Olmec in Central America

River Valley Civilizations Geography provides agricultural societies with the best promise for a surplus. Located along major water supply. Required use of irrigation canals - coordination and possibly property definition. Government and formal rules (laws) develop.

End Part I

Part II Regional Characteristics of Early Civilizations civilizations.net/ancient- civilizations.htmlhttp:// civilizations.net/ancient- civilizations.html

Egypt and Mesopotamia Similarities: 1.Developed close beside each other, traded and had knowledge of each others military. 2.Both used irrigation canals 3.Both were polytheistic. 4.Both worshipped gods that took on human forms.

Mesopotamian Religion Temples - housed the cult of the deity or deities Ex: City of Ur Polytheistic many gods, both male and female forms. *Mesopotamian gods more feared and angry than Egyptian gods. Unpredictable like the rivers.

Ziggurat at Ur  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”  Temple  “Mountain of the Gods”

Mesopotamian Religion Gods were anthropomorphic Humanlike in form and conduct. Priests inherited their positions father to son.

Mesopotamian Religion Ziggurats were the most visible part of the temple compound Amulets show a belief in the value of magic. Hairstyles distinguished class. Slaves were bald.

Mesopotamian Politics Lugal – by 3000 BCE, political ruler called this – “Big Man” “Sargon the Great” of Akkad- First Dynastic king 1.Standardized weights and measures 2.Used cuneiform writing 3.Comprehensive law code 4.Developed trade between all city-states under his control.

The Royal Standard of Ur

Sargon of Akkad: The World’s First Empire [Akkadians]

The Babylonian Empires

Hammurabi’s [r B. C. E.] Code

Hammurabi, the Judge

Intellectual Advancements Bronze was the first metal used for tools and weapons like: Chariots Metal-tipped arrows and squads of archers Siege machinery -battering rams to break through walls.

End Part 2

Cuneiform Writing system evolved from pictographs Created with a wedge-shaped stick pushed images into a wet clay tablet. Symbols represented objects and activities.

Cuneiform: “Wedge-Shaped” Writing

Deciphering Cuneiform

Sumerian Scribes “Tablet House”

Sumerian Cylinder Seals

Quiz

Literature = Gilgamesh Earliest written epoch about warrior king and his travels. Included story of a flood that covered the world.

Gilgamesh Epic Tablet: Flood Story

Math Base 60 system No zero Used for keeping records, architectural designs, geometry.

Babylonian Math

Babylonian Numbers

Economics Driven by Conquest Search for new resources causes expansion. Central location built trade with Africa and eastern regions

Trade in the “Cuneiform World”

Mesopotamian Society Classes – 3. Royalty, Priests, Commoners. Slaves – captured in battle or criminals. Hairstyle distinguished slaves. Women – held lower status than men. Infanticide practiced (deliberate killing of babies *mostly female)

Mesopotamian Harp

Board Game From Ur

Sophisticated Metallurgy Skills at Ur

Women in Mesopotamia Manufactured textiles Brewed beer and ran taverns Worked as prostitutes and fortune tellers Could own some property. Could NOT hold government office

Egypt Mummification - believed important for a journey to an afterlife Book of the dead - A textbook to prepare the body for and a guide through the underworld. Egyptian death Artifacts show Egyptian religion held a more optimistic view of life. Egyptian gods - the devourer The Nile had predictable seasons of flooding the farming plains. Egypt website

Egyptian Politics Pharaoh = Egyptian God/King ma’at - divinely authorized order of the universe maintained by Phaoroah. Ideas – Largest group of “polymathics”. Astronomy, mathematics, engineering, medicine, art, all heavily influenced by religious beliefs Pyramids tombs believed to ensure king’s place in the afterlife. Size of monuments implies more labor organization. First pyramid constructed by Djoser (Old Kingdom period) Egyptian scientists Egyptian doctors Egyptian society

Ancient Egyptian ships BCE ancient ships

Differences between Egypt and Mesopotamia Egyptians did not practice infanticide as most early civilizations did. Mesopotamian gods more feared and angry than Egyptian gods. Upper class Egyptian women had more equality - could own property, head households -even become Pharaoh! Different writing system Egypt = Hieroglyphics Mesopotamia = Cuneiform Pyramids used for dead vs. Ziggurats used for the living video heiroglyphics

tamia_11.shtmlhttp:// tamia_11.shtml

Harrapan India Only two major cities with high urban technologies developed- Harappa and Mohenjo Daro trade and cultural contact with early Chinese. Writings have not yet been deciphered!

3 Legacies of River Civilizations Created Social mechanisms - concept of states, writing, use of money. Interaction and influence on surrounding areas - Egypt > Africa & Greece. Mesopotamia > Greece Philosophy of a separation between humans and nature will influence Middle Eastern and European cultures.

3 Legacies of River Civilizations Spirit of civilization spreads to later societies - Shang Dynanasty in China semi- mythical histories imply the Shang introduced the concept of political order that would inform Chinese culture.

BCE Hiatus period Time of “cooling off” for advancing of civilizations. New series of invasions and migrations from Indo-Europeans in Central Asia. Centralized power becomes weakened.

BCE Mesopotamia - Period of hiatus. Lessening of dominance in region Leads to rise of local societies like Venetia and Israel.

BCE Egyptians - did not disappear power falters around 1000 BCE. Succession of Pharaohs from outside will rule Nubia up Nile River, to finally Alexander the Great from Greece.

BCE India Harappan civilization = simply disappears. Natural disasters suspected- earthquakes changed course of river Possibly invaders. Can’t decipher their writings so don’t know!

China Chinese had the least disruption Shang Dynasty flows smoothly into Zhou.

End of an Age 800 BCE With the exception of China, this break in civilization marks the gap between the “first civilization period” emphasizing the river valleys and the start of the “classical civilization period” of the Greeks and Romans.