SSWH1

Agricultural Revolution  The slow process by which humans learned to grow crops and domesticate animals for food.  Allowed several changes:  Humans could settle in one place  Not everyone had to gather food, so some could be employed in other ways = “specialization of labor”

Polytheism  Belief in many different gods  “poly” = many  “theos” = gods  Sumeria and Babylonia were both polytheistic societies

Monotheism  Belief in one god  “mono” = one  “theos” = god  Zoroastrianism and Judaism were both monotheistic

Mesopotamia  The region that was the home of the early civilizations of Sumeria and Babylon  The word “Mesopotamia” from words meaning “between the rivers”  Tigris River and Euphrates River  Area known as the “Fertile Crescent”

Sumeria  The first empire of Mesopotamia  3500 BCE – 2000 BCE  Many different City-States led by priests and/or kings.  Ziggurat = religious and government building  Sumerian Script = early written language

Babylon  The empire that came after the Sumerians in Mesopotamia  Most important emperor = Hammurabi  Code of Hammurabi  A code of written laws that applied to all Babylonians.  Rich and poor could be punished differently

City-State  A city that is also an independent state/nation.  Has its own government  (usually a king)

Pharaoh  The title given to the kings of ancient Egypt  The ancient Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs were gods.  Pharaohs were mummified in preparation for their burial and afterlife.  Most famous tombs = pyramids

Theocracy  A government that is led by a representative of god or gods.  Priests  God-kings

Zoroastrianism  Early monotheistic religion based on the worship of the god Ahura Mazda  Prophet = Zoroaster  Belief in the world as a struggle between good and evil

Judaism  Early monotheistic religion  Followers know as the Hebrews  “Founder” = Abraham  Laws contained in the books of Moses

Ancient Written Languages  Sumerian = Cuneiform  Usually written on clay tablets  Egyptian = Hieroglyphics  Written on either clay or papyrus  Papyrus = paper made from reeds

Impact of Phoenicians  The Phoenicians were people who focused mainly on trade  Excellent ship-builders and sailors  Their main contribution to the ancient word was their language.  Alphabet of letters that stood for sounds  United other ancient languages together