1. Essential Question: Why is culture important?
SSWH1 Analyze the origins, structures, and interactions of societies in the ancient world from 3500 BCE/BC to 500 BCE/BC
Essential Question: Why is culture important?

2. Farming villages emerge Between 7000 and 5000 yrs ago
a. Compare and contrast Mesopotamian and Egyptian Societies, include: religion, culture, economics, politics, and technology
Farming villages emerge
Between 7000 and 5000 yrs ago
Improved technology
Irrigation canals
Lead to population growth/development of first urban centers
UR and Uruk in Mesopotamia
Upper and Lower Egypt

3. Uruk

5. Mesopotamia vs Egypt Along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Mesopotamia aka Fertile Crescent
Egypt
Developed along Nile
Flooding was very regular
July to October
Rich silt
Gift of the Nile
Included natural boundaries
Made invasion unusual
N and E=large bodies of water
S and W=large deserts
Along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Prone to erratic flooding
Lacked natural boundaries
Prone to invasion

6. religion Mesopotamia Egypt Polytheistic Polytheistic
Gods represented elements of nature
Attitude
Gods provided bounty and prosperity
Pharaoh
seen as god in human form
Afterlife
Continuation of life on earth
Mummification and elaborate tombs
Polytheistic
Gods represented elements of nature
Attitude
Gods were unpredictable and ppl feared them
Tried to win approval through sacrifice and construction of elaborate temples- ziggurats
Afterlife
Gloomy and fearful place

9. Politics Mesopotamia Egypt Substantial continuity
Frequent change
1st phase: Sumer
Dominated by several independent often warring city-states
Conquered by King of Akkad thus creating first empire, Sargon
Conquered by many ppl most noteably Babylonians
King Hammurabi
Babylon is conquered leading to warring period with many other empires following
Hittites
Assyrians
Persians
Substantial continuity
Remarkably stable for years
Ruled by Pharaoh
History divided into kingdom into three period
Old Kingdom
First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom
Second Intermediate Period, New Kingdom
Were also invaded by Hittites, Assyrians, and Persians

11. Technological innovations
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Irrigation canals
Plows
Surplus food=specialization of labor
writing=cuneiform
Advanced literacy, artistic and architectural traditions
Epic of Gilgamesh
Irrigation canals
Plows
Surplus food=specialization of labor
Writing=hieroglyphics
Advanced literacy, artistic and architectural traditions

13. Social hierarchy
Specialization of labor led to development of social classes
Royal family-ruling class-middle class-peasant farmers
Ruling class-priests, government officials, landowners, soldiers, scribes
Middle class-merchants and artisans
Mesopotamia relied more heavily on slave labor but later on Egypt used foreign slaves

14. b. Describe the societies of India and China, include religion, culture, economics, politics, and technology
Farming villages appeared around 3200 BCE in fertile plain between Indus and Ganges River
Region is dominated by monsoon climate and wall of mountains
Urban centers appear around 2500 BCE
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa

15. Little is known about civilization because cannot read the written language
Urban planning suggest strong central government
Cities
Elevated and surrounded by earthen walls and levees to protect from flooding
Inside walls
Streets were laid out on a grid system
Homes constructed of baked brick
Each had own bathroom with city-wide sewer and plumbing system
Fortified citadel in center
Might have served as political and religious center
Large number of children’s toys and few weapons
Indicate societies were generally peaceful
Economy was dependent on agriculture with evidence of trade with Middle East and Central Asia
Decay
Possible brought on by earthquake or soil exhaustion
1500 BCE
New group of people move in-Indo-Europeans

16. China Farming villages appear around Huang He and Yangtze Rivers
Urban areas both benefited from and suffered because of loess deposited by Yangtze River
This soil supported agriculture its loose nature made major shifts in course of river and massive floods were common
These struggles are recorded in Chinese legend as the Xia dynasty’s Emperor Yu brought flood control and irrigation to China
First documented of China-Shang
Founded around 1700 BCE
Led to long tradition of hereditary monarchy supported by complex bureaucracy
Urban centers
Walled and surrounded by agricultural area
Economy
Agriculture, craft production, and trade
Developed writing system, complex urban planning, irrigation, and flood control

18. c. Explain the development of monotheism, include: the concepts developed by the ancient Hebrews
Prior to Judaism there were small pockets of monotheism: under Amenhotep IV in Egypt and Zoroastrianism in 600s BCE
Judaism
Started around 1250 BCE
Formed among Hebrews
Recorded in Hebrew bible (Torah)
Hebrew ppl enter covenant with God
He will protect them if they follow him exclusively
10 commandments
Basic tenets of Judaism
Kingdom of Israel
Established around 1020 BCE
Split into 2 kingdoms in 920 BCE

19. Spread of monotheism
Upper kingdom of Israel is conquered by Assyrians (721 BCE) and deported to Babylonia in 587 BCE
Diaspora of Jewish people spreads their belief system
In Babylonia
Synagogue was established
450 BCE
Judaism as monotheistic religion fully developed with completion of Torah

20. d. Identify the Bantu migration patterns and contribution to settled agriculture
Agricultural villages
Became common around 4000 BCE in west Africa
Iron technology
Developed here
Used to produce farm tools
Evidence shows
Was used between Nigeria and Cameroon to clear forest for farming
Led to slow migration of Bantu speaking people moving southeast and south from about 500 BCE to 600 CE
This brought agriculture, technology, and new language to region of hunter-gatherers
Led to common cultural heritage in much of West, Central, East, and South Asia

22. e. Explain the rise of the Olmec
Developed around same time but isolation made them unique but same patterns were followed
Agricultural villages
based on cultivation of corns, beans, and squash
c.3500 BCE
Urban centers
Around 1200 BCE
Olmec
Most influential
Found in modern Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco

24. Agricultural surplus
Led to political authority and social stratification
Needed large number of workers to construct irrigation systems, ceremonial buildings, and to drain land for farming
Strong central government is seen because
Sophisticated urban planning that was based on movement of the stars
Creation of monumental artwork
Giant Olmec heads
Cities
Were likely ruled independently ruled by hereditary monarch
Presented himself as intermediary to the Gods
Religion
Monarchs with help of class of priests
Performed awe inspiring rituals on large platforms in center of each city
Included bloodletting and human sacrifice
Served to reinforce the power of the state
Laid foundations for civilizations to follow