1. The Ancient
Middle East
Early Civilizations

2. Early Humans and the Prehistoric Record: Human-Plant Interaction
Dating the Past

3. Paleolithic Humans
Old Stone Age 750,000-15,000 years ago
Archaic Homo sapiens (Homo heidelbergensis)
500,000 years ago
Neandertals 250,000 years ago
Developed in Europe
Brawny, short arms, broad trunk
Hunting skills, weapons
Cro-Magnon 200,000 years ago
Up to 6 ft., large cranial capacity
Developed in Asia
Dominated Ice Age Europe 40,000 years ago
Contact in Europe - 200,000 years ago
Neandertals disappear 25-30,000 years ago

4. Neolithic Revolution
Shift from hunting and gathering to the keeping of animals and the gathering of food to the keeping of animals-systematic agriculture
Domestication of animals
Growing of crops on regular basis led to more permanent settlements, developing into civilizations

5. Before they switched to farming, humans got all their food from wild plants and animals in their environment.
They hunted wild game like deer, wild pigs, and large birds.
They collected wild fruits, berries, and nuts.
They fished and collected shellfish and crabs.
They gathered wild tubers (root vegetables, like potatoes and carrots), vegetables, and grains.

6. For thousands of years humans lived like this
For thousands of years humans lived like this. But then, around 10,000 years ago humans started to domesticate plants and animals and adopt a farming way of life.
WHY????
Maybe farming was easier and less time consuming then hunting and gathering
Perhaps farming was more reliable then hunting and gathering and promised food all year round
Or, maybe farming just provided more food for a greater number of people

7. Farming definitely wasn’t easier then hunting and gathering
Farming definitely wasn’t easier then hunting and gathering. Early farmers would have had a very rough time and were highly dependent on the weather. If a drought came, they couldn’t simply walk to a different area like hunter gatherers.

8. Even though population growth was the CAUSE of the adoption of agriculture, it was also the RESULT.
As a result of farming…
1) More food is produced for more people
2) But more people are needed to do all the work required
So people began having more children to fill this demand.
Furthermore, hunter gatherers cannot have too many children at a time people they are continuously moving. This isn’t a problem for farmers.

9. The domestication of plants and animals dramatically changed the way humans interacted with their environment.
Now, instead of merely living within their environment, humans were managing it.
Domesticated animals and plants now depend on humans for their survival.

10. What does domestication mean?
To train plants and animals to be useful to people.

11. * WHAT IS A CIVILIZATION???
CIVILIZATION- (1) group of people living and working together for the purpose of creating an organized society.
(2) “the highest cultural grouping of people which distinguishes humans from other species”
(3) “complex systems or network of cities that emerge from pre-urban culture”

12. *
EIGHT BASIC FEATURES OF A CIVILIZATION:
Writing Systems
(2) Infrastructure- public works such as bridges, roads etc.
(3) Government / Laws

13. *NOTES*
(4) Art / Architecture
(5) Social Classes

14. *NOTES*
(6) Organized Religion
(7) Job Specialization
(8) Development of Cities

15. *
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA (4000 B.C.)
“land in between the rivers”
Why was this a perfect place for the 1st civilization?
Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in the Middle East
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for farming
3. Cattle, pigs, goats & sheep were accessible

17. The Cradle of Civilization
Mesopotamia is located in the Middle East, which is located in Southwest Asia. As we’ve discussed before, the first civilizations and examples of writing were found in Southwest Asia. These things began in Mesopotamia.
When a newborn baby begins life, he or she is placed in a cradle. Mesopotamia is called the cradle of civilization because the first civilizations began there, about 5,500 years ago in 3500 B.C.

18. Why Did These Cities Develop?
Due to the fertile soil in Mesopotamia, farming was very successful. In fact, people were able to create surpluses of food. This meant that some people could stop farming and begin doing other things, like building a city.
As cities began to develop, people began to worry about others who might come and invade their city. They wanted to protect themselves from enemies, so people in Mesopotamia built walls around their cities.

19. *NOTES*
WHAT CHALLENGES DID PEOPLE FACE IN MESOPOTAMIA?
1. Unpredictable floods destroyed crops, homes & people
2. Some areas were marshy and unsuitable for farming
3. This land was vulnerable to attack and invasion

20. City-States Formed Along the Rivers
Many city-states formed along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia. They each had their own form of government, and the people worshipped different gods and goddesses. Eventually, they each had their own kings. The region where the two rivers meet was called Sumer. The people who lived in the Sumer region were called Sumerians. The sumerians were the first to have city states

21. *
THE MANY PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA:
Sumerians (ancient Sumer’s city-states)
(3000 B.C B.C.)
2. Babylonians (Babylonian Empire)
( 1800 B.C B.C.
Assyrians (Assyrian Empire)
(1200 B.C B.C.)
4. Persians (Persian Empire)
(539 B.C B.C.)

22. Sumerian Mythology
Sumerian myths, or stories, explained people’s beliefs. Sumerians believed that a person must keep the gods happy by going to the ziggurat and praying to them. They believed that the gods would reward them for good service. They also believed that the gods would punish the people who made them angry.
ziggurat
Gods

23. Religions have attempted to build their sanctuaries on prominent heights. Since no such natural heights were available in the flat flood plains of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), ancient priests and kings determined to build ziggurats, square or rectangular artificial stepped temple platforms. Functionally, temples were placed on raised platforms to give them prominence over other buildings in a city, and to allow more people to watch the services performed at the temple. Symbolically, however, the ziggurat represents the cosmic mountain on which the gods dwell. The priests ascent up the stairway to the temple at the top of the ziggurat represents the ascent to heaven. The great ziggurat at Khorsabad, for example, had seven different stages; each was painted a different color and represented the five known planets, the moon, and the sun.
WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE REVEAL ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF PEOPLE IN MESOPOTAMIA?

24. ZIGGURATS

25. Cultural Contributions of Sumerians
1st to use the wheel
Invented the first stringed instruments
Calendar
First farmers, and first to use the plow and hoe
First form of writing (cuneiform)
Irrigation- learned how to control the river
Cuneiform
Devised a system of numbers based on 60

26. Deciphering Cuneiform
First to have writing, wedge shaped writing

27. The Downfall of the Sumerians
Each of the Sumerian city-states had a ruler, and these city-states began fighting each other. They fought over land and the use of river water. Since the Sumerians were constantly at war with each other, they became weak. By 2000 BC, Sumer was a weakened area, and by 1759 BC, Sumer was conquered by another group of people - the Babylonians, who were from the north. They were conquered by Sargon (leader of the Akkadians). Leadership came from Babylon

28. Old Babylonia ( BCE)
Invasion of semitic language groups like the Amorites
Most famous Amorite ruler = Hammurabi
Hammurabi’s Code of Law (pg. 35 of book)
-- “An Eye for an eye”
-- “Let the Buyer Beware”- 1st laws

29. Old Babylonia (cont) Some sense of justice
Some sense of a “welfare state”
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Introduction of personal religion
Major mathematical achievements
Babylonian social life-society was patriarchal

30. The Assyrian Empire (1300-612 BCE)
Semitic language group settling in the north Tigris area as early as 3000 BCE
Became skilled in chariot warfare and began to conquer neighbors
Used terror as instrument

31. The Assyrian Empire (cont)
The Assyrian capital city: Nineveh
Palace Library
Assyrians known for brutality in warfare
--only Mesopotamian civilization to submit to a queen
Brutality of Assyrian art

32. The Assyrian Empire (cont)
Assyrian brutality produced hatred and rebellions among subjugated peoples
Sophisticated, far-sighted and effective military organization
--invented concept of a corps of engineers
The defeat of the Assyrians and the destruction of Nineveh

33. Egyptian Civilization
Picture of serenity and stability
Long periods of peace
Reasons for Egyptian stability-strong leadership, freedom from invasion, intellectual and cultural activity
Centrality of the Nile River-everything depended on the Nile-longest river in the world

34. Political History Under the Pharoahs
Divided into 6 Eras
Archaic Period—1st Pharoah
Old Kingdom Period—Building of 1st pyramid and era of royal absolutism
Middle Kingdom Period—Golden Age of royal cooperation with middle class and democratization of religion
--concept of “ma’at”
Second Intermediate Period—Hyksos invasion, horse drawn chariots
New Kingdom Period—Era of Empire and the Exodus of the Israelites, massive wealth

35. Egyptian Religion
Polytheism Significance of the Sun God “Amon-Re” and Osiris, the God of the Nile
Pharoah was the representative of Amon on earth
Cult of Osiris personified the life-giving power of the Nile
Social structure like a pyramid where pharoah was at top

36. Egyptian Religion (cont)
Mummification and the Hereafter
Egyptian polytheism took many forms including the worship of animals (cats)
Stress on ethics in Egyptian religion

37. Egyptian Intellectual Achievements
Hieroglyphics-sacred writings
Later came the importance of the Papyrus Plant, a paper made from the papyrus reed
Experimentation in all sorts of literature
Developed an accurate 365 day calendar
Medical Achievements
Mathematical Achievements-calculate area, volume and used geometry to survey land

38. Social and Economic Life in Ancient Egypt
Class system in Ancient Egypt (pyramid)
Huge gap between the rich and the poor
Treatment of Women
Economic system built on agriculture
Trade flourished after 2000 BCE
Early Egyptian factories
Egyptian Business Innovations
--invented deeds, contracts and wills
--oldest known currency in history

39. Israelites
As Mesopotamia and Egyptian civilizations declined, smaller states emerged
Israelites lived in Palestine, King Solomon expanded government, trade, and army
After his death, Israel was divided, north was Israel and southern was Judah-gave name to Judaism
Jews were monotheistic-Yahweh
Prophets were sent by God, social justice, concern for humanity, share and care about neighbors
10 commandments

40. IV. The Persian Empire (539 BCE on)
Far-sighted Diplomats who allowed subjects to practice native customs and religions—Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, he was known to be merciful
Persians gave the Ancient Near East political unity and cultural diversity
The rule of Cyrus the Great-Persian state that stretched from Asia to western India, known for showing mercy

41. IV. The Persian Empire (cont)
Later Rulers: Darius and son Efficient administration of a huge empire, stretched to India and Europe
Persian Road system-Royal Road, well maintained roads that stretched long distances
Aramaic language
Persian kings increased taxes to gain more wealth and loyalty declined
Eventually conquered by Alexander the Great