Ancient HistoryAs Humans scattered out and populated Earth, they did so

as small hunter/gatherer bands.

Then, about 10k years ago, that changed.

People discovered agriculture—the systematic planting of

food crops and domestication of animals.

The First Agricultural Revolution

• Occurred at around the same time in five different locations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China and Mesoamerica

The Neolithic Revolution

• What was it?– 8000 – 3500 BCE

• Why did it happen?

• Dwindling game?

• Why was it such a big deal?

More Food = More People

• Agriculture led to permanent settlements (usually along rivers/lakes) and increased population.

• More people living in smaller spaces means greater opportunity for conflict and growth.

• Growth= language, religion, society

• Conflict= crime, disease, disorder

Evolution of Civilization

• Key Traits of a Civilization:

A. Growth of cities

B. Specialization

C. Written Language

D. Advanced Technology

E. Complex Institutions

Growth of Cities (Urbanization)

1) Large urban areas

2) Centers for trade and commerce

Primary Elements of Civilization

1) Urban Focuso Cities become the center of CREPS*

development2) Distinct Religious Structureo Gods are crucial to success of civilization3) New Political and Military Structures o Organized government bureaucracy rises to

meet administrative needs of populationo Armies organized to gain land and power

*Cultural, Religious, Economic, Political, Social

Primary Elements of Civilization (cont’d)

4) Social Structure based on economic powero Top: Kings, priests, warriors, political leaderso Free Common People: Artisans, farmerso Bottom: Slaves5) Development of Writingo Used by upper class for record keeping6) New and significant artistic and intellectual

activityo For example, monumental architecture (religious)7) Arable land and a good location o Allows for food surplus, population growth, and

survival

Specialization (Skilled Labor)1) Skilled Workers, called artisans

2) Trade amongst artisans for goods

Written Language• Transitions human history from Prehistory

to History

Advanced Technology• Wheel

• Plow

• Sailboat

• metalworking

Complex Institutions

1) Government

2) Organized religion

3) schools

Ancient Mesopotamia“Land between the Rivers”

I. Sumer—southern Fertile Crescent (4k-2k BC)A. Civilization of city-states bound together by a

common culture1) Sumerians believed to have migrated to the

region from Persia/central Asia prior to 5000 BC

A Hostile Land

B. Geography

1) Water—unpredictable flooding/drought (too much or not enough)

Hostile Neighbors2) Defense problems—open, flat land w/no

natural barriers for protection

Scarcity of Resources

3) Resources—limited natural resources in the region

• Lack of forests = no wood

• Few mineral/metal resources

• Dirt, rock and sand in abundance

Perseverance • C. Solutions• Water---irrigation systems• Defense—walled cities and standing armies• Resources—broad trading networks with other

regions

Enter the SupernaturalD. Religion• polytheism—multiple gods

based on nature; classes and rankings of gods

(Anu, Enlil and Ea)• Human qualities and emotions• Interference into human lives—

hostile/care• Afterlife—”Land of No Return”;

no joy or emotion, bleak dismal

The Ziggurat

Ziggurat

Evolution of Religion in Sumer

• Ruling society of kings and priests

a) Earliest society ruled by priestsb) In times of war, priest turned over

power to military leaderc) As wars became more

commonplace, turned to military leadership more often

d) Evolved into a king who was military leader/religious leader

E. Social Classes• Upper Classes—royal

families, nobility, priesthood

• Middle Classes—wealthy merchants, scribes

• Lower Classes—laborers, farmers

• Slaves—foreigners captured in war, family members sold into slavery, criminals; not a permanent situation

F. Decline and Fall

1) A millennium of war (3000-2000 BC)

a) Kish

b) Uruk

c) Lagash

d) Umma

e) Ur

Collapse

• Overrun by foreign invaders from the north

• Foreign invaders adopted Sumerian culture and written language

The First Empires

After the fall of Sumer, a series of foreign

invasions swept the

region.

The Akkadians• Semitic nomads moved into

northern Mesopotamia and settled at Akkad (just north of the major Sumerian city-states) around 5000 BC

• 2300 BC Sargon I seizes power and launches invasions across Mesopotamia

• Adopted Sumerian customs while maintaining Akkadian language

Akkadian Empire

• After the death of Sargon’s grandson, Naram-Sin, the empire began to collapse.

The Amorites• Another Semitic group from eastern Syria, the

Amorites, conquer the region• Conquered the Sumerian city-states to the south• Established capital at Babylon• Greatest expansion and growth under King

Hammurabi

King and Lawgiver

• Strong leader who united most of Mesopotamia

• Growth of trade and agriculture• Hammurabi is most famous for

his written code of laws--282 sections with laws from around the region—created a type of equity of law

• Specific laws with harsh punishments kept harmony

Babylonian Society

• Similar class system to Sumer with laws/punishments differing for each class

• Borrowed heavily from Sumerian culture and adopted cuneiform to their Semitic language

Collapse of Babylon

• After Hammurabi’s death, empire collapsed

• Successors unable to keep empire together

• Hittite invasion destroyed Babylon

The Egyptians• Kemet (Black Land) of the Nile River Valley• 5000 BC, nomads began settling along the Nile• Farming villages that grew wheat and barley• Series of tribal kingdoms develop

The Two Kingdoms• Early Egypt divided into

north and south• Lower Egypt in the north

where Nile empties into Mediterranean

• Upper Egypt in the south bordering Ethiopia

• Narmer (Menes), king of Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt around 3000 BC w/capital at Memphis

The Old Kingdom• 2700 BC to 2200 BC

the two kingdoms began to merge identities under one central government

• Theocracy evolved with a king and his bureaucracy

• First pyramids built during this time as tombs for the kings

The Middle Kingdom• Old Kingdom collapsed due to infighting of

nobles• First Dark Ages from 2200 BC to 2050 BC• New Dynasty seized power in 2050 BC to

establish the Middle Kingdom with capital at Thebes

• Expansion of territory into Nubia (Sudan) and Syria

The New Kingdom• Around 1700 BC, invaders from southwest Asia

attacked Egypt, beginning the Second Dark Ages• Hyksos conquered Egypt with bronze weapons

and horse drawn chariots (Egyptians fought on foot with copper and stone weapons)

• Around 1600 BC, Ahmose led the revolt against Hyksos rule and drove them out

• Ahmose was the first ruler of the New Kingdom, first to use the title pharaoh (great house of the king)

• Ahmose rebuilt Egypt to even greater glory

The Woman Pharaoh

• Around 1480 BC, Hatshepsut came to power when her husband Thutmose II (her half brother) died.

• Her stepson (born to Thutmose II and a harem girl) was too young to rule

• She became Regent of Egypt

Hatshepsut• About 7 years into her

regency, she proclaimed herself pharaoh and wore men’s clothing and the false beard

• Why? Now believe there were several coup attempts against her and her stepson

• Had to take on the persona of a male pharaoh to gain legitimacy and acceptance

• Huge building programs under her reign, including the Valley of the Kings

• Thutmose III became pharaoh upon her death

• Unlike his stepmother, focused on military and conquest

• Conquered northern Mesopotamia and parts of central Africa

• Huge wealth came into Egypt from conquered areas

• After Thutmose III died, series of weak pharaohs brought about decline

• Saved from destruction by Ramses II who fought off Hittite invasion at the Battle of Kadesh

• Treaty signed between two nations calling for truce and alliance

• After Ramses II died in 1237 BC, Egypt began to decline and later destroyed by Seafaring raiders from the Mediterranean

• Finally conquered by Libyans from the west and Kushites from the south

Egyptian Culture and Society

• Similar to Sumer:a) Upper class—nobility

and priestsb) Middle class—

artisans, merchants, scribes

c) Lower class—farmers and laborers

d) slaves

Religion• Polytheistic• Greater focus on afterlife• Idea of god/king• Religion evolved over time to include afterlife for

all people• Originally only royalty and nobility had an

afterlife, but by the New Kingdom the concept was universal

Hieroglyphics• Writing with pictures• Also hieratic for day-to-day transactions

(simplified version)• Scribes • Papyrus paper

Other Advancements

• Mathematics—geometry

• Calendar with 365 days

• Embalming and surgeries

• medicines