Chapter 2WESTERN ASIA & EGYPT

What was the geography around the area of Mesopotamia? How did the geography impact the Mesopotamian civilizations?

Key Terms: City-States Theocracy Patriarchal Polytheistic

CIVILIZATION BEGINS IN MESOPOTAMIA

Fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

The first civilization discovered in Mesopotamia – “Land Between Two Rivers”

The first Sumerian cities emerged in southern Mesopotamia around 3,200 B.C.E.

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

By 3,000 BCE Sumerians built city-states Ur & Uruk

Used mud bricks for building Invented the arch and dome

Most important building= ziggurat (temple) Gods and goddesses owned the city (polytheistic) Believed humans were created to serve the gods

Had a theocracy Kings ruled but priests were extremely important

CITY-STATES OF MESOPOTAMIA

Ur, Iraq

3rd Century BCE

Economy Agricultural Industry & trade

Made metalworks and woolen textiles Imported copper, tin, & timber

Social Structure

CITY-STATES OF MESOPOTAMIA

Nobles: Royalty &

priestsCommoners

Slaves: worked on large projects, nobles’ farms, & wove cloth

Cuneiform Record keeping, teaching, & law Being a scribe= great job

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Invented Wagon wheel (wheel was invented by 3000 BCE) A number system based on 60

Charted constellations Advances in geometry to help engineering

SUMERIAN CREATIVITY

What tool of measurement based on 60 do we use today?

Akkadians lived north of Sumerian city-states

Around 2340 BCE, Sargon conquered Sumerian city-states First empire

1792 BCE Hammurabi established a new empireover both Akkad & Sumer

Estb. Code of Hammurabi

EMPIRES

Most important early system of lawPunishments varied according to social classPunished public officials who failed to do their dutiesMarriage & family codes applied to all

Enforced obedience of childrenPatriarchal in nature

CODE OF HAMMURABI

DIRECTIONS TO FOLLOWFold a sheet of paper over, creating 4 quartersSelect 4 laws and copy one into each quarter of a

sheet of paper.Explain each law in your own words using 3-5

sentences.Assess each law using your own sense of justice. Do

you think the law is fair? (3-5 sentences)

CODE OF LAW ACTIVITY

How did the Nile influence Egypt?

How else did the geography of Egypt help the establishment and continued existence of Egyptian civilizations?

Key TermsDynastyPharaohBureaucracyMummificationhieroglyphics

EGYPT: “THE GIFT OF THE NILE”

EGYPTIAN EMPIRE ABOUT 1450 B.C.E.

Old Kingdom2700-2200 BCE

Middle Kingdom2050-1652 BCE

New Kingdom1567-1085 BCE

•Pharaohs • org. a strong

central state• absolute rulers• considered gods

•Egyptians built pyramids at Giza.

•Collapse due to:• Power struggles• crop failures • cost of pyramids

•Large drainage project created arable farmland.

•Traders had contacts with Middle East and Crete.

•Corruption and rebellions were common.

•Hyksos invaded and occupied the delta region.

•Powerful pharaohs created a large empire •that reached the Euphrates River.

•1st woman pharaoh – Hatshepsut, encouraged trade.

•Ramses II expanded Egyptian rule to Syria.

•Egyptian power declined as Roman powers increased over all Mediter

EGYPTIAN HISTORY

Religion Belief that many gods & goddesses ruled

the world & the afterlife. Amon-Re = sun god. Osiris = god of the underworld and of the Nile. Pharaoh believed to be a god as well as a monarch.

Belief in eternal life after death. Relied on the Book of the Dead to help them through the

afterworld. Practiced mummification, the preservation of the body for use in

the next life.

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Belief in eternal life after death. Relied on the Book of the Dead to help them through

the afterworld.

Practiced mummification, the preservation of the body for use in the next life.

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Daily Life Married young

Girls at 12 & Boys at 14 Arranged marriages

Monogamous Husband was master of house;

wife was respected Women had property & ran businesses Romance was important

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

PharaohHIGH PRIESTS AND

PRIESTESSESServed gods and goddesses

NOBLESFought pharaoh’s wars

MERCHANTS, SCRIBES, AND ARTISANS

Made furniture, jewelry, and fabrics for

pharaohs and nobles, and provided for other needsPEASANT FARMERS AND

SLAVESWorked in the fields and

served the pharaoh

EGYPTIAN SOCIETY

Advances in Learning Advances in the Arts

Hieroglyphics – a form of picture writing

Doctors • diagnosed & cured illnesses• performed surgery • developed medicines still used today

Astronomers • mapped constellations • charted movement of the planets• developed 12-month calendar

Developed practical geometry.

Skilled in design and engineering.

• Statues, paintings, and writings tell us about ancient Egyptian values and attitudes.

• Developed painting style that remained unchanged for thousands of years.

• Wrote hymns and prayers to the gods, proverbs, love poems, stories of victory in battle, and folk tales.

• Built pyramids and other great buildings, such as temple of Ramses II.

How did nomadic peoples affect the centers of civilizations?

Key Terms Pastoral nomad Monotheistic

NEW CENTERS OF CIVILIZATION

War-like tribesmen from Asia Minor; captured Babylon

Eventually they withdrew, but occupied the western part of the Fertile Crescent 1600-1200 BCE

Contributions to Civilization Made widespread use of iron Horse-drawn chariots in battle. System of laws with punishments

that were less severe than Hammurabi’s.

HITTITES

1000-700 BCELived north of Palestine along the Mediterranean

coast.Became skilled shipbuilders & sailors, and traded

throughout the MediterraneanEstablished many colonies, including the great city of

Carthage in North Africa

PHOENICIANS

Traders carried the products and cultures of the Middle East to less advanced peoples.

Alphabet The Greeks and Romans

later made some changes that resulted in the alphabet we use today

CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION

Hebrews (Jews)1200-586 BCECreated Judaism

Abraham was founderLived in Egypt for several hundred years, but were forced

into slaveryMoses led them out of EgyptRecorded their history & religious beliefs in the Old

TestamentPracticing monotheism.High moral conduct: Ten Commandments.Influenced Christianity & Islam

through its emphasis on monotheism and moral principles.

“CHILDREN OF ISRAEL”

United KingdomKing Solomon

Jerusalem was capital Built temple that became center of religion

Divided KingdomKingdom divided after Solomon

Kingdom of Israel 10 tribes that were scattered when the Assyrians conquered

Kingdom of Judah 2 tribes Conquered by the Chaldeans

Read Connections to the Past on page 57

HEBREWS

Ruthless conquerors—overran Phoenicia, Palestine, Babylonia.

Empire largest in the world to that point in history.

Used bows and iron-tipped arrows, battering rams, and the first to use men on horseback.

Assyrians terrorized people with acts of violence and torture.

Lasted 150 years before being destroyed by the Chaldeans and Persians.

ASSYRIANS

First to set up an effective system for governing an empire.

Built a great library in Nineveh. It had thousands of clay tablets that have told us much about the ancient Middle East.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION

Helped overthrow the AssyriansTook control of the Fertile Crescent and established

the 2nd Babylonian EmpireKing NebuchadnezzarRebuilt Babylon into the largest and most impressive

city in the ancient worldContributions

“Hanging Gardens” on rooftops in Babylon. Greeks called them one of the “seven wonders of the world.”

Further advancement in astronomy by accurate observations of the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

CHALDEANS

Chaldean Empire declined after the death of Nebuchadnezzar

New Persian Empire extended for 3,000 miles from Egypt to India

Lasted 200 years, reaching its height under King Darius I

Declined due to high taxes People no longer loyal Fight for the throne between half-brothers

PERSIANS

Set up well-organized government.Divided into provinces and directed by a

“satrap.”Built roads to speed trade and movement of

armies.Allowed conquered people to keep their

religion, laws, and local customs.“Cultural Diffusion”—the exchange of ways of

living—took place between various groups in the empire.

Accepted teachings of the prophet Zorocaster

CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION