Download ancient mesopotamia

Early Civilizations
Early Humans and the Prehistoric Record:
Human-Plant Interaction
Dating the Past
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
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
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.
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
• 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.
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.
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.
What does
domestication
mean?
To train plants and
animals to be useful
to people.
*
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”
*
EIGHT BASIC FEATURES
OF A CIVILIZATION:
(1) Writing Systems
(2) Infrastructure- public works such as
bridges, roads etc.
(3) Government / Laws
*NOTES*
(4) Art / Architecture
(5) Social Classes
*NOTES*
(6) Organized Religion
(7) Job Specialization
(8) Development of
Cities
*
ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA (4000 B.C.)
“land in between the rivers”
Why was this a perfect place for the 1st civilization?
1. Fertile Crescent - large arc of fertile land in
the Middle East
2. Tigris & Euphrates Rivers made it possible for
farming
3. Cattle, pigs, goats & sheep were accessible
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.
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.
*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
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
*
THE MANY PEOPLE OF MESOPOTAMIA:
1. Sumerians (ancient Sumer’s city-states)
(3000 B.C. - 1800 B.C.)
2. Babylonians (Babylonian Empire)
( 1800 B.C. - 1200 B.C.
3. Assyrians (Assyrian Empire)
(1200 B.C. - 539 B.C.)
4. Persians (Persian Empire)
(539 B.C. - 330 B.C.)
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
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?
ZIGGURATS
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
Deciphering Cuneiform
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
Old Babylonia (2000-1600 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
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 lifesociety was patriarchal
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
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
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
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 Rivereverything depended on
the Nile-longest river in the
world
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
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
Egyptian Religion (cont)
• Mummification and the
Hereafter
• Egyptian polytheism took
many forms including the
worship of animals (cats)
• Stress on ethics in Egyptian
religion
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 Achievementscalculate area, volume and
used geometry to survey land
Social and Economic Life in Ancient Egypt
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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
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
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 GreatPersian state that stretched from
Asia to western India, known for
showing mercy
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