Download egypt and mesopotamia

CHAPTER 3:
EGYPT AND MESOPOTAMIA
Ok, so now that the Ice Age has ended, humans are
starting to settle down. Then what?
Well, people are gathering together and starting to form
villages. Some of those villages are even becoming cities.
And eventually, some of these cities will become
countries or states.
The first 2 Countries or States that we will be
learning about are:
1. Egypt
2. Mesopotamia
1. First of all, what is a State?
- Well, a State is a community that can get people to
work together by mobilizing a lot of labor. For this
you need leaders and of course the laborers to do
the work. This can be done in 3 different ways:
A. Get slaves to do it
B.Get peasants to do it
C. Get Freshmen to do it
Every State also had its own distinctive
CULTURE. But what is CULTURE?
A. Location
B.Art
C. Architecture
D. Literature
E. Religion
F. Laws
G. Slavery
H. Myths or stories
I. Trade
J. Cities and Urban Planning
ANCIENT EGYPT
Location: Egypt is located in the Northern part of
Africa, near the Nile River. It is also halfway in the
Sahara Desert. It’s a very poor country with the
Mediterranean Sea above it, and the Red Sea to the
right.
Population: 80 million
Capital: Cairo
Religion: Mostly Muslim
Writing: Hieroglyphics (No alphabet)
Monumental Architecture: The Pyramids of course
Who built the Pyramids? Slaves (and aliens)
Religion:
1. First of all, ancient Egyptians were
‘polytheistic’. This means that they believed in
many, many gods.
For example:
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Ra– God of the sun
Isis – Goddess of magical power and healing,
Osiris – God of the underworld
Set – God of storms
Shtrakhman-God of Awesomeness
In addition, many Egyptians thought that the Pharaoh, was
RELATED to the Gods, and had their permission to rule.
Today, Egypt is primarily Muslim and thus monotheistic,
meaning they only believe in one God.
Culture:
1. MUMMIFICATION: They would take your brain out
through your nose and then put all of your organs in
clay jars. Yum! This would ensure that you would
have your body nice and clean for the afterlife. Oh,
and they would also put all your jewels and maybe
even your cat in your tomb! (Meow!)
Social System: Egypt had a very strict hierarchy:
- The Pharaoh
- Generals and wealthy Egyptians
- Regular Egyptians
- Workers
- Slaves from other lands
- Sophomores
Economy: Egypt traded with a country in Africa called
Nubia, which was to the South. Today, it’s modern day
Sudan which is located near Ethiopia.
1. Egypt constantly invaded Nubia to get slaves and
other workers.
2. They even stole Nubian archers for the Egyptian
military
Literature: the Egyptian Book of the Dead. (Teaches you
how to mummify High School students)
Art: A lot of hieroglyphics all over the Pyramids, tombs,
and even coffins. They also used a plant called papyrus
to make paper. They would then use hard thin plants for
pencils and paint brushes.
MESOPOTAMIA
- Located in the Middle East, where Iraq, Iran and
Afghanistan are today.
- It’s some of the best and most fertile land in the
world. That’s why people settled there. They grew
dates, wheat, barley (Egypt had the first beer), fruits
and vegetables.
- The main civilizations were the Sumerians and the
Babylonians.
THE SUMERIANS
Writing:
- Invented the very first human writing, called
cuneiform.
- They also wrote the first book, called the Epic of
Gilgamesh.
- The words were carved onto stone tablets. (Paper
was not invented yet!)
- The book is about…..the Gods, what else?!
Trade: Actually traded with India near the Indus River
(The Indus rover is where India gets its name)
Religion: The were also polytheistic. 2 of the Gods were
Enki (god of water and mischief), Inanna (Goddess of
love and warfare).
Architecture: Also had huge religious temples, but they
were called ‘Ziggurats’ and were not in the shape of a
pyramid.
Social Class:
- Priests were on top of the Social System (of course)
- Government officials and warriors were next (of
course)
- Farmers and merchants
- Slaves (of course)
THE BABYLONIANS (Took over after the Sumerians)
Art and Architecture:
- Built the ‘Hanging gardens of Babylon’.
- One of the 7 Wonders of the World.
- Can U name 3 of the modern or ancient ‘Wonders of
the World’?
A)
B)
C)
Religion: The Babylonians were also polytheistic. The
Middle East will not become mono-theistic until Islam
takes over in the year 700 CE.
Law: The Babylonians were responsible for the very first
system of codified or standardized laws, called the Code
of Hammurabi.
- This is where we get “An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth”
- They were also carved on stone tablets just like the
Sumerian book ‘Epic of Gilgamesh’.
Of course Mahatma Gandhi once said, If its true that we
should have an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,
“Then the whole world will be blind and toothless!”
- These legal codes almost always reflected the
existing social hierarchies. For example, slaves did
not get equal treatment under the law, and neither
did women.
- These laws also made it easier for states and rulers
to actually rule over the people because the laws
were systematic and carved in stone.
- The only rule Shtrakhman has: Don’t speak while
someone else is speaking. Also, bow down when
addressing him!
CLASSWORK ASSIGNMENTS
1. What is the definition of a State?
2. What are the 3 ways to get people to do
labor?
3. What are the 9 characteristics of
‘culture’
4. Choose 3 examples of culture and apply
them to America. What would they look
like?
A)
B)
C)
EGYPT AND MESOPOTAMIA
5. Where is Egypt located?
6. What does ‘polytheistic’ mean?
7. What can you say about Egypt’s social
or caste system?
8. Who did Egypt trade with?
9. What happens during mummification?
10. Where is Mesopotamia located?
11. Define the following terms:
- Cuneiform
- The Epic of Gilgamesh
12. Would you say that the Sumerian Social
Class was the same as or different from that
found in Egypt?
13. Explain what the Law Code of
Hammurabi is:
*Skip the ‘Chart’ assignment and move on to
the Hieroglyphics and Sumerian language
assignments.
PART 2
PART 1: READ ‘THE LAW CODE OF HAMMURABI’ (PAGES
119-121) AND EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING CRAZY LAWS:
LAW #2
LAW #199
LAW #22
LAW #110
LAW #229
LAW #143
LAW #8
LAW #148
Opinion Question: Do you think people should
go to jail for not paying their financial debts?
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PART III Use the ‘Hieroglyphic’ worksheet in
the back of this packet to write a 4-line poem
about ancient Egypt in ancient Hieroglyphics. It
should be done on construction paper which is
on the table next to the art supplies
Here is my poem:
The sands of time blow fierce,
Slow but steady indeed.
You try to hold on,
But no tomb can hold your things.
PART IV: Use the ‘Cuneiform’ worksheet to
write a Sumerian poem about life in
Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago.
Here’s my poem:
Sun or rain
The reeds still grow.
Work and pain,
slavery is all I know.
HOMEWORK ESSAY QUESTION
THE DEATH PENALTY
Should the Death Penalty be legal or not?
You must do your own research and come up
with at least 2 factual reasons why or why not.
Think about the following:
- Morality
- Cost
- Innocence
- Eyewitness testimony, DNA
- The Constitution
- Etc.
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