Download Fertile Crescent Empires - British-Honors

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The Ancient Near East
Section 2
MAIN IDEA
Indo-European invaders introduced new technologies to the Fertile Crescent
while adapting earlier technologies developed by the civilizations they
encountered there.
Key Terms and People
Indo-Europeans tribes that spoke related languages and invaded Mesopotamia
steppes arid grasslands
Nebuchadnezzar II Chaldean king who rebuilt Babylon
Taking Notes
Use a chart like the one below to describe the peoples who conquered the
Fertile Crescent. Add extra boxes as needed.
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The Ancient Near East
Section 2
Section Summary
THE HITTITES
After the fall of the Babylonian Empire, IndoEuropean tribes invaded Mesopotamia. Speaking
related languages, the tribes likely traveled from the
steppes, or arid grasslands, north of the Black Sea.
One of these tribes was the Hittites. Around 2000
BC, they conquered the surrounding people to build a
strong empire in Asia Minor, which is now Turkey.
They used iron, not bronze, to make better weapons,
becoming the first people in the region to master iron
making techniques. They also improved the horsedrawn war chariot, making it lighter, quicker, and able
to hold an extra man. Their culture was a blend of
their own and those around them. For example, they
used Sumerian cuneiform to write their own language.
The Hittites sacked Babylon around 1595 BC. The
empire lasted until about 1200 BC, when it fell to
powerful raiders known as the Sea Peoples.
THE ASSYRIANS AND THE CHALDEANS
The next group to rise to power was the Assyrians
(uh-SEER-i-unz). A fierce warrior society, the
Assyrians had chariots and iron tools, plus a wellarmed cavalry. They briefly gained power in the
1300s BC, lost it, then regained their strength when
they built an empire around 900 BC. In time, the
Assyrians used their military might to control all of
Mesopotamia and parts of Asia Minor and Egypt.
They used siege warfare to take over cities by digging
beneath city walls to weaken them or using battering
rams to pound through them. To keep conquered
people from rebelling, the Assyrians spread fear by
killing or maiming their captives. In some cases,
however, they kept groups from rebelling by splitting
them up and resettling them.
Roads linked the vast Assyrian empire. Kings ruled
through local leadership and harsh punishment for
rebels. In spite of this brutality, Assyrian culture
produced great achievements such as the library in the
capital city of Nineveh, which housed more than
20,000 cuneiform tablets.
Circle the words that show
what the Indo-European
tribes had in common.
Underline how the
Assyrians were different
from groups described in
Section 1.
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Full Survey Chapter 2
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Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
The Ancient Near East
Section 2
As the Assyrians’ power declined, the Chaldeans
formed an empire with the old city of Babylon as its
capital. King Nebuchadnezzar II built a grand palace
there. It is said to have housed the Hanging Gardens,
one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
According to legend, he built this magnificent
structure for his wife, who missed the mountains and
forests of her birthplace. Nebuchadnezzar also built
numerous palaces and temples, including an immense
multistoried ziggurat, in Babylon, and the Euphrates
River flowed through the center.
The Chaldeans built temples to Sumerian gods,
developed a lunar calendar, and made advancements
in astronomy. When the Persians conquered Babylon
in 539, the Chaldean empire ended, less than 100
years after rising to power.
THE PHOENICIANS
While great empires rose and fell, smaller states
emerged in Phoenicia (fi-NI-shuh) in western Asia at
the western end of the Fertile Crescent along the
Mediterranean Sea in present-day Lebanon. Wealthy
city-states such as Sidon and Tyre became centers for
trade.
Phoenicians could not easily farm the rugged hills
and mountains of their homeland, so they turned to
trade for their livelihood. Many became expert sailors
who traveled to faraway ports. Along the way, they
founded colonies such as Carthage (KAHR-thij), which
became a powerful city on the Mediterranean coast of
northern Africa.
While exporting valuable goods brought the citystates wealth, the Phoenicians’ greatest achievement
was their alphabet. As traders traveled from port to
port, more people began to use the alphabet. The
Greeks modified the Phoenician alphabet for their
own alphabet, which is the ancestor of the one we use
to write English today.
Why did Nebuchadnezzar
build the Hanging Gardens
of Babylon, according to
legend?
_______________________
_______________________
Underline ways in which
many Phoenicians earned a
living. Write why this was a
good career for someone
who lived in Phoenicia.
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Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Full Survey Chapter 2
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