Download SSWH1 The student will analyze the origins, structures, and

SSWH1 The student will analyze
the origins, structures, and
interactions of complex societies
in the ancient Eastern
Mediterranean from 3500 BCE to
500 BCE.
.
Define “Fertile Crescent.”
Geographic Features
Mesopotamia – The Fertile Crescent
• Curved shape of land including lands
facing Mediterranean Sea & plain between
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers
Define “Fertile Crescent”
A well-watered and fertile area,
the fertile crescent arcs across the
northern part of the Syrian desert
a. Describe the development of Mesopotamian
societies; include the religious, cultural, economic,
and political facets of society, with attention to
Hammurabi’s law code.
• Mesopotamia:
• City-state of Sumer
• Early civilization
developed along the
Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers due to the rich soil
used for agriculture
Geographic Features
Mesopotamia – The Fertile Crescent
• Flooded yearly (unpredictable) leaving
behind a thick mud called silt
• Farmers planted crops in rich soil
• Resulted in plentiful harvests  allowed
villages to grow
Geographic Features
Environmental Challenges for Sumerians
• Challenge:
– Unpredictable flooding with a period of little
to no rain. Land sometimes became almost a
desert.
Geographic Features
Environmental Challenges for Sumerians
• Solution:
– Dug irrigation ditches that carried river water
to their fields
– Led to production of surplus crops
Geographic Features
Environmental Challenges for Sumerians
• Challenge:
– No natural barriers for protection
(defenseless)
Geographic Features
Environmental Challenges for Sumerians
• Solution:
– Built city walls with mud bricks
Geographic Features
Environmental Challenges for Sumerians
• Challenge:
– Limited natural resources
– Building materials scarce
Geographic Features
Environmental Challenges for Sumerians
• Solution:
– Traded their grain, cloth, & crafted tools with
people of mtns & deserts
– In exchange, they received raw materials like
stone, wood, & metal
• Cultural Diffusion: process by which a new idea
or product spreads from one culture to another
• Location: Modern
day Iraq & Iran
• Means: Land
between 2 rivers
(Tigris &
Euphrates)
• Religion: Center of
society,
Polytheistic (many
gods), Ziggurat
(temple)
Development of Mesopotamia
Culture
• Art & Architecture
– Literature – The Epic of Gilgamesh
– Ziggurats
– Arches
– Columns
– Ramps
Development of Mesopotamia
Culture
• Science & Technology
– Cuneiform (See AKS 30g)
– Irrigation
– Bronze
– Wheel
– Sail
– Plow
Development of Mesopotamia
Religion
• Polytheistic
– Belief in more than one
god
• Ziggurat (Sumerian
temple) was the center of
city life
– Priests conducted rituals &
sacrifices to city gods
– Served as storage for
grains, fabrics, gems
Development of Mesopotamia
Politics
• Rulers
– Military leaders that shared power with
priests
• Priests prayed to gods, controlled irrigation systems
• Ruler controlled standing armies
Power and Authority
• Ziggurat
– Temple at the center of each city-state
Power and Authority
• Sumerian City-States
– 1st settled in 3300 BC
– City-state is a city and its surrounding lands
Key Civilizations in Mesopotamia
• Sumerian CityStates (4000-2300
B.C.)
– Small, independent
cities w/
surrounding villages
& farms
– Not unified,
constantly at war w/
one another
Key Civilizations in Mesopotamia
• Babylonian Empire (1800-1500 B.C.)
– Most important king was Hammurabi
– Hammurabi’s Code
• 282 laws that formed the basis of the Babylonian
legal system
• Different punishments for rich & poor
• “Eye for an eye”
Mesopotamia
• Religion: Polytheistic
• Culture: Patriarchal (Controlled by Men), ruled
by a council of elders which developed into citystates, women could own property, written
language, music
• Economics: Agriculture was the a main
economic force, especially along the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers
Mesopotamia
• Culture: Art, Religion, Trade (women have
rights)
• Economy: Bartering
• Politics: Priests 1st leaders, after many
wars the best fighters became permanent
leaders (dynasties)
• Law: Hammurabi’s Code – 282 written
laws, created to unify the community (govt
responsible for society)
Power and Authority
• Priest were Rulers
– Priests acted as go betweens for the people
and the Gods
– Priests demanded crops as a form of taxation
for their services
– People believed that the Gods were
responsible for all things in their lives (crops,
rich soil, rain, etc.)
Science and Technology
• Cuneiform
– Sumerian writing system on clay tablets
Who was Hammurabi?
• Hammurabi became the king of Babylon
around 1792 BC.
• He transformed Babylon from a single citystate into a large empire, which united
Mesopotamia under one rule.
Hammurabi’s Ingenuity
• Even though Hammurabi made Babylon a
powerful empire that lasted for the next
1,000 years, he is remembered mainly for
his code of laws.
• Hammurabi’s Code was the first laws ever
written down.
• It was a compilation of 282 laws. The
death penalty was enforced for breaking
many of the laws.
Code of Hammurabi
• After years of constant fighting by
Mesopotamian city-states, Hammurabi
came to power
• The first ruler of Babylon, Hammurabi set
up a a code, or set of laws for the people
to follow
• He wanted to rule fairly and
promote the welfare of
the people
EGYPT
b. Describe the relationship of religion and
political authority in Ancient Egypt.
• Egyptian Pharaohs (kings)
were considered to be
living gods
• The rule based on religious
authority is called a
theocracy
• Pharaohs continued to help
rule after their deathspyramids were built to
house the pharaoh and
everything he would need
in the after life
northeast corner of Africa
 Egypt grew to be an
important civilization for over
three hundred years because
of the Nile River.
Impact of Geography
• The Nile is a unique river, beginning in the
heart of Africa and coursing northward for
more than 4000 miles.
• It is the longest river in the world.
• The Nile Delta is called Lower Egypt; the
land upstream, to the south, is called
Upper Egypt.
• To the ancient Egyptians, the most
important feature was the yearly flooding.
Geographic Features
Ancient Egypt – Nile River
• Benefits:
– Predictable yearly flooding  allowed
farming settlements to grow
– Worshiped the river as a god b/c of its
abundance
Geographic Features
Ancient Egypt – Deserts on Either Side of Nile River
• Benefits:
– Shut out invaders
– Spared Egypt constant warfare
Importance of Religion
• Religion also provided a sense of security.
• The ancient Egyptians had no word for
religion.
• Religious ideas were an inseparable part
of their world order.
• Polytheistic- Were divided into two groups
sun gods and land gods
Life after Death
• The ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife of
beauty, peace, and contentment.
• Since most of their lives were filled with hard work,
they looked forward to death as a release from this
lifetime.
• They believed their souls would need to use their
bodies again, so the Egyptians invented a process to
embalm their bodies called mummification.
• Wealthy could afford better mummification than the
poor
Steps in Mummification
• After the body was washed and covered with scented oils, the liver and
kidneys were removed and placed in jars that would be put in the coffin
later.
• The brains were removed carefully, but the heart was left in the body
because they believed it was the mind and would be needed
immediately in the next life.
• Then the body was wrapped in either linen or rough cotton strips and a
sticky tar-like mixture was poured over the cloth strips forming a
protective outer covering for the body.
• When the mixture hardened, the mummy was placed in a wooden
coffin, which was carved and painted to resemble a person.
• Then the mummy was laid in its tomb, along with many objects the
Egyptians thought it would need for daily use in the next lifetime, such
as tools, jewelry, furniture, religious statues, and food.
Society in Ancient Egypt
• God-King (Pharaoh)
• Upper Class of Nobles and Priests
• Merchants, Artisans, Scribes, and Tax
Collectors (The Middle Class)
• Peasants – the largest number of people
in Egypt simply worked the land
Egyptian Culture
• Writing System
– Hieroglyphics
• Like Sumerian cuneiform, it used pictures to
represent ideas
c. Explain the development of monotheism; include
the concepts developed by the ancient Hebrews,
and Zoroastrianism.
Monotheism
• Definition:
– Belief in a single god
• Hebrews believed in one god b/c:
– Believed Abraham had made a covenant with
God, where Abraham and his descendants
promised to obey God in return for God’s
protection
Origins of Judaism
• 2000 B.C.
– God commands Abraham to take his people
to Canaan.
• All the early history of the Hebrews is written in the
Torah – the first five books of the Old Testament in
the Christian Bible
Origins of Judaism
• 1650 B.C.
– Descendants of Abraham move to Egypt
• At first, they held places of honor in the Egyptian
kingdom
• Later, Hebrews forced into slavery
Origins of Judaism
• 1300-1200 B.C.
– Hebrews begin their “exodus” from Egypt
• Moses led the Hebrews out of slavery
• Later, he received the Ten Commandments from
God on Mount Sinai
Origins of Judaism
• 1020 B.C.
– Hebrews unite and
form the kingdom of
Israel
• Saul
– Drove the Philistines out
of central Palestine
• David
– United the tribes & made
Jerusalem the capital
– Began a dynasty
Origins of Judaism
• 962 B.C.
– King David succeeded by his son, Solomon
• Solomon built a great temple in Jerusalem to
glorify God and house the Ark of the Covenant
(this held the Ten Commandments)
Ancient Hebrews
• Believed that their god
had power over all
people and that he
would protect them
• Their god gave them
laws or
commandments to
obey (Ten
Commandments)
• The history of the
Hebrews is written in
their bible, the Torah
Zoroaster
• Persian prophet
• Taught that earth is a battleground
between good & evil & each person
is supposed to take part in this
struggle
• Taught belief in one god, Ahura
Mazda, who will one day judge
everyone according to how well
he/she fought the battle for good
• His teachings led to the concept of
Satan and the belief in angels seen
in Judaism, Christianity, & Islam
d. Describe early trading networks in the Eastern
Mediterranean; include the impact Phoenicians
had on the Mediterranean World.
• Many of the ancient
trade routes were
water based
The Importance of Trade
• Trade between regions was important
in the transfer of ideas from the Near
East (Middle East) to area on the edges
of Europe (in the Mediterranean Sea)
Rise of the Phoenicians
Phoenicia never really unites into a nation
but does include several wealthy citystates
• Phoenicians were master ship builders
and are said to have traveled to Britain
and around the coast of Africa nearly
2,500 years before anyone else
• Phoenicia founded many colonies
along the coast of the Mediterranean
(Carthage) which lead the Phoenicians
to be one of the richest civilizations of
the ancient world
• Phoenicians were also some of the best
builders of the ancient world – they are
reported to have built the Temple of
Solomon for the Hebrew people
The Alphabet
• Because the Phoenicians were so
involved in trading they had to create a
alphabet to record transactions
Seafaring Traders - Phoenicians
• Skilled shipbuilders & sailors
– First Mediterranean people to sail beyond
Strait of Gibraltar, possibly even around Africa
Seafaring Traders - Phoenicians
• Phoenician
traders spread
their alphabet
system to the
peoples with
whom they
traded
Phoenicians
• The Phoenicians developed a series of
powerful city-states along what is now
Lebanon-colonized a large area
Phoenicians
• The Phoenicians
were great sailors and
shipbuilders
• This enabled them to
explore and set up
city-states throughout
the Mediterranean
• These city-states
were used for trading
posts for goods found
throughout the region
e. Explain the development and importance
of writing; include cuneiform, hieroglyphics,
and the Phoenician alphabet.
• Cuneiform: Created by Sumerian scribes
as a means to keep records: written into
moist clay which was then dried
Sumerian Cuneiform
• Consisted of pictographs
• Used wedge-shaped tool to press symbols
into clay, then baked clay in the sun to
preserve the writing
• Used for record-keeping, writing about
wars, natural disasters, etc.
• Marked beginning of written history
Hieroglyphics
• In early Egyptian
hieroglyphics, pictures stood
for an idea.
• As they developed, the
pictures came to represent
sounds
• Egyptians used a form of
paper called papyrus to write
on
• Writing allowed civilizations
to record their history,
religious, and cultural beliefs
Egyptian Hieroglyphics
• Consisted of pictographs
• Scribes recorded history,
beliefs, & ideas of ancient
Egypt (often times in the
tombs of the pharaohs)
• Used to document tax
collection, laws, storage of
grain, etc.
Phoenician Alphabet
• Needed a way of
recording
transactions clearly
and quickly
• Similarities can be
seen between
Phoenician, Greek,
& modern-day
alphabets
Phoenician alphabet
• Developed as a means of recording trade
transactions-spread throughout the
Mediterranean
• Was a phonetic system: one sign
represented one sound
• Other cultures based their alphabet on the
Phoenicians (Greece)