Download Unit 1: From Pre-History to Early Civilizations

Unit 1: From Pre-History to
Early Civilizations
Chapter 2: Ancient Civilizations
Section I: Ancient Egypt
(Pages 22-29)
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This section is about:
How the Nile River
influenced the
development of ancient
Egypt.
Religion, government,
and society in the 3
major periods of ancient
Egypt.
How hieroglyphics
recorded aspects of
Egyptian life
On pages 22 and 23:
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What 4 sections are in this
chapter?
Which do I already probably
know something about and
why?
What part of the world is
this chapter taking place in?
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On the top of page 24:
What “active reading” tip
do they give you?
What are the main ideas
of this section?
How else could you find
out the main ideas if they
didn’t list them for you?
The Nile River Valley
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There wouldn’t be an
Egypt without the Nile
It flows 4000 miles
(which direction?)
through a series of
cataracts / waterfalls
to the Nile delta
Only about a 10-15
mile wide area.
People like living near water, so…
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The river valley is where
just about everything
happened in Egypt – living,
trading, farming (as far as
they could irrigate land).
The Nile (and the yearly
floods) were essential to
their survival.
They used the things
around them to live: mudbrick homes, papyrus for
ropes, sandals, paper, and
even boats,
In looking at it’s history,
Ancient Egypt gets divided up into 3 “kingdoms”
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The Old Kingdom
(2600 BC -2150 BC)
This is when Egypt
was everything you
read about.
Pharaohs (God-kings)
had absolute power.
Some great building
projects were
completed (like the
pyramids at Giza).
After a while, several
rulers fought for
power and Egypt was
weakened.
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The Middle Kingdom
(2100 BC – 1800 BC)
New Pharaohs took
over.
More farmland was
irrigated and a canal
was even dug to
connect the Nile and
the Red Sea.
Egypt began trading
more – gold, ebony,
ivory, and skins and
there was an increase
of crafts to support
that trade.
This kingdom ended
when the Egyptians
were invaded and
controlled for a while.
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The New Kingdom
(1700 BC – 1125 BC)
New leaders came to
power and again unified
Egypt under 1 ruler.
During this time, Egypt
sent out armies to
conquer new lands.
Egypt resumed massive
building projects –
enormous temples and
statues of gods and
pharaohs.
About 1085, Egypt
began to lose power –
others invaded and
controlled them.
Better Known New Kingdom Leaders
A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Hatshepsut
Amenhotep IV
or Akhenaton
Tutankhamen
Thutmose III
Ramses II
B.
C.
D.
E.
Great army leader
and conqueror
Great warrior, lived a
long time and had
many children
Worshiped one God
– the sun God (this
was a big thing).
Best known of all
Egyptian Pharaohs?
First known female
ruler of Egypt
Egyptian Religion, Government, and Society
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Religion and family
were important parts of
every Egyptian’s life.
There were many levels
of society (next slide).
You could move to a
higher class through
hard work or marriage.
Egypt was usually
doing well enough that
people had time for
family activities, sports,
sailing, games, and
even school (the
wealthy)
The pyramids:
famous tombs of the Pharaohs
Also, the “Valley of the Kings”
And, some in “The Valley of the Golden Mummies”
The Pharaohs were buried with all
the wealth of Egypt because:
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they felt they’d need it in their afterlife
Most of the tombs of the Pharaohs
and the wealthy: were robbed
King Tutankhamen's tomb was so
well hidden it was never robbed
The method of preserving dead
bodies is called: mummification
About 1800: the French and Napoleon
conquered Egypt and found…
One of his soldiers found:
The Rosetta Stone
the top is in Ancient
Egyptian hieroglyphs
(picture writing),
the second in the
Egyptian demotic
script,
and the third in
Ancient Greek
Finding this made it possible to:
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Understand about past Egyptian civilizations
(after 20 years)
Section II: Mesopotamia and Sumer
(Pages 32-36)
Section III: Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia
(Pages 37-41)
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These sections are about:
How the geography of
Mesopotamia affected the
development of farming
settlements and the Sumerians.
How a surplus of food supplies
led to the growth of cities.
The accomplishments of the
Babylonians, Persians, and
Phoenicians.
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This area is in the
Middle East today
(Iraq): between
the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers
Why do you think
people settled in
Mesopotamia?
Maybe first – why
do you think people
have settled in the
Barrington High
School area?
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These two rivers flooded
most years and brought
rich, fertile soils to the
area…
…although there were not
many other useful
resources for them
(metal, precious stones,
trees, etc…).
Since it was a good place
to farm, some of the first
civilizations started here.
One of these civilizations: Mesopotamia
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Good land for crops and
animals.
It didn’t rain much, but
they dug irrigation
ditches.
About 4000 BC, they
developed a plow – and
people could then work a
lot faster and easier.
This is another example
of a culture specializing
in their skills and
lifestyles.
The Fertile Crescent was
actually a home to many
different cultures:
including Assyria, Akkad,
and Sumer
The Sumerians
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Had a lot of city-states
(the biggest was Ur:
20,000 people).
Each city state was a
theocracy (a government
ruled by a priest) who
could command an army,
collect taxes, assign
people labor, etc…
The center of each city
had a ziggurat (tall tower
for the priests)
Many of these priests
ended up becoming kings.
Some of these kings ended
up becoming warrior kinds
of kings.
Why would they have
changed from “priests” to
warrior leaders?
Sumerian writing…
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Started out as pictographs –
usually done on clay (they had
a lot of clay)
This eventually turned into
cuneiform (on clay tablets).
They used this wedge shaped
writing for about 3000 years.
Used for recording business,
myths, poems, laws, …
One famous cuneiform story is
“The Epic of Gilgamesh”
Mesopotamians were bright:
Invented
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the plow
pottery
cuneiform
THE WHEEL (in Sumer about
3100 BC)
used sails for boats
masters at record keeping
(used scribes to copy
information and keep
records)
invented a math system
(based on 60 – still for clocks
and… anything else?)
contributed ideas that helped
make domes, vaults, and
brick molds
Sumerians also practiced polytheism
(they worshiped many gods and goddesses)
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About 3000 total
Each city may
have even had
some of their
own special
ones.
They usually had
a pretty set
social structure
Sumer was not the only
place in Mesopotamia…
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… and eventually they lost some
of their power and were
conquered (some of their culture
became part of other Empire’s
cultures though).
Another group: The Akkadian
Empire: led by Sargon – a superb
military leader.
Sargon’s dynasty ruled for about
200 years - during this time
Sumer and Akkad blended into
more of one culture.
And, because their culture was
doing well – people were able to
do more leisure time things:
sculpture, carving, writing and
poetry…
Babylonia
and Assyria
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Babylonia became a village
about 2000 BC and an
empire by 17100 BC
Their outstanding leader
(Hammurabi) helped them
become known for their
wealth, entertainment, and
gardens.
But he’s best known for
writing down all the laws
into one “document”
This document is called:
The Code of Hammurabi:
Did 2 things:
1.
2.
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Helped make sure everyone
knew what the laws were.
Helped unify all the people who
made up the Babylonian
culture.
Has 282 specific laws about
marriage, land rights, business
dealings, family relations, and
crime and punishment.
Some were complicated and
even unfair (different
punishments for different
people)…
…but usually the punishment fit
the deed.
Examples from “The Code of Hammurabi”
15: If any one take a male or female slave of the court, or a male or female slave of a freed man, outside the city gates [to escape], he shall be
put to death.
16: If any one receive into his house a runaway male or female slave of the court, or of a freedman, and does not bring it out at the public
proclamation of the [police], the master of the house shall be put to death.
53: If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded, then
shall he in whose dam the break occurred be sold for money, and the money shall replace the [grain] which he has caused to be ruined.
54: If he be not able to replace the [grain], then he and his possessions shall be divided among the farmers whose corn he has flooded.
108: If a [woman wine-seller] does not accept [grain] according to gross weight in payment of drink, but takes money, and the price of the drink
is less than that of the corn, she shall be convicted and thrown into the water. (1)
1010: If conspirators meet in the house of a [woman wine-seller], and these conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the [wineseller] shall be put to death.
110: If a "sister of a god“ [nun] open a tavern, or enter a tavern to drink, then shall this woman be burned to death.
1210: If a man's wife be surprised [having intercourse] with another man, both shall be tied and thrown into the water, but the husband may
pardon his wife and the king his slaves.
130: If a man violate the wife (betrothed or child-wife) of another man, who has never known a man, and still lives in her father's house, and
sleep with her and be surprised [caught], this man shall be put to death, but the wife is blameless.
131: If a man bring a charge against [his] wife, but she is not surprised with another man, she must take an oath and then may return to her
house.
132: If the "finger is pointed" at a man's wife about another man, but she is not caught sleeping with the other man, she shall jump into the river
for [the sake of her] husband. (2)
138: If a man wishes to separate from his wife who has borne him no children, he shall give her the amount of her purchase money and the
dowry which she brought from her father's house, and let her go.
141: If a man's wife, who lives in his house, wishes to leave it, plunges into debt [to go into business], tries to ruin her house, neglects her
husband, and is judicially convicted: if her husband offer her release, she may go on her way, and he gives her nothing as a gift of release. If her
husband does not wish to release her, and if he take another wife, she shall remain as servant in her husband's house.
142: If a woman quarrel with her husband, and say: "You are not congenial to me," the reasons for her prejudice must be presented. If she is
guiltless, and there is no fault on her part, but he leaves and neglects her, then no guilt attaches to this woman, she shall take her dowry and go
back to her father's house. (3)
143: If she is not innocent, but leaves her husband, and ruins her house, neglecting her husband, this woman shall be cast into the water.
1105: If a son strike his father, his hands shall be [cut] off. (4)
1106: If a [noble-]man put out the eye of another [noble-]man, his eye shall be put out. (5)
1107: If he break another [noble-]man's bone, his bone shall be broken.
1108: If he put out the eye of a [commoner], or break the bone of a [commoner], he shall pay one [silver] mina.
11010: If he put out the eye of a man's slave, or break the bone of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.
200: If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.
201: If he knock out the teeth of a [commoner], he shall pay one-third of a [silver] mina.
http://www.ushistory.org/civ/4c.asp
The Persian Empire
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…contributed a lot to
Mesopotamia.
Cyrus the Great built many
roads (improving travel and
communication).
Cyrus also governed
through kindness and
cooperation (his army
wouldn’t steal or destroy
places they conquered).
Also: common weights and
measures and the use of
coins in trade
The Phoenicians were around at the same time
(but in a different place)
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They were the greatest sailors
of the time (so – also traders –
minerals, wood, a purple dye).
They also set up many
colonies around the
Mediterranean.
Their greatest achievement
was a new alphabet – which
spread throughout the region.
They also simplified cuneiform
from 1000 symbols to 22.
Each symbol stood for a
different sound. The Greeks
later added more symbols and
eventually it turns into what
our English alphabet is based
on.
Section IV: The Beginnings of Judaism
(Pages 42-45)
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This section is about:
How the geography of
Canaan influenced the
ancient civilization of the
Hebrews.
How Judaism was
founded, and how it alter
became a major world
religion.
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Another group who lived in
the area of the Fertile
Crescent were the Hebrews.
But, they were a little
different than the other
groups we’ve seen so far.
We know a lot about them,
because they recorded events
important to them in their
Hebrew Bible (Many groups
only use an oral history)
How do you know about you
and your family’s past?
Ask your teacher about the
20 foot long book he has
about the history of the
Hebrew people.
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One of their peoples
(Abraham) brought the
Hebrews from Mesopotamia
to Canaan.
That was where God and
Abraham made a covenant
(agreement/contract)
If Abraham and his people
would worship only one god
(monotheism), then God
would give Abraham many
descendants (through the
Twelve Tribes of Israel).
Worshiping one God was
different than the other
groups from the Fertile
Crescent.
These Twelve Tribes were nomads
and they eventually ended up…
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… in Egypt (where they were
made into slaves).
After a while, one of their
leaders (Moses) got them
their freedom (the Exodus).
When they left Egypt, they
traveled around the Sinai
Peninsula for many years.
It was during that time that
Moses got the Ten
Commandments from God –
again a covenant that if they
followed these rules, they
would be “God’s own
people.”
They eventually ended up
settling in Canaan (the land
promised to Abraham).
Canaan is now called Israel.
Kingdoms of
the Israelites
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The Hebrews (Twelve Tribes of
Israelites) had to continually fight
for this land.
They figured it was better to unite
and their first king was Saul (killed
in battle).
His son David took over, created a
stronger Israel, and made
Jerusalem it’s capital.
David’s son Solomon made Israel a
rich nation which had a huge
temple, big army, good trade,
improved roads and ports…
When Solomon died, there were
problems: Israel even split into two
kingdoms: most Israelites were
taken over by Assyria and Judah
was conquered by Babylonia.
Much of the oral history of the Hebrew people
was written down during the time
the people of Judah were conquered.
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When the Persians
conquered Babylonia,
they let the Jews
return to their old
kingdom – where
they re-built their
temple (although still
living under Persian
control)
This idea of Monotheism still influences
and dominates many religions today
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The sacred book for Hebrews is the
Torah (first 5 books of the bible)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Genesis (creation, Abraham, and his
descendants)
Exodus (leaving Egypt)
Leviticus
Numbers
(Jewish laws and instruction)
Deuteronomy
The oldest Torah stories we have
come from the Dead Sea Scrolls
(written about 800AD and just found
in the 1100’s.
Judaism
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World’s 8th biggest
religion (14-18 million)
Spread out around the
world – many in Israel
(40%), America (40%),
Europe, Russia, etc…
Many still follow these
old Hebrew rules and
“laws” – as part of
Abraham’s covenant
and their faith that they
are God’s chosen
people