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• People lived for hundreds of thousands of years before the beginning of Pre-History, but little changed from generation to generation; • Humans moved from pre-historic times to the Old Stone Age, when they began to make their own weapons from stone • During this time, humans were Nomads people who move often from place to place • Migration - moving from one place to another • Nomads did not build permanent homes; they took shelter where they could before moving on • We have learned much about nomads and people during the Old Stone Age due to the work of Archaeologists – those who study material remains (artifacts) of past human life and activities • But why did these nomads stop hunting and gathering and start to stay in one place? • People in Southwest Asia discovered that if you planted seeds they would come back the next year. Women were likely the ones to discover farming because it was their job to work with the seeds = The Birth of Agriculture! • The advent of farming led to the New Stone Age • Humans in this New Stone Age were now becoming very good at growing their own food and Domestication – the taming and breeding of animals for human use • Conditions needed for successful farming: 1. Soil that was fertile (contains elements plants need to grow) 2. Warm and moist environments 3. Located near rivers! • Rivers made it possible for Irrigation systems; a network of canals that supplied water to areas that needed it • All of these conditions led to Surplus – having more than you need • Society then started to develop with Division of Labor – workers specializing in a particular task or job • This caused people to depend on one another and eventually led to the formation of Civilizations – societies demonstrating cultural, technological, and material advances • The name Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” • Mesopotamia lies within the Fertile Crescent – an area of rich, fertile farmland in Southwest Asia where the first civilizations began • It is bordered to the north by the Tigris River, and to the South by the Euphrates River...it is in present day Iraq • These were the rivers of Life and Death • Flood waters brought beneficial topsoil from the mountains in spring • The same floods were unpredictable and swept away people and animals • The floods on these two rivers left behind Silt – finely ground fertile soil that is good for growing crops • This silt made the land of Mesopotamia extremely valuable for growing crops • When you have excellent conditions for growing crops (warm climate, good soil, access to plenty of water) what is possible.....? SURPLUS!!! • Surplus made it possible for the growth of Cities • The Sumerians established the world’s first permanent civilization right here in Mesopotamia • Their first cities had about 10,000 people but as time passed some grew as large as 100,000! • These City-States acted as individual countries even though they were cities • What kept city-states from uniting under one government or ruler ...... • The DESERT • Unfortunately, not all of the Sumerian city-states were BFFs • City-states would continually fight over who had controlled the farmland and the rights to trade on the river • By 3500 BC, Kish was the most powerful of the city-states • Uruk and Ur fought for dominance as well • Uruk’s king Gilgamesh became a legendary figure in Sumerian Literature NOTES AWAY!!!! On your exit ticket, describe: 1. How were the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers the rivers of life and death 2. What made it possible for citystates to emerge and why did they have conflicts with one another? • In Sumeria, religion was a central part of life in the city-states • Sumerians practiced Polytheism – the worship of many gods • Ziggurats - structures that were built by the Sumerians to act as a ladder for the gods • They were terraced with ramps that lead to the top where a temple was located SUMERIAN ACHIEVEMENTS • Writing – Cuneiform (using pictures/symbols) • Math – Developed a math system which used a 60 as a base. This led to the understanding of 12 months in a year, 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour. • Technology: • Wheel - used in carts for trade and transportation • Plow- pulled by ox to break up the soil before planting • Sewers • Bronze for tools • Makeup and jewelry • Constant fighting between City-States in Sumeria weakened them • They manly fought over the rights to water, land, and even money • Because they were weak, the Babylonians were able to conquer them by the year 1759 BC. • Empire - area of many territories and people controlled by one government •The center of the Babylonian empire was the beautiful city of Babylon • Its central location made it a center for trade for: Caravans – groups of travelers Bazaars – open markets for the exchange of goods • Hammurabi became King and created the Babylonian Empire by uniting the cities of Sumer and conquering parts of Asia Minor • As one of the most influential leaders in Mesopotamia, he conquered territory and developed a set of laws to govern it = HAMMURABI’s CODE • There were 282 laws; its creation allowed men, women, slaves, and all others to read and understand the laws that governed their lives in Babylon Examples: • Code 21: If a man has broken into a house he shall be killed before the breach and buried there • Code 196: If a man has knocked out the eye of a patrician, his eye shall be knocked out. • The Babylonian Empire was eventually conquered by the Persians, paving the way for the rise of.... The Assyrians ADVANCES • The Battering Ram, helmets, slingers, armor, archery • Armed Chariots were their major advantage over foes • The city of Nineveh became a city of great learning and housed tablets from Sumeria and Babylon DOWNFALL • Very militaristic, so had few allies • Many small rebellions from with-in weakened them • Ultimately conquered by the Chaldeans by 612 BC • Chaldeans reestablished Babylon (New Babylonian Empire) • Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt Babylon into a beautiful city and built the Hanging Gardens for his wife ADVANCES • Accurate 7-day calendars • Raised bees for honey • Sundials DOWNFALL • Poor leaders weakened them, and they eventually fell to Persia • The land on the western fringe of the Fertile Crescent was home to wealthy trading society known as the Phoenicians • Phoenicia had few resources, but it did have cedar. Cedar trees were prized for their timber, a valuable trade item • Phoenicia’s overland trade routes were blocked by mountains and hostile neighbors, so they had to look to the sea for a way to trade • Motivated by a desire for trade, the people of Phoenicia became expert sailors - They built one of the world’s finest harbors at the city of Tyre • Fleets of fast Phoenician trading ships sailed to ports all around the Mediterranean Sea. Traders traveled to Egypt, Greece, Italy, Sicily, and Spain • The Phoenicians founded several new colonies - Carthage was the most famous of these, and later became one of the most powerful cities on the Mediterranean • Phoenicia grew wealthy from trading: cedar, silverwork, iron carvings, glass items, slaves, and items dyed purple (which were popular with rich people) • The Phoenicians’ most important achievement, however, wasn’t a trade good. To record their activities, Phoenician traders developed one of the world’s first Alphabet - a set of letters that can be combined to form words • This development made writing much easier and had a major impact on the ancient and modern world • Our alphabet is based on the Phoenicians! ADVANCES • Created valuable goods from glass, iron, and cedar • World’s finest ship builders • Founded the city of Carthage • The Alphabet DOWNFALL • Attacks by King Nebuchadnezzar weakened the Phoenicians • Eventually conquered when Alexander the Great swept through the Fertile Crescent in 332 BC