Download Mesopotamia @ Egypt

Mesopotamia
and
Egypt
Ancient Mesopotamia Timeline
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3000-2200 B.C.-Emergence of Sumerian Cities
1800-1550 B.C.-Babylonian Kingdom
1780 B.C.-Code of Hammurabi
1000-586 B.C.-The Hebrews
559-500 B.C.-Height of Persian Power
Mesopotamian Geography
• Mesopotamian located at
Eastern end of Fertile
Cresent
• Tigris and Euphrates flood
often creating rich soil for
crops
• Developed ditches for
irrigation
• Open plane made area
vulnerable to attack
MesopotaMia’s City states
• Surrounded by walls built of
mud brick
• Temples most important
building usually in center
• Sumerians state based on a
theocracy (lead by divine
authority)
• Economy based on farming,
trade, and manufacturing.
• 3 classes: Nobles,
commoners, and slaves.
Empires of Mesopotamia
• 2340 B.C. Akkadians
led by Sargoin who
sets up worlds first
empire
• 1792 B.C.
Babylonians led by
Hammurabi take
power.
Code of Hammurabi
• Collection of laws for
strict justice (eye for
an eye)
• Penalties depend on
social class
• Reflected a
patriarchal society
Mesopotamian Religion
• Polytheistic
(over 3000 gods)
• Humans their to
serve gods
suMerian’s Creation
• Created cuneiform writing
(wedge shaped)
• Used for record keeping,
teaching, and law
• Gilgamesh-literature
teaching of moral lesson
• Other inventions: wagon
wheel, numbers system
(60), advancements in
engineering and
astronomy
Egyptians
Egyptian Geography
• Civilization based
around annual
flooding of the Nile
River (Over 4,000
miles)
• Used Geographic
barriers to protect
them from invasion
Egyptian Religion
• Polytheistic
• Land gods / Sun Gods
• Sun God was the lead
god (Re or Atum)
• Pharaoh referred to as
sun of Re
Egyptian History
• Divided into 3 major
periods: Old, Middle,
and New Kingdoms
• Begins with Menes
around 3100 B.C.
Old Kingdom
• 2700-2200 B.C.
• Rulers become
known as pharaohs
• Absolute power
• Take advice from
family and Vizer
• Pyramids built during
this period, as well as
mummification.
Middle Kingdom
• 2050-1652 B.C. (Golden
Age)
• Pharaohs now portrayed
as shepherds of the
people.
• Middle kingdom ended by
invasion of Hysksos of
Western Asia.
New Kingdom
• 1567-1085 B.C.
• Period which Egypt
created an empire
• Pharaoh’s very
wealthy
• First female ruler
comes during this
time (Hatshepsut)
New Kingdom Continued
• Akhenaton-tries to make
Egyptians monotheistic
(starts the decline of the
Egyptian Empire
• Tutankhamen-restores
the old gods later
• Ramses II (The Great)
1279-1213 B.C. regains
some of the empire but
again would later
collapse.
• Cleopatra VII tries again
later to restore empire but
falls to the Romans.
Society and Daily Life
• Classes of society
• Ruling ClassPharaohs, nobles,
and high priest
• Merchants and priest
• Peasants were
laborers for the upper
classes
Marriage
• Married young (arranged
marriages)
• Man the master: women
took care of household
including children’s
education
• Marriages could end in
divorce with
compensation for women
• Women could be
merchants, priests, and
even pharaohs
Writing and Education
• Writing emerged around
3000 B.C. in Egypt
• Hieroglyphics/Hieratic Script
• Made advances in art,
architecture, geometry, and
medicine
• Due to mummification
learned a great deal about
human anatomy
• First to use splints,
bandages, and compresses
Other Great Civilizations
• Hittites-pastoral
nomadic group known
for use iron
• Phoenicians-lived along
the Mediterranean Coast
• Known for ships,
seafaring skills, and
trading abilities
• Also known for 22 letter
alphabet later used by
Greeks and Romans.
Civilizations
• Israelites-(1200-1000
B.C.) main contribution
religion of Judaism.
• Assyrians-known for
military prowess and use
of iron weapons,
disciplined army and
calvary.
• Persians-created an
enormous empire. Set up
their own complex gov.
structure.