Download Packet 2 - Pascack Valley Regional High School District

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River Valley Civilizations PART I:
Egypt and Mesopotamia
8,000-600 B.C.E.
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This packet includes information on the following topics:
 Mesopotamia (Middle East)
 Egypt (Africa)
 OTHERS (PHOENECIANS AND HEBREWS)
Remember: In the ancient civilizations there are generally 3 P’s—patriarchal,
peasants (most of the population), and polytheistic
MESOPOTAMIA:
 The Greeks spoke of the valley between the Tigris and the Euphrates
Rivers as Mesopotamia, the land “between the rivers.”
 The region receives little rain but the soil of the plain of southern
Mesopotamia was enlarged and enriched over the years by layers of silt
deposited by the two rivers.
 In the late spring, the Tigris and Euphrates overflow their banks and deposit
their fertile silt, but since this flooding depends on the melting of snows in
the mountains, it is irregular and unpredictable. It can be catastrophic.
 A complex system of irrigation was developed to control the flow of the
rivers and produce crops. Large-scale irrigation made possible the expansion
of agriculture in this region, and the abundant food provided the material
base for the emergence of civilization in this region.
City-States in Ancient Mesopotamia-Political:
 Sumerians—the creators of the first
civilization in Mesopotamia
 The Sumerians created independent citystates in southern Mesopotamia: Eridu, Ur,
Uruk, Umma, and Lagash.
 City-states were the basic units of Sumerian
civilization
 Sumerian cities were surrounded by walls
(built of sun-dried bricks). Mud bricks are still used in some areas of the
Middle East today
 Sumerians believed the gods ruled the cities, making the state a theocracy
(government by a divine authority). Eventually, ruling power passed onto
worldly figures—kings.
 Kingship seen as divine in origin. Kings were the agents of the gods
 The army, government bureaucracy, and the priests all aided the king in his
rule.
 Kings lived in large palaces with wives and children.
 City-states were constantly at war
 Located in the flat land of Mesopotamia, the Sumerian city-states were prone
to invasion
o To the north of the Sumerians was the Akkadians (known as Semites).
The Akkadians overran the Sumerian city-states and established an
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empire that included most of Mesopotamia in
Hammurabi’s Code:
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Hammurabi is best remembered for his
2340 b.c.e. Sargon is known for creating the
law code.
first empire
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Collection of 282 laws
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Offers a glimpse of life in Mesopotamia
By 1792 b.c.e. Babylonian leader Hammurabi
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A system of strict justice
conquered over the area and created the new
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Penalties for criminal offenses were
severe and varied based on social class
capital at Babylon. Hammurabi created
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The largest portion of the code focused
defensive walls, temples, and canals. His
on marriage and the family
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Sexual relations were strictly regulated
empire only lasted as long as he did.
By 1500 b.c.e. the major empire of the Hittites
had conquered much of Mesopotamia. Hittites came from Anatolia
(Turkey) and were able to conquer because they had IRON.
The Assyrians succeeded the Hittites. Assyrians were known to be a
military powerhouse. Their empire fell by 612 BCE because their
empire was too big to control.
The second reign of the Babylonians was under Nebuchadnezzar
 Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Babylon—canals, walls, temples, a
defensive mote
 Built first great, illustrious city of the ancient world
 Known for exiling the Jews and destroying their temple.
 Built the “hanging gardens of Babylon”
Cultural:
 Each civilization had a temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of the
city and often built atop a massive stepped tower called a ziggurat. The
people were polytheistic. Humans were subservient to gods
 Sumerians believed gods and goddesses owned the cities, and much wealth
was used to build temples as well as elaborate houses for the priests and
priestesses who served the deities.
 Priests and priestesses who served the temples had much power.
 Temples were at the physical and economic/political center of the city.
Most important gods:
An: god of the sky and most important
Enki: god of the earth, rivers, wells, canals, inventions
Enlil: god of wind
Ninhursaga: goddess of the soil, mountains, vegetation
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Sumerian city-states contained three major social groups: nobles,
commoners, and slaves.
o Nobles— royal and priestly officials and their families.
o Commoners— the noble’s clients who worked for the palace and
temple estates and other free citizens who worked as farmers,
merchants, fishers, and craftsmen.
o Slaves— belonged to palace officials who used them in building
projects; to temple officials, who used mostly female slaves to weave
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cloth and grind grain; and to rich landowners who used them for
farming and domestic work.
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The physical environment had an apparent impact on the peoples’ worldview. Floods and oppressive humidity were all part of the Mesopotamian
climate. These conditions and famines easily convinced Mesopotamians that
supernatural forces controlled this world and that the days of human beings
are numbered. They felt helpless in the presence of nature.
Cuneiform: oldest Mesopotamian texts date to around 3000 b.c.e. written by
Sumerians who used cuneiform (‘wedge shaped’). Cuneiform used
pictographic signs. Writing was important because it enabled the society to
keep records (taxes!) and maintain knowledge of previous practices and
events.
Epic of Gilgamesh: most famous piece of Mesopotamian literature. An epic
poem that records the exploits of a legendary king of Uruk
Education: Most education was vocational. Yet Mesopotamians also
established formal schools. Most who learned to read and write became
scribes or government officials. Some became priests, physicians or
engineers. Literacy was very important for Mesopotamia. Leads to the
expansion of knowledge.
Astronomy and Math: Knowledge of astronomy made them prepare accurate
calendars. Enabled them to chart the rhythms of the seasons for harvesting
crops. They used math to allocate land plots. Mesopotamian scientists
divided the year into 12 months. They divided the hours of the day into 60
minutes composed of 60 seconds each! Pretty good!
The Emergence of a Stratified Patriarchal Society
 Compared to Neolithic cultures, cities provided more opportunities for
wealth. Social distinctions in Mesopotamia therefore became much more
sharply defined than those of Neolithic villages.
 Elites: In early Mesopotamia, ruling classes consisted of kings and nobles.
Legends portrayed them as offspring of the gods.
 Priests and priestesses were allied with the elites. They intervened with the
gods to ensure good fortune for the community. They lived in temples
 Free Commoners and slaves also encompassed much of the society. Slaves
were fro3m one of three sources: 1. Prisoners of war 2. Convicted criminals
3. Debtors. Most served a certain duration and then were let free.
 Patriarchy: Men dominated public affairs; they were kings and policy
makers. Hammurabi’s code recognized men as heads of their households
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Women: legally subjugated. However, some women advised kings in their
governments and others were influential priestesses. Others were formally
educated and worked as scribes. Women could be midwives, shopkeepers,
brewers, bakers, tavern keepers and textile manufactures. No women held
high level administrative positions.
o Continuity in history: During the second millennium, Mesopotamian
men insisted on the virginity of brides at marriage and forbade casual
socializing between married women and men outside the family.
o By 1,500 b.c.e. women in Mesopotamian cities had begun to wear veils
when they ventured beyond their households to discourage outside
attention. A way of controlling women’s social and sexual behavior
and reinforcing patriarchal social structures.
Economic:
 Agricultural economy
 Sumerians invented the wheel in 3000 bce- made transporting goods much
easier.
 Bronze Metallurgy: Metallurgical innovations ranked among the most
important developments that came about because of specialized labor.
Around 4,000 b.c.e. Mesopotamians alloyed tin and copper, leading to the
invention of bronze. Bronze is an invented metal. It was used militarily and
for knives and plows instead of bone, wood, stone and obsidian.
 Iron Metallurgy: About 1,300 b.c.e. craftsmen from Hittite society in Anatolia
developed techniques for forging strong iron tools and weapons. News
spread quickly and iron became the metal of choice for Mesopotamians.
 The Wheel: the wheel is the most important innovation in trade and
transportation. The wheel enabled long distance trade. The Sumerians built
wheeled carts by 3,000 b.c.e.
 Shipbuilding: Sumerians also experimented with technologies of maritime
transportation. By 3500 b.c.e. they built watercraft that allowed them to
venture into the Persian Gulf. By 2300 b.c.e. they were trading regularly with
merchants in the Indus River valley of northern India. Ships revolutionized
trade.
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SOCIAL
POLITICAL
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
EGYPT: “The Gift of the Nile”
 The Nile begins in the heart of Africa and goes northward for thousands of
miles. Longest river in the world. Created fertile land capable of producing
abundant harvests. It flooded annually and deposited nutrient rich silt.
Flooding was predictable. The river was life-enhancing not life-threatening
 Egyptian civilization was rural with many small population centers
congregated along a narrow band on both sides of the Nile.
 The Nile unified Egypt. It was the fastest way to travel through land, making
both transportation and communication easier. Winds pushed sailboats from
north to south and currents carried boats north
 Unlike Mesopotamia, which was subject to constant invasion, Egypt had
natural barriers that fostered isolation, protected it from invasions, and gave
it a sense of security. Desert, river, Mediterranean sea were all barriers.
Political:
 Egyptian history divided into three major periods known as the Old
Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.
 These were periods of long-term stability characterized by strong
monarchical authority, competent bureaucracy, and freedom from invasion,
much construction of temples and pyramids, and considerable intellectual
and cultural activity. There were also times of political chaos known as the
Intermediate Periods, which were characterized by weak political structure
and rivalry for leadership, invasions, and a decline in building activity.
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King Menes was the first Egyptian royal king united both Upper and Lower
Egypt into a single kingdom (3100 bce)
o Old Kingdom—2686-2125 bce; construction of largest pyramids. After
collapse there was a period of chaos.
 Ruled by a pharaoh with absolute power. Considered a divine
institution
o Middle Kingdom—new royal dynasty lasted from 2055-1650 bce
 Golden age of Egypt
 Invaded by the Hyksos who used horse-drawn war chariots
and overwhelmed the Egyptian soldiers who fought from
donkey carts. They ruled for 100 years
o New Age—1550-1085 b.c.e. eventually a new line of pharaohs made
use of new weapons and overran the Hyksos to establish the New
Kingdom
 Egypt created an empire and became the most powerful state
in the Middle East
 Queen Hatshepsut became one of the only female pharaohs.
Often shown with a beard in paintings because that was what
the norm was for male pharaohs.
 The New Kingdom fell under the 20th dynasty in 1085. For the
next thousand years, Egypt was dominated by Libyans,
Nubians, Persians and finally (spoiler alert!) Macedonians
(Alexander the Great)
Culture:
 Had no word for religion because it was an inseparable element of the entire
world order to which Egyptian society belonged.
 Polytheistic
 Remarkable number of gods and goddesses.
 Sun gods and land gods had special prominence
 Pharaoh took the title “Son of Re” – Re was the sun god. The pharaoh was the
earthly form of Re (pictured left).
 Osiris and Isis were river and land deities – As a symbol of resurrection and
judge of the dead, Osiris took on an important role for the Egyptians. By
identifying with Osiris, one could hope to gain new life just as Osiris had
done. The dead, embalmed and mummified, were placed in tombs (or
pyramids in the case of the kings). They were given the name of Osiris, and
by a process of magical identification became Osiris in hopes of being reborn.
 Pyramids: Occurred in the Old Kingdom. Part of a larger complex of
buildings dedicated to the dead. Built as tombs for dead pharaohs.
 Arts and Writing: largely functional. Wall painting and statues of gods
and kings in temples served a strictly spiritual purpose. Hieroglyphics
were sacred characters used as picture signs that depicted objects and
had a sacred value at the same time. Carved in stone but later were
written on papyrus (paper from a reed that grew on the Nile) 
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Ancient Egyptians had a very positive attitude toward daily life on earth.
Husband was the master of the house but wives were very much respected
and in charge of household education of the children. Female property &
inheritance remained in their hands, even in marriage. Chief role of female
was to have children. Marriages could end in a divorce
o Adultery for women could result in the cutting off of the nose or
burning at the stake.
o Like Mesopotamia, Egyptian peoples built patriarchal societies that
vested authority over public and private affairs in their men.
Social Hierarchy:
o Slaves and peasants: played roles in society similar to those of their
Mesopotamian counterparts. They supplied the hard labor and made
complex agricultural society possible.
o Unlike Mesopotamia: no series of urban kings in Egypt. Egyptians
recognized the pharaoh as a supreme central ruler. He was
theoretically an absolute ruler. No noble class in Egypt.
 Egypt relied on professional military forces and an elaborate
bureaucracy of administrators and tax collectors who served
the central government. In Egypt, more than Mesopotamia,
individuals of common birth could attain high positions in
society through government service.
Economic:
 Specialized labor and efficient means of transportation encouraged the
development of long distance trade.
 Egypt had few natural resources so needed to trade. Traded with
Mesopotamians as early as 3500 b.c.e.
 Agricultural based economy
SOCIAL
POLITICAL
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
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Egypt
Mesopotamia
pp#: 73-83
The Phoenicians:
Established the first powerful naval city-state along the Mediterranean. They were
epic traders all over the Mediterranean. Historians have called Phoenicians
“carriers of civilization” because they spread Middle Eastern civilization around the
Mediterranean. They are credited with developing the first alphabet. Unlike
cuneiform, in which symbols represent syllables or
whole words, an alphabet is a writing system in which
each symbol represents a single basic sound, such as a
consonant or vowel. Greeks adapted the 22 letter
alphabet of the Phoenicians into their own, adding
only a few. Our alphabet is a further derivation.
CONTINUITYYYY!!
The Hebrews: The Hebrews were the first Jews.
Unlike others in the Fertile Crescent, they were
monotheistic. Around 1,000 b.c.e. the Hebrews
established Israel in Palestine on the eastern shore of the
Mediterranean. They believed they were God’s chosen
people and maintained their identity through their belief
in this.
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Vocabulary
Tigris and the
Euphrates
Rivers
Mesopotamia
Sumerians
Theocracy
Sargon
Hammurabi
Hittites
Assyrians
Nebuchadnezzar
Ziggurat
An
Cuneiform
Definition
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Epic of
Gilgamesh
The Nile
Menes
Hyksos
Re
Pyramids
Hieroglyphics
Hatshepsut
Phoenicians
Hebrews