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Robert W. Strayer Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources Second Edition Chapter 2 First Civilizations: Cities, States, and Unequal Societies (3500 B.C.E.–500 B.C.E.) Copyright © 2013 by Bedford/St. Martin’s I. Something New: The Emergence of Civilizations A. Introducing the First Civilizations 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Sumer, Egypt, & Nubia, 3500–3000 B.C.E. Norte Chico, 3000–1800 B.C.E. Indus Valley and Oxus, 2200 B.C.E–1700 B.C.E. Xia, Shang, & Zhou, 2200–771 B.C.E. Olmec, 9000 B.C.E. I. Something New: The Emergence of Civilizations B. The Question of Origins 1. Roots in Agricultural Revolution 2. Growing population density, competition, and subordination I. Something New: The Emergence of Civilizations C. An Urban Revolution 1. Uruk, Mohenjo Daro, Harappa, & Teotihuacán 2. Centers of politics, administration, culture, and economics 3. Impersonal and unequal II. The Erosion of Equality A. Hierarchies of Class 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Inequalities of wealth, status, & power Impact of urbanization Elite privileges Wealth producers Slaves B. Hierarchies of Gender 1. Sex versus gender 2. Patriarchal ideal versus reality 3. Farm labor, warfare, and property II. The Erosion of Equality C. Patriarchy in Practice 1. Law and female sexuality 2. Respectable and non-respectable women 3. Decline of the goddesses III. The Rise of the State A. Coercion and Consent 1. The need for organization 2. Monopoly on the legitimate use of violence 3. Religion and political power B. Writing and Accounting 1. Literacy and social status 2. Tracking wealth and property III. The Rise of the State C. The Grandeur of Kings 1. Lifestyles of the rich and famous 2. Death styles of the elite IV. Comparing Mesopotamia and Egypt A. Environment and Culture 1. Different rivers 2. Pessimistic Mesopotamia & Optimistic Egypt 3. Soil health B. Cities and States 1. Violent and unstable city-states 2. Security, stability, and political longevity IV. Comparing Mesopotamia and Egypt C. Interaction and Exchange 1. Long-distance trade 2. Cultural influences 3. Migrations, rivalries, and diplomacy IV. Some Necessities for Civilization to Develop A. Agriculture 1. Crops and number of domesticated animals vary B. Specialized Workers…made possible by agricultural surplus…more efficient…passed to future generations C. Social stratification D. Complex Institutions: State government 1. Leadership, bureaucracy, power E. Advanced cities…necessary for trade F. Trade with other regions…upper classes wanted goods G. Some type of writing or record keeping V. Civilization in Mesopotamia --Land between the rivers --River flooding was unpredictable --Geography made civilizations difficult to defend…was very flat A. The Sumerians – c. 4,000 B.C.E. 1. Tigris and Euphrates plain 2. Irrigation food surplus 3. Ruled by City-States…Ex: Ur a. Were Theocracies…kings and priests ruled together b. Social classes: Kings & Nobility, Priests & Scribes, commoners, & slaves Modern day Iraq The Fertile Crescent 4. Sumerian Culture and Religion a. First writing: Cuneiform --Scribes wrote with a stylus on clay tablets --Kept records of business transactions and taxes b. Epic of Gilgamesh – Oldest story --What is an Epic? c. Numeric system based on 60 – Time, geometry d. Religion --Patron gods for each city --What role did religion play in the people’s lives? Sumerian Scribes Ziggurats were the focal point of the city-state Writing was reserved for the wealthy classes B. Later Mesopotamian Cultures --Don’t last long…why? 1. The Babylonian Empire -- c. 1800 B.C.E., unites Mesopotamia by conquering the Akkadians a. Code of Hammurabi -- Legal Code --282 laws based on an “eye for an eye” and social class 2. Assyrians…Conquered Babylon a. Highly organized military b. Ruthless and hated c. Largest of the Mesopotamian empires 3. Hittites -- c. 1600 B.C.E. a. semi-control of metals including iron due to ownership of mineral deposits b. Allowed them to be very powerful militarily 4. Other Mediterranean Civilizations a. Hebrews/Jews…developed first monotheistic religion --Yahweh (God); Torah – Sacred Jewish writings b. Minoans…found on the island of Crete, c. 1600 B.C.E. --Trade with Egypt, Mesopotamia The Eastern Mediterranean, c. 1100 B.C.E. c. Phoenicians -- c. 2000 B.C.E., Lebanese coast --Not unified, several city-states --They were maritime traders --Alphabet, spread to other civilizations --Trade colonization: Atlantic, Iberia, Britain --Carthage is most famous colony…it later becomes an independent power after the fall of Phoenicia --Phoenicia is conquered by the Assyrians Phoenicians trading with Egyptians VI. Ancient Egypt…“The Gift of the Nile” A. Growth of Egypt 1. Farming by 5000 B.C.E. a. Nile floods were very regular as opposed to the floods of Mesopotamia 2. Geography – natural barriers a. Sahara, Mediterranean & Red seas 3. Civilization emerges by 3200 B.C.E. a. No city-states…Egypt was unified quickly. 4. Government a. Pharaoh, intermediary between gods and men --Were considered gods b. Bureaucracy…Very structured…included the upper classes and the priests. B. Three Main Periods of Egyptian History 1. Old Kingdom (3,100 – 2,200 B.C.E.) a. Upper & Lower Egypt Unified b. Most large building projects happened during this time c. Invasions and internal strife caused problems d. Some trade; little slavery c. End of Old Kingdom --A period of instability followed --Noble families battled for the crown The pyramids at Giza Who built the Pyramids? 2. Middle Kingdom a. Pharaoh more accessible than old kingdom --Derived support from middle class b. Extensive trade links with Mesopotamia, Mediterranean, and Africa c. Fell to Hyksos – bronze and chariots 3. New Kingdom – c. 1570 B.C.E. a. Greater international contact --Good or bad? b. Strong military allowed growth c. Slave population grew d. Famous pharaohs: -- Hatshepsut (female), Akhenaton, Tutankhamen, Ramses II (The Great) Forensic experts have created the real Tutankhamen C. Egyptian Ideas and Art 1. Hieroglyphic alphabet a. Pictograms b. Papyrus c. Monopolized by priesthood 2. Medicine 3. Religion a. Isis, Osiris, Horus b. Cycle of life VII. Egypt and Mesopotamia Compared A. Differences 1. Political form – Which is better…why? a. Mesopotamian city-states b. Egyptian centralized government 2. Epic tradition a. Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia…None in Egypt 3. Building a. Monumental, use of stone in Egypt b. Use of brick, not so immense in Mesopotamia 4. Trade, outside contact a. Greater in Mesopotamia than in Egypt…why? 5. Greater technological advances in Mesopotamia…why? 6. Women had higher status in Egypt…even some queens. B. Similarities 1. Stratified society --Priests or Nobles --Freemen (Spec. Skills) --Peasants --Slaves 2. Astronomy and mathematics important C. Women 1. Patriarchal societies a. Males dominate political life b. Female roles less important…especially as agriculture grows VIII. Other African Civilizations A. Kingdom of Kush 1. Southern Nile, Egyptian border 2. Independent existence by 1000 B.C.E. 3. Acted as intermediary between Egypt and Africa in trade a. Possessed natural resources such as gold b. Slave trade 4. Conquered Egypt by 730 B.C.E. a. By this time Egypt was in a serious decline 5. Defeated by Axum (Ethiopia) around 300 C.E. V. Reflections: “Civilization”: What’s in a Word? A. Debate on terminology B. Ambiguous views of civilization C. Are civilizations solid?