Download Five Themes of Ancient Civilizations

Five Themes of Ancient
Civilizations
By: Rebecca Huff
Ancient Egypt
Relative location:
• Absolute location:
Region and Human
Environment Interaction
• The physical characteristics of Ancient Egypt was the vast desert,
the Nile and the banks of the Nile, and all the man-made lakes.
There is a lot of fertile soil along the Nile River and farmers used this
soil to grow their crops. The “gifts of the Nile”, or resources of the
Nile River, include fish, ducks, geese, other edible birds, and
papyrus. The dark mud that was left behind after the annual flooding
of the Nile was also one of the gifts of the Nile, and it enriched the
soil and made farmland extremely productive. The papyrus was
used for baskets and paper. The Growing Season of the Nile was
when the Osiris came back, or when the annual flooding of the Nile
occurred. The Egyptians adapted to the environment by using the
Nile for transportation, a food source, and much, much more.
Economics and Movement
• Artisans produced many paintings for the pharaoh.
When archaeologists found the tombs of many different
pharaohs they found many different paintings inside of
their tombs that explained their lives or what they wanted
in the afterlife. The farmers of Egypt produced many
different kinds of food. As far as we know Egypt did not
have a money system. Instead they used the trade system.
The Egyptians exchanged and traded their goods with
neiboring countries using the Nile River as transportation.
The slaves also helped the Egyptians produce food/objects.
Many countries had to pay a tax to Ancient Egypt so that
Egypt would not hurt of conquer them. This tax included
anything that the Egyptians wanted from the country.
Political Science and
Government
• The pharaoh ruled over all Egypt and he was
considered a god. You must do whatever he
says, you have no choice. The pharaoh makes
up all the laws and whatever he says goes.
Many different countries did what the pharaoh of
Egypt asked them to do, or gave him what he
asked them to give him because they were
scared that he would hurt or conquer them if
they did not do or give him what he wanted.
When the pharaoh dies usually his first son
inherits the throne. If not his first son, usually
someone from his dynasty will inherit this huge
task.
Knowledge, Education, and the
Arts
• The Egyptians did/made many unique things that other civilizations may not
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have done, such as:
Building a pyramid
Having the same religion
Building an Irrigation System
Having hieroglyphics as their writing system
Supreme ruler - Pharaoh
Calendar - Osirus
Paintings - Art Style
Beliefs - About the afterlife
Ect.
We can learn from their architecture that the Egyptians were really
intelligent about how/when they build things. Also we can learn that the
Egyptians were really looking forward to the afterlife since the pharaoh was
always building a pyramid or tomb for themselves. Egyptian music was
usually played at festivals, and festivals were celebrated to honor the gods
or goddesses. The Egyptian writing teaches us everything that the
Egyptians wanted to record, the battles, their religion, and even everyday
Religion and Philosophy
• The Egyptians had over 3,000 gods and
goddesses that they worshiped. They had a god
or goddess for practically everything, from the
Sun God Ra to the Ruler of the Underworld Isis.
Their meaning of live was to serve the pharaoh
and the gods/goddesses and to prepare for the
afterlife. This affects their lives and the
development of their culture because everyone
wants to pass the feather of truth and make it to
the underworld. Their belief was Polytheism, or
the belief in many gods and goddesses.
Sociology
• The Egyptian Social Pyramid was in the following order: (the higher they are
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on this list, the more power they had)
Pharaoh
Priests
Royal Family
Nobles
Scribes
Artisans
Farmers
Slaves
The Egyptians live in groups such as families. They usually have a mother,
father, and some kids. They mothers usually gave birth in a shack and they
usually stayed there for 14 days. Woman usually married at the age of 14,
Men at the age of 20. The Egyptian children always took care of their
parents when they got old or sick.
The daily life of an Egyptian consists of the men going hunting, woman
cooking, children doing their chores, worshiping their gods, and many other
things.
Mesopotamia / Sumer
• Relative Location: Between the Euphrates
and Tigris Rivers.
• Absolute Location:
Region / Human Environment
Interaction
• Summer's soil was very fertile and floods were
unpredicted. The region was very hot and dry. There was
a fertile crescent that produced many beautiful harvests
of wheat, barley, sesame, flax, and various fruits and
vegetables. The farmers of Sumer depended on this
harvest to adopt to the climate and environment in the
area. The climate of Sumer ranged from cool to hot
seasons, and often the temperatures there went up to, or
above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Sumer experienced
moderate rainfall. The land of Mesopotamia was full of
marshes and it brought food, protection, and life to the
people there.
Economics and Movement
• Trade was developed in Sumer due to farmers learning how to irrigate their
land. People could not grow more food then they were able to eat. Ur, a citystate in Mesopotamia was a major trade center. The temples were the
location for commercial activity and the “chief employer”. People used the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to transport goods for trade. Using these rivers
made trading easy and economical. Strong currents moved the boats
downstream, but the current made it so they could only go one direction.
People in the mountains needed wheat and barley but they could give
timber, limestone, gold, silver, and copper. People from different areas of
Mesopotamia traded what they had for what they needed. The
Mesopotamians did not use money, but they used the barter system, or a
developed writing system to keep track of buying and selling. Scribes kept
accurate recordings of these transactions by writing on clay tablets.
Political Science and
Government
• Sumer had many independent city-states.
The priests governed all of Sumer’s citystates until about 3,000 B.C. when kings
assumed command. The people of Sumer
obeyed laws and pay taxes to declare their
pilgrimage to their gods.
Knowledge, Education, and the
Arts
• The Mesopotamians created many new ideas, and
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created many different “new” objects. Such as:
The invention of the wheel
The first writing system
The twelve-month calendar
The development of bronze and iron
The first irrigation system
The world’s first cities were probably located in southern
Mesopotamia.
We can learn from their printing, sculpture, architecture,
music, and festivals that Sumer was a very artistic
culture.
Religion and Philosophy
• In Sumer each town was thought to have been protected by its own, unique
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god. The temple was the center of worship, and it was also the center of the
city. 2,000 B.C. - Ziggurats, temple towers, were built to link heaven and
earth. Ziggurats are large, pyramid shaped structures which on top a temple
was built. Ziggurat of Babylon was known as Etemenankia or “House of the
Platform between Heaven and Earth.” They were often decorated with
pillars and other ornamentation.
Gods and Goddesses
There were over 3,000 gods and goddesses that were called digir in
Sumerian. The gods/goddesses looked and acted like people. They had
feasts, marriages, children, wars. They also had the same type of emotions
as people, such as (they could be) jealous, angry, joyful, or kind. Every city
had its own set of gods/goddesses (above) that they must obey, sing hymns
for, say prayers, make sacrifices, and bring offerings to the local temple for.
The priests told the people what the gods/goddesses wanted them to do,
and they would do it. They believed that the gods/goddesses could punish
or reward them. The Sumerians looked to religion to answer general
questions such as death, good and evil, and the forces of nature. Dingier
followed themes, divine laws, that governed the universe. The Sumerians
believed in divine order, everything was planned by the gods.
Ancient Israel
• Relative Location :
• Absolute Location:
Region and Human
Environment Interaction
• The promise land, Canaan, was a varied
region of hills, deserts, and plains.
• Canaan had a hot and arid climate.
• Lots of Israelites adapted to the
environment by herding sheep and cattle.
Political Science and
Government
• The Israelites weren’t governed by rulers
until they selected their first King (Saul)
around the time of 1020 B.C.
• They followed the ten commandments.
• After the exile in Babylonia in 540 B.C.
the Jews were ruled by priests and
followed the religious laws.
Knowledge, Education, and the
Arts
Religion and Philosophy
• The Israelites believed in monotheism, or
the belief that there was only one true
God. The God of the Israelites was allpowerful, all-knowing, and present
everywhere.The Israelites had the Torah,
the Old Testament for the Christian
Bible.The Torah celebrates the power of
God over history and nature. The Israelites
meaning of life was to
Sociology