Download Development…

The Cradle of
Civilization
Civilization:
An advanced state of human
society, in which there is a high
level of culture, science,
industry and government.
Development…
• During the Bronze Age (3000 BCE to 1200 BCE)
many ancient CIVILIZATIONS became wellestablished in the Middle East, China, and India.
• They had farming, trade, art, rules to society, religion,
government, and permanent cities…and even writing.
• To protect their wealth they had armies & city walls.
Early Civilizations
• These early sedentary (permanent &
stationary) societies were completely
dependent on water. Why?
• The first five major civilizations developed
around rivers.
Advantages of Settling
Near a River
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Source for drinking
Flow can be diverted to irrigate crops
Very fertile soil for farming
Useful for transportation
Enables trade
The Important Rivers:
• Indus: India
• Yangtze: China
• Rivers, plateaus & basins: Mexico
• Tigris and Euphrates: Mesopotamia
• Nile: Egypt
Mesopotamia
Google earth
The Fertile Crescent
• An arc of land that stretches between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf
• Contains rich soil to grow abundant crops
• Which can sustain a large population
• Allowed the inhabitants to develop
civilizations
Mesopotamia
• One of the first civilizations of the world.
• Its name means ’The Land Between the
Rivers’.
– (Meso = middle, potamos = river)
• The two rivers are the Tigris and the
Euphrates.
The Ancient Middle East: Mesopotamia
Sumerians created the first known
civilization in the ancient Middle East.
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Change happens…
• Over the years, the control in Mesopotamia
changed between 4 different groups of
people:
• The Sumerians 3500 – 1900 BCE
• The Babylonians 1900 – 1300 BCE
• The Assyrians 1300 – 609 BCE
• The Chaldeans 609-530 BCE
Society & Culture in
Mesopotamia
Social Organization
• The King - Acted as god on earth
• Priests - Direct link with the gods, distributed land,
ran schools
• Scribes - Educated class, literate
• Merchants and Artisans - Traders & craftspeople
• Common People - farmers
• Slaves - Captured prisoners; Debtors (or debtor’s
family members) *Had no rights
Family
• Fathers were heads of households, “owner”
of their children
• Women could own land, run businesses,
couldn’t vote or rule - they were considered
secondary to men.
• Marriages were arranged during teenage
years
• Monogamy was the rule, though some men
took secondary wives – concubines, often of
the slave class
Economy
• Main crops: barley, dates, sesame seeds
• 1/3 of the harvest went to the god of their city state,
1/3 went to the King, 1/3 left for the farmer
• Small boats made of reeds and goatskins called
keleks were used travel the rivers and conduct trade
• Barter system was popular. Grain often used as
money
• Coins were developed, often made of silver
• The Shekel weighed the same as 180 grains of barley
and was worth about the same.
– The Mina = 60 Shekels
– The Talent = 60 minas.
Mesopotamian Religion
• Sumerians as well as other Mesopotamian civilizations, were
Polytheistic
– Polytheism – Belief in many gods
– Monotheism – Belief in one god
• Different gods were in charge of different things
– An - god of heaven
– Enlil - god of air
– Enki – god of water and fertility
• People tried to please the gods by making offerings in Ziggurats –
terraced buildings (some would say pyramids) topped with a shrine.
• Believed in an afterlife which consisted of spending eternity as a
ghost in a gloomy underworld.
Ziggurat of Ur
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Made of mud brick
Shrine at the very top
Place for sacrifices and offerings
Priests would perform rites and rituals
Ziggurats were often the center of a city
Assignment: Due Tomorrow
1. Read “Urban & Rural Living” pages 59 – 61.
2. Choose one of the following options
1. You are an ancient builder/real estate agent.
Design a Mesopotamian home and create an
advertisement to sell it. Include information on
location, floor plan, amenities, construction,
price, etc.
2. You run a catering company. You’ve been hired
to prepare the feast to for a banquet. Develop a
menu that would suit Mesopotamian tastes.
Describe two choices of available meals for
supper. Include a price per meal & per group of
60.
Sumer
The Sumerians
The Sumerians appeared between the Tigris and the
Euphrates around 3500 BCE. They contributed to their
civilization with many concepts and inventions… most are
still very important to us today.
A. Irrigation
B. The Wheel
C. Writing: Cuneiform (wedge shaped)
Pictograms (things)
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Ideograms (ideas)
Phonograms (sounds)
http://youtu.be/u7JsfwAcCo0
D. Math: A system
based on the number
60.
(60 minutes to an hour;
360 degrees to a circle.)
Other Sumerian Inventions:
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Pottery wheel
the sail
the pick-axe
12 month calendar
Arches, columns, ramps
beer
Poem: Gilgamesh
(about man & Gods)
Religion
• Developed polytheistic religious beliefs
– Polytheism – Belief in many gods
– Monotheism – Belief in one god
• Gods were anthropomorphic – had human-like
qualities
• Different gods were in charge of different things
• People tried to please the gods by making offerings in
Ziggurats
• People believed in an afterlife which consisted of
spending eternity as a ghost in a gloomy underworld.
Literature
• The Epic of Gilgamesh was inscribed on 12
clay tablets
• It was written in cuneiform, in the Akkadian
language and first translated into English in
1872
• It is the world’s oldest known work of
literature
Read the plot summary of the Epic of
Gilgamesh and design a modern book cover
Babylonia
The Babylonians
• Conquered Sumer and surrounding areas,
established a huge empire that lasted from 1900
BCE to 1300 BCE.
• Their most significant ruler was King
Hammurabi.
• Upon Hammurabi’s death Babylonians lost their
power and the area was again divided into small
city-states.
The Code of Hammurabi
• World’s first instance of codified law
• Inscribed on a stele (a stone or wooden slab)
• Contained 282 laws
– 3,600 lines of Cuneiform
– Harsh punishment
– Distinguished from
major & minor offenses.
– State was the authority.
• Placed in public, in the
Temple of Marduk
(now in the Louvre, in Paris
Hammurabi’s Code
• Key Concepts:
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Retribution
Restitution
Corporal Punishment
Capital Punishment
Trade, family, labor, real estate, & property.
Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDALXORbtR4
Which laws seem too harsh?
Which ones seem reasonable?
• If a "sister of god" (nun) who is not living in a
convent opens a wine shop or enters a wine shop
for a drink, they shall burn that woman.
• If bad characters gather in the house of a wine
seller and she does not arrest those characters
and bring them to the palace, that wine seller shall
be put to death.
• If a man put out the eye of a man's slave, or break
the bone of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half of
its value.
• If any one open his ditches to water his crop, but is
careless, and the water flood the field of his
neighbor, then he shall pay his neighbor corn for
his loss.
stela
Law & Order
• The Babylonians under King Hammurabi greatly
improved justice with the first codified laws.
Read about Hammurabi and his Code of Law on
page 50
1. What laws are seem fair? Why?
2. What laws seem unfair? Why?
3. Restitution and Retribution are key concepts in
Hammurabi’s code, and also in modern law. List
laws in Hammurabi’s code that are examples of
each.
Assyria
The Assyrians
• Assyria – Northern Mesopotamia.
• Ruled from 1300 BCE to 609 BCE
• Fierce warriors: showed no mercy – often
tortured/killed prisoners.
• Their military strength can be attributed to:
– The development of iron weapons
– Specialization of military units – including the use of
cavalry (horses)
– Study of battle tactics and techniques
– Use of mercenaries
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King Ashurbanipal
Ruled over largest empire
Known for cruelty
Science, math, zoo, garden, library
Beautiful palace at Nineveh – gold, ivory,
silver
• Empire fell apart after his death
Mesopotamian Combat
• The Assyrians were the mightiest military force in
ancient Mesopotamia.
• Much of their military success can be attributed to
technological advancements in weaponry.
• The Assyrians often celebrated their victories with
massive relief carvings that told tales from battle.
• Go to www.mesopotamia.co.uk/warfare
• Read through the “Story” – Top left hand corner
• Write about how the Assyrians waged war.
Describe tactics and weapons and how they
gained advantage on the field of battle.
Chaldea
The Chaldeans
• 609 BCE – 530 BCE
• Babylon became an important city-state once
again.
• Famous King Nebuchadnezzar conquered
Jerusalem among other city states, takes Jewish
prisoners (as slaves) back to Babylon.
• In the Bible he is known as a warrior king, yet
many historians feel he should be remembered as
a great builder.
• Created beautiful city of Babylon
• Eventually fell to Persia (King Cyrus)
The Hanging
Gardens of Babylon
The Hanging Gardens of
Babylon
• Seven wonders of the world (may be legend)
• Created by King Nebuchadnezzar for his
homesick wife.
• Used complex network of pumps and pipes to
raise water throughout the structure to water
the plants
• Contained many non-native plants and trees;
• Complicated construction for times.e.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• The Chaldeans are much revered for their
construction projects and beautification of cities
like Babylon.
• The Hanging Gardens are perhaps the best
example of their grandiose buildings.
• Read about the Hanging Gardens on page 47
• Based on the textbook’s descriptions, carefully
design a plan or blueprint for layout of the
Hanging Gardens.
Ancient Mesopotamia: Timeline Exercise
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The Shekel, Mina and Talent are introduced as currency
Hammurabi rules as King of Babylon
Cuneiform Writing Develops
King Nebuchadnezzar rules Babylon
Tiglath-pileser III establishes roads and a postal service
Sumerians move in from the North and take over Mesopotamia
The Assyrians establish a kingdom in Northern Mesopotamia
The Amorties establish their capital at Babylon
A lunar calendar is developed
Ashurnasirpal rules the Assyrian Empire
Hanging Gardens of Babylon are constructed
Sargon attacks Israel
North-South river trade with India, Persia and Asia-Minor increases
Hammurabi’s Code of Law is developed
The Epic of Gilgamesh gains importance
Wheeled carts are developed
Assyrians learn to make iron