Neolithic Neolithic RevolutionRevolution

Warm-upWarm-up

Imagine life before villages, Imagine life before villages, towns and cities existed. towns and cities existed.

What do you think was What do you think was different about human life different about human life

back then?back then?

What invention / discovery What invention / discovery resulted in people starting to resulted in people starting to

settle down and build settle down and build houses, towns, cities and led houses, towns, cities and led

to city life as we know it to city life as we know it today?today?

FarmingFarming(Agriculture)(Agriculture)

Cities and Civilizations Cities and Civilizations SeminarSeminar

At about 8,000 BC village life began as a result of what has come to be known as the Neolithic Revolution.

What is the What is the REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION?? A A TOTALLYTOTALLY new way of living: new way of living:

From From

Hunter-Gatherersto Agriculture

Click on words and pictures for web links.

The invention of Agriculture The invention of Agriculture changed the way people lived.changed the way people lived.

Agriculture (Farming)Agriculture (Farming)

Growth of CitiesGrowth of Cities

Division of Labor Division of Labor (Specialization)(Specialization)

TradeTrade

Writing and MathematicsWriting and Mathematics

Mesopotamia – Fertile CrescentMesopotamia – Fertile Crescent

Sumer – The Sumer – The Earliest of the River Earliest of the River Valley CivilizationsValley Civilizations

Sumerian Sumerian Civilization grew up Civilization grew up along the Tigris and along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Euphrates Rivers in what is now what is now Kuwait.Kuwait.

The Fertile CrescentThe Fertile Crescent

Define Define “Fertile Crescent”“Fertile Crescent” A well-watered and fertile area, A well-watered and fertile area,

the fertile crescentthe fertile crescent arcs across the arcs across the northern part of the Syrian desert. It is northern part of the Syrian desert. It is flanked on the west by the Mediterranean flanked on the west by the Mediterranean and on the east by the Euphrates and and on the east by the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, and includes all or parts of Tigris rivers, and includes all or parts of Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. From antiquity this region Syria, and Iraq. From antiquity this region was the site of sophisticated settlements. was the site of sophisticated settlements.

Greeks called the Greeks called the northern partnorthern part of the of the Fertile Crescent Fertile Crescent

Mesopotamia “Between Two Rivers”Mesopotamia “Between Two Rivers”

(Tigris River and Euphrates River)(Tigris River and Euphrates River)

The The southern partsouthern part of Mesopotamia was of Mesopotamia was called Babylonia, originally Sumer.called Babylonia, originally Sumer.

Which country is Which country is MesopotamiaMesopotamia today? today?

(Iraq)(Iraq)

Sumer - Sumerians (Kuwait)Sumer - Sumerians (Kuwait)ca. 3500 to 3000 BC.ca. 3500 to 3000 BC.

(ca. = circa)(ca. = circa)

Sumer gave us the city-state.Sumer gave us the city-state.

Define: city-state

Political unit made up of a city and the surrounding lands. Each city state has its own government, even when it shares a culture with neighboring city states.

Sumerian Writing: cuneiformSumerian Writing: cuneiform

Cuneiform is created by pressing a pointed stylus into a clay tablet.

Click on the picture for more information about cuneiform.

Click here to write like a Babylonian.

Sumerians invented: invented:

Brick technologyBrick technology WheelWheel Base 60 – using the circle . . . 360 degreesBase 60 – using the circle . . . 360 degrees Time – 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in Time – 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in

a minutea minute 12 month lunar calendar12 month lunar calendar archarch rampramp zigguratziggurat

Ziggurat – Holy Mountain – Holy Mountain

Click on the pictures for more information on ziggurats.Click on the pictures for more information on ziggurats.

BabylonBabylonGave us the first know written law code Gave us the first know written law code

and was the first civilization where the and was the first civilization where the citizens live by the citizens live by the “Rule of Law”“Rule of Law”

Define “rule of law”

Government by law. The rule of law implies that government authority may only be exercised in accordance with written laws, which were adopted through an established procedure.

Hammurabi’s CodeHammurabi’s Code - - 1792 BC1792 BCHammurabi’s Code was this law code.Hammurabi ruled the Babylonian Empire for 42 years. At the end of his longreign, Hammurabi’s legal decisions were collected and inscribed on a stone tabletin a Babylonian temple. The 282 laws of the Code of Hammurabi represent one of the earliest known legal systems.

For more information about Hammurabi’s Code, click here and on the picture.

““If a man stole the property of church or state, If a man stole the property of church or state, that man shall be put to death;that man shall be put to death;

also the one who received the stolen goods from also the one who received the stolen goods from his hand shall be put tohis hand shall be put to

death.”death.” The laws governed such The laws governed such

things as lying, things as lying, stealing, assault, debt, stealing, assault, debt, business partnerships, business partnerships, marriage, and divorce. marriage, and divorce. In seeking protection In seeking protection for all members of for all members of Babylonian society, Babylonian society, Hammurabi relied on Hammurabi relied on the philosophy of equal the philosophy of equal retaliation, otherwise retaliation, otherwise known as “an eye for an known as “an eye for an eye.”eye.”

EGYPTEGYPT“The Gift of the Nile”“The Gift of the Nile”

(Herodotus)(Herodotus)Look at the map and answer the following question:What did Herodotus mean when he said that Egypt is the “gift of the Nile?”

Nile River

Sahara Desert

Because of the geography of the area, without the Nile River, there would be no Egypt.

Egyptians invented:Egyptians invented:

HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics PyramidsPyramids GeometryGeometry Advances in medicine and surgeryAdvances in medicine and surgery

HieroglyphicsHieroglyphics

Early Egyptian writing found on Early Egyptian writing found on tombs was indecipherable.tombs was indecipherable.

Hieroglyphics Hieroglyphics

Sacred Carving

No one could read these sacred carvings until Napoleon invaded Egypt and his archaeologists found the Rosetta Stone.

Click on the picture to see your name in hieroglyphics.Click on the picture to see your name in hieroglyphics.

Video: Write a short summary of Video: Write a short summary of the finding, translation, and the finding, translation, and

importance of the Rosetta Stone.importance of the Rosetta Stone.

For more information on the Rosetta Stone, log on to one of the following web sites.

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html

OR

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html

Papyrus is one of the first Papyrus is one of the first examples of paper. It is created examples of paper. It is created from reeds growing along the Nile from reeds growing along the Nile River.River.

PapyrusPapyrus