Western Asia & Egypt
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Transcript of Western Asia & Egypt
Chapter 2WESTERN ASIA & EGYPT
What was the geography around the area of Mesopotamia? How did the geography impact the Mesopotamian civilizations?
Key Terms: City-States Theocracy Patriarchal Polytheistic
CIVILIZATION BEGINS IN MESOPOTAMIA
Fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The first civilization discovered in Mesopotamia – “Land Between Two Rivers”
The first Sumerian cities emerged in southern Mesopotamia around 3,200 B.C.E.
THE FERTILE CRESCENT
By 3,000 BCE Sumerians built city-states Ur & Uruk
Used mud bricks for building Invented the arch and dome
Most important building= ziggurat (temple) Gods and goddesses owned the city (polytheistic) Believed humans were created to serve the gods
Had a theocracy Kings ruled but priests were extremely important
CITY-STATES OF MESOPOTAMIA
Ur, Iraq
3rd Century BCE
Economy Agricultural Industry & trade
Made metalworks and woolen textiles Imported copper, tin, & timber
Social Structure
CITY-STATES OF MESOPOTAMIA
Nobles: Royalty &
priestsCommoners
Slaves: worked on large projects, nobles’ farms, & wove cloth
Cuneiform Record keeping, teaching, & law Being a scribe= great job
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Invented Wagon wheel (wheel was invented by 3000 BCE) A number system based on 60
Charted constellations Advances in geometry to help engineering
SUMERIAN CREATIVITY
What tool of measurement based on 60 do we use today?
Akkadians lived north of Sumerian city-states
Around 2340 BCE, Sargon conquered Sumerian city-states First empire
1792 BCE Hammurabi established a new empireover both Akkad & Sumer
Estb. Code of Hammurabi
EMPIRES
Most important early system of lawPunishments varied according to social classPunished public officials who failed to do their dutiesMarriage & family codes applied to all
Enforced obedience of childrenPatriarchal in nature
CODE OF HAMMURABI
DIRECTIONS TO FOLLOWFold a sheet of paper over, creating 4 quartersSelect 4 laws and copy one into each quarter of a
sheet of paper.Explain each law in your own words using 3-5
sentences.Assess each law using your own sense of justice. Do
you think the law is fair? (3-5 sentences)
CODE OF LAW ACTIVITY
How did the Nile influence Egypt?
How else did the geography of Egypt help the establishment and continued existence of Egyptian civilizations?
Key TermsDynastyPharaohBureaucracyMummificationhieroglyphics
EGYPT: “THE GIFT OF THE NILE”
EGYPTIAN EMPIRE ABOUT 1450 B.C.E.
Old Kingdom2700-2200 BCE
Middle Kingdom2050-1652 BCE
New Kingdom1567-1085 BCE
•Pharaohs • org. a strong
central state• absolute rulers• considered gods
•Egyptians built pyramids at Giza.
•Collapse due to:• Power struggles• crop failures • cost of pyramids
•Large drainage project created arable farmland.
•Traders had contacts with Middle East and Crete.
•Corruption and rebellions were common.
•Hyksos invaded and occupied the delta region.
•Powerful pharaohs created a large empire •that reached the Euphrates River.
•1st woman pharaoh – Hatshepsut, encouraged trade.
•Ramses II expanded Egyptian rule to Syria.
•Egyptian power declined as Roman powers increased over all Mediter
EGYPTIAN HISTORY
Religion Belief that many gods & goddesses ruled
the world & the afterlife. Amon-Re = sun god. Osiris = god of the underworld and of the Nile. Pharaoh believed to be a god as well as a monarch.
Belief in eternal life after death. Relied on the Book of the Dead to help them through the
afterworld. Practiced mummification, the preservation of the body for use in
the next life.
EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
Belief in eternal life after death. Relied on the Book of the Dead to help them through
the afterworld.
Practiced mummification, the preservation of the body for use in the next life.
EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
Daily Life Married young
Girls at 12 & Boys at 14 Arranged marriages
Monogamous Husband was master of house;
wife was respected Women had property & ran businesses Romance was important
EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
PharaohHIGH PRIESTS AND
PRIESTESSESServed gods and goddesses
NOBLESFought pharaoh’s wars
MERCHANTS, SCRIBES, AND ARTISANS
Made furniture, jewelry, and fabrics for
pharaohs and nobles, and provided for other needsPEASANT FARMERS AND
SLAVESWorked in the fields and
served the pharaoh
EGYPTIAN SOCIETY
Advances in Learning Advances in the Arts
Hieroglyphics – a form of picture writing
Doctors • diagnosed & cured illnesses• performed surgery • developed medicines still used today
Astronomers • mapped constellations • charted movement of the planets• developed 12-month calendar
Developed practical geometry.
Skilled in design and engineering.
• Statues, paintings, and writings tell us about ancient Egyptian values and attitudes.
• Developed painting style that remained unchanged for thousands of years.
• Wrote hymns and prayers to the gods, proverbs, love poems, stories of victory in battle, and folk tales.
• Built pyramids and other great buildings, such as temple of Ramses II.
How did nomadic peoples affect the centers of civilizations?
Key Terms Pastoral nomad Monotheistic
NEW CENTERS OF CIVILIZATION
War-like tribesmen from Asia Minor; captured Babylon
Eventually they withdrew, but occupied the western part of the Fertile Crescent 1600-1200 BCE
Contributions to Civilization Made widespread use of iron Horse-drawn chariots in battle. System of laws with punishments
that were less severe than Hammurabi’s.
HITTITES
1000-700 BCELived north of Palestine along the Mediterranean
coast.Became skilled shipbuilders & sailors, and traded
throughout the MediterraneanEstablished many colonies, including the great city of
Carthage in North Africa
PHOENICIANS
Traders carried the products and cultures of the Middle East to less advanced peoples.
Alphabet The Greeks and Romans
later made some changes that resulted in the alphabet we use today
CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
Hebrews (Jews)1200-586 BCECreated Judaism
Abraham was founderLived in Egypt for several hundred years, but were forced
into slaveryMoses led them out of EgyptRecorded their history & religious beliefs in the Old
TestamentPracticing monotheism.High moral conduct: Ten Commandments.Influenced Christianity & Islam
through its emphasis on monotheism and moral principles.
“CHILDREN OF ISRAEL”
United KingdomKing Solomon
Jerusalem was capital Built temple that became center of religion
Divided KingdomKingdom divided after Solomon
Kingdom of Israel 10 tribes that were scattered when the Assyrians conquered
Kingdom of Judah 2 tribes Conquered by the Chaldeans
Read Connections to the Past on page 57
HEBREWS
Ruthless conquerors—overran Phoenicia, Palestine, Babylonia.
Empire largest in the world to that point in history.
Used bows and iron-tipped arrows, battering rams, and the first to use men on horseback.
Assyrians terrorized people with acts of violence and torture.
Lasted 150 years before being destroyed by the Chaldeans and Persians.
ASSYRIANS
First to set up an effective system for governing an empire.
Built a great library in Nineveh. It had thousands of clay tablets that have told us much about the ancient Middle East.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION
Helped overthrow the AssyriansTook control of the Fertile Crescent and established
the 2nd Babylonian EmpireKing NebuchadnezzarRebuilt Babylon into the largest and most impressive
city in the ancient worldContributions
“Hanging Gardens” on rooftops in Babylon. Greeks called them one of the “seven wonders of the world.”
Further advancement in astronomy by accurate observations of the sun, moon, planets, and stars.
CHALDEANS
Chaldean Empire declined after the death of Nebuchadnezzar
New Persian Empire extended for 3,000 miles from Egypt to India
Lasted 200 years, reaching its height under King Darius I
Declined due to high taxes People no longer loyal Fight for the throne between half-brothers
PERSIANS
Set up well-organized government.Divided into provinces and directed by a
“satrap.”Built roads to speed trade and movement of
armies.Allowed conquered people to keep their
religion, laws, and local customs.“Cultural Diffusion”—the exchange of ways of
living—took place between various groups in the empire.
Accepted teachings of the prophet Zorocaster
CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION