Transcript First Civilizations

First Civilizations
Mesopotamia
aka Fertile Crescent: Cradle of
Civilization
Fertile Crescent
• Area of fertile
land stretching
from the Persian
Gulf to the
Mediterranean
• Tigris &
Euphrates are
the dominant
rivers
SUMERIANS
• First civilization in Mesopotamia
• First to meet civilization requirements
• Evidence of civilization from c. 3500-3000
BCE
• Lived in the area now known as Iraq in
loose confederations of city-states
• Annual flooding of the rivers provided
excellent soil
Cities
• Lived in city-states
• City that controls the
surrounding region &
all that is associated
with it
• A city with the power
of a state (nation)
• Ur, Eridu, & Kish are
a few of the names
Ruins of the city of Ur
Advanced Cities
• These cities were larger and had some
type of organization to their construction.
• Cities become the center of life for all
persons living in the area.
• The cities were the centers of government,
religion, economics, entertainment, etc.
• City walls also provided protection against
invaders.
Government
• Theocracy
• Rulers divinely inspired by religion,
spiritualism, or other form of belief.
• Rule is supreme and kings answer to noone.
• Each city-state had its own ruler and
system of government.
• Harsh punishments were inflicted on law
breakers.
Social Structure
• People’s status in the culture/society
• Established gender roles qualify
• Rulers & High Priests (sometimes the
same person)
• Landowners/Aristocracy
• Artisans; specialized/skilled workers
• Commoners/Farmers/Peasants
• Slaves
Specialized Workforce
• Skilled laborers become important in city
life.
• Growth of a city relied on trade with
others; specialized workers create goods
that people need and goods that can be
exported for profit.
• Artisans become more important in society
and learning a trade is part of the
education system.
Religion
• Polytheistic
• Belief in many
gods/goddesses
• Played a strong role
in society
• Built temples to
worship deities
• Ziggurats- Stepped
tower
Art
• Can be classified into
several sections
• Architecture: Arch,
Dome
• Pottery, Statues, and
Stone carvings
• Oral histories passed
down through the
generations
Writing
• Sumerians developed the first “official” written language
• Cuneiform- wedge shaped symbols that
represent letters, words, and/or phrases
• Wrote down their oral histories; Epic of Gilgamesh- first book; record
keeping & identification
Advanced Technologies
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Agriculture- irrigation, different crops, tools
Wheel
Early uses of Geometry
Astronomy- stars, planets, comets, etc. all
played major roles in religion, calculating
floods, calendar
• Numeric system based on 60
Collapse of Sumerian Civilization
• City-States never unified under one rule
• Constant fighting between city-states
weakened each other
• Invaded by peoples from the north
(Akkadians)
• Sumerian city-states absorbed into
Akkadian civilization
Other Mesopotamian Civilizations
• Akkadians- established
the first empire; King
Sargon I: first person in
recorded history
• Babylonians- lived in
region north of Akkad;
capital city is Babylon;
made excellent use of
copper & bronze tools;
King Hammurabi- created
code of laws
(Hammurabi’s Code);
very powerful empire
• Hittites- c. 1750-1200 BCE;
nomadic peoples who settled
in modern day Turkey; 1st
civilization to use iron
• Phoenicians- Lived north of
Palestine/Israel; successful
Mediterranean Sea traders; set
up colonies (Carthage,
Marseilles); our modern
alphabet is derived from theirs
• Hebrews- Lived in modern day
Palestine/Israel; religion
(Judaism) was monotheistic
(one God); involved with other
civilizations: Egyptians,
Babylonians, Hittites, Persians,
Philistines
Phoenician ship
King Sargon I
Hammurabi’s Code of
Laws
Hittite military chariot
Michelangelo's Moses