Transcript File chapter 2

Cover Slide
The Earth and
Its Peoples
3rd edition
Chapter 2
The First RiverValley Civilizations,
3500-1500 B.C.E.
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Akkadian bronze of Sargon
Akkadian bronze of Sargon
This stern-faced, life-size cast-bronze
head, with its stylized ringleted beard
and carefully arranged hair, shows
Mesopotamian craftsmanship at its
finest. It is thought to be either Sargon
(2371-2316 B.C.E.) or Naram-sin (ca.
2250-2220 B.C.E.). (Claus Hansmann)
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Bronze statue from Indus Valley
Bronze statue from Indus Valley
This small bronze statue from the Indus
Valley was found in a house in Mohenjodaro. It represents a young woman
whose only apparel is a necklace and an
armful of bracelets. Appearing relaxed
and confident, she has been identified by
some scholars as a dancer. (National
Museum, New Delhi)
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Figurine from Mohenjo-daro
Figurine from Mohenjo-daro
This small stone figure from Mohenjodaro is thought to depict a priest-king.
The man's beard is carefully trimmed
and his upper lip shaved. The headband
and armband have circular ornaments,
probably once filled with colored paste.
His robe with its trefoil designs was
probably also filled with colors to
suggest the fabric more vividly.
(National Museum, Karachi)
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Gilgamesh (detail of soundbox)
Gilgamesh (detail of soundbox)
In the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh,
Gilgamesh--king of Uruk and
considered a hero-king and god--and
his friend Endiku set out to attain
immortality and join the ranks of gods.
They attempt wondrous feats against
fearsome agents of the gods. This top
section of the front panel of this
soundbox from a Sumerian harp, found
in the tomb of the queen of Ur, depicts
Gilgamesh with two man-faced bulls.
(University of Pennsylvania Museum)
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Gudea
Gudea
King Gudea was one of the powerful
kings responsible for the creation of
public works and temples created in
honor of Sumerian deities in the
Sumerian city-state of Lagash. This
statue bears an inscription that describes
a temple dedicated to the goddess
Geshtin-anna. (Reunion des Musees
Nationaux/Art Resource, NY)
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Harappan jewelery
Harappan jewelery
Among the small objects found in the Indus Valley are these pieces of jewelry--made
of gold and precious stones--which give some insight into the daily life of the time.
(J.M. Kenoyer/Courtesy Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of
Pakistan)
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Harappan seal
Harappan seal
The Bronze Age urban culture of the Indus
Valley is known today, alternatively, as the
Harappan civilization, from the modern name
of a major city. Archaeologists have
discovered some three hundred Harappan
cities in both Pakistan and India. It was a
literate civilization, but no one has been able
to decipher the more than four hundred
symbols inscribed on stone seals and copper
tablets. The Indus civilization extended over
nearly 500,000 square miles in the Indus
Valley, making it more than twice as large as
the territories of the ancient Egyptian and
Sumerian civilizations. This molded tablet,
discovered among the many small objects at
Harappan sites, depicts a female deity battling
two tigers. It provides a glimpse of early
Indian religious imagination and daily life.
(J.M. Kenoyer/Courtesy Department of
Archaeology and Museums, Government of
Pakistan)
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Law Code of Hammurabi
Law Code of Hammurabi
The principal collection of laws in
ancient Mesopotamia was the code of
Hammurabi, the Babylonian ruler.
Unearthed by French archaeologists in
1901-1902, this stele contained the code,
which Hammurabi claimed rested on the
authority of the gods. (Hirmer Verlag
Munich)
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Mohenjo Daro
Mohenjo Daro
Mohenjo-daro, in southern Pakistan,
was one of the best-known cities of
the Harappan--or Indus--civilization.
It was a planned city, built of fired
mud bricks. Its streets were straight,
and covered drainpipes were installed
to carry away waste. From sites like
this we know that the early Indian
political elite had the power and
technical expertise to organize large,
coordinated building projects.
(Josephine Powell)
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Overview of Ur
Overview of Ur
This photograph gives a good idea of the size and complexity of Ur, one of the most
powerful cities in Mesopotamia (present Iraq). In the lower right-hand corner stands
the massive ziggurat of Umammu. (Georg Gerster/Photo Researchers, Inc.)
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Pyramids
Pyramids
The best-known pyramids of the Old Kingdom are those built for Khufu, Khafre, and
Menkure, better known by their Greek names, Cheops, Chephren, amd Myerinus.
Cheops's pyramid is 480 feet high; Chephren's is 470 feet high, and Myerinus's is
203 feet high. (John Ross)
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Tomb model of cattle presentation
Tomb model of cattle presentation
This series of small wooden figures comes from the tomb of Meket Ra at Deir el
Bahari (Thebes, ca. 2000 B.C.E.). Scenes of this type were intended to show how
rich the occupant of the tomb was and how his wealth procured him offerings even
after his death. (Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY)
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Two sides of Narmer Palette
Two sides of Narmer Palette
This palette comes from Hierakonpolis,
the sacred city of the prehistoric
kingdom of Upper Egypt. It records the
victory (over Delta) of King Narmer,
who is shown on one side wearing the
crown of Upper Egypt and on the other
that of Lower Egypt. This monument
commemorates the union of the two
halves of Egypt. (Jean Vertut)
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Two sides of Narmer Palette
Two sides of Narmer Palette
This palette comes from Hierakonpolis,
the sacred city of the prehistoric
kingdom of Upper Egypt. It records the
victory (over Delta) of King Narmer,
who is shown on one side wearing the
crown of Upper Egypt and on the other
that of Lower Egypt. This monument
commemorates the union of the two
halves of Egypt. (Jean Vertut)
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Map: Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Geography and natural resources provided Egypt with centuries of peace and abundance. (Copyright (c) Houghton Mifflin
Company. All Rights Reserved.)
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Map: River-Valley Civilizations, 3500-1500 B.C.E.
River-Valley Civilizations, 3500-1500 B.C.E.
The earliest complex societies arose in the flood plains of large rivers: in the fourth millennium B.C.E. in the valley of the
Indus River in Pakistan, and in the second millennium B.C.E. in the valley of the Yellow River in China. (Copyright (c)
Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved.)
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Map: Spread of Cultures in the Ancient Near East
Spread of Cultures in the Ancient Near East
This map illustrates the spread of the Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures through a semicircular stretch of land often called
the Fertile Crescent. From this area knowledge and use of agriculture spread throughout the western part of Asia Minor.
(Copyright (c) Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved.)
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.