Transcript Central/Southwest Asia

AP World History: Period 1
-Jennifer Morris-Andrea Maxwell-Keith Jackson-Asif Islam-
 6000 BCE – Small scale irrigation (canals and reservoirs) began in
Mesopotamia - allowed for the production of crops and first
domestication of crops/animals; allowed world’s first cities to be built
 4000 BCE – Human numbers increase and world’s first cities (Ur,
Nippur, Kish etc.) were created - caused need for government and
allowed people to specialize labor (textiles, metallurgy, etc.)
 4000 BCE – Invention of bronze in Mesopotamia - tin was rare in
Mesopotamia, which gives evidence of trade network between
Mesopotamians and other societies; allowed societies to branch off
from wood/bone/stone tools
 3500 BCE – Invention of wheel by the Sumerians, who by 3000 BCE
used wheeled carts to transport goods internally or externally through
their trade routes; also invention of watercraft, allowing for oceanic
commerce
 3500 BCE – Invention of writing by Sumerians - helps show value of
written records (tax and transactions) within Sumerian cities; was a
cumbersome written language and difficult to write and read
 3000 BCE – Phoenicians migrate to Mediterranean Sea (part of the
Semitic groups) - set up complex port society and invented 22-letter
alphabet in 1500 BCE
 3000 BCE – 1000 BCE – Indo-Europeans migrate from their homeland
- come from steppe region of Russia; moved across Eurasia with horses
and other technology, including the Hittites who moved to Anatolia in
1900 BCE
 2900 BCE – Use of cuneiform writing in Sumerian societies -
improvement from earlier writing system by Sumerians; allowed for
complex written records on tablets; lets historians understand
Mesopotamian society
 2500 BCE – All Sumerian states have monarchy and city-states began to dominate
public life in Sumerian Mesopotamia - kings have controlled power over subjects;
shows complex governmental processes evolving
 2150 BCE – Sargon’s empire falls, and Babylonian empire comes to power under
King Hammurabi - shows first major conquest where new king brings in new laws;
helps predict how societies today would react
 2000 BCE – Invention of war chariot by Hittites - shows use of two technological
advances (bronze and wheels) into new military technology; influences first major
wars between two civilizations
 1595 BCE – Babylonian empire falls to invasion from Hittites of Anatolia using
military technology - shows power of innovations in wars
 1500 BCE – Married women start to wear veils - patriarchal societies encouraged
women to where veils to discourage temptation from others than their husbands;
shows beginning of women’s rights disagreement in modern Mesopotamia
Timeline continued
 1300 BCE – Iron metallurgy allows for greater advantage in war - shows productivity
of new innovations in military technology
 1200 BCE – Hittite empire collapse - leads to 200 year period of city-state war;
shows effect of not having central government in Mesopotamia
 1000 BCE – Assyrian empire takes power - uses Hittites’ weapons against them;
shows power of military technology being adapted to suit different people’s needs
 722 BCE – Assyrian forces take control of northern kingdom of Palestine and force
everyone out – sets up distinction between Israelites and Jews; shows why conflict is
still major part of life today
 612 BCE – Assyrian empire falls due to civil unrest and external assaults - shows
how an empire can collapse upon itself; highlights that tension can bring a
civilization down from inside as well as outside
Timeline continued
 600 BCE – 550 BCE – Babylonian empire once again takes hold over Mesopotamia -
sets up rich capital city; shows how power that someone formally held does not
mean they will rule the same once they gain power again
 331 BCE – Alexander controls Mesopotamia (Greek empire extended domain) - led
to Greek alphabet use in 300 BCE; highlights issue of outside control
 133 BCE – Roman Empire extends into western Anatolia - shows beginning of long
conquest into Mesopotamia, which Roman Empire controlled by 117 CE by foreign
invaders once again
 4 BCE -30 CE – Jesus lives to teach Christianity - this shows life of founder of
Christianity; important in being able to understand Christianity more thoroughly
 570 CE – 632 CE – Life of Muhammad - shows life of founder of Islam; important in
being able to under Islam more thoroughly
 (Place) Mesopotamia “Land Between the (Euphrates and Tigris) Rivers”: One of
first civilizations; began using small-scale irrigation in 6000 BCE; lead to high
food supply and population growth
 (Place) Sumer: First major city in Mesopotamia; home to Sumerians; located in
southern Mesopotamia
 (People) Sumerians: Large-scale irrigation led to agricultural harvest in 5000
BCE
 (People) Semitic Migrants: Group of nomadic herders that moved to Sumer
and spoke Semitic languages
 (Events) World’s First Cities: Built by Sumerians and were very influential over
large regions around 4000 BCE
 (Events) Kings Come to Power: Sumerian cities have leaders in 3000 BCE
 (People) Sargon of Akkad: Created powerful Babylonian empire in
Mesopotamia around 2370 BCE and it fell in 2150 BCE
 (People) Hammurabi: Conqueror of Babylonian empire; new approach was to
focus on politics and government (taxation); created system of laws called
Hammurabi’s Code in 2500 BCE
 (Event) Assyrian Empire: 1300 BCE to 612 BCE; controlled Mesopotamia, Syria,
Palestine, and Anatolia
 (Event) New Babylonian Empire: 600 to 500 BCE; King Nebuchadnezzar
brought wealth and resources
 (Event) Invention of Metallurgy: Mesopotamians created this method of metal
working to create tools and weapons in 4000 BCE (Bronze) and iron in 1000
BCE
 (Event) Social Stratification: Agriculture led to wealth and social divisions
 (Event) Patriarchal Society: Men continued to control the civilizations and
limit power of women
 (Event) Writing: Created by Sumerians in 4000 BCE; tracked taxes
 (People) Indo-Europeans: Came to steppe region of Ukraine and southern
Russia with their languages, weapons, tools, and warfare technology (horse
drawn war chariots, etc) and domesticated horses
 (People) Hittites: Influential Indo-Europeans who moved to Anatolia and
created kingdom in Mesopotamia
 (Event) Hittites Invent War Chariots: After domesticating horses, and the
creation of the wheel, this warfare technological method was made
Time
Political
Economic
Religious/Social
Intellectual/Art/Technology
8000
BCE
1792-1750 BCE - prominent
conqueror was the
Babylonian Hammurabi.
The king was in charge.
The power was based on
King’s territories.
King provides groups with
power.
They didn’t have much
contact with other societies.
The government structure is
that the King was on the top,
he put his cities and regions
under his own governors
and administrators, which
helped them to developed a
more efficient and
predictable government.
4500 BCE-Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers were the
first farmlands in the Fertile
Crescent. Many
Mesopotamians depended
on the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers.
Many farmers used two
rivers as transportation to
trade with merchants from
other societies.
Most economic growth was
based on agriculture.
3500-1800 BCE – Life was
unpredictable, so the Sumerians
wanted to discover what the gods
held in store for them. Like many
human cultures, they were struck
by the wondrous reliability of the
movement of the heavens and
thought that this movement might
contain some secret to the intents
of the gods.
Their religious standpoint was
from Polytheistic (many
gods/goddesses to represent
different aspects) to Monotheistic
(which would be 1800 BCEJudaism, 30 CE- Christianity and
last 622 CE- Islam).
7500 BCE- The Sumerian
system "sexagesimal", combined a
mundane 10 with a "celestial" 6,
to obtain the base figure 60.
This system is more like
our present one. It enabled them
to divide into fractions
and multiply into
the million, to calculate roots or
raise numbers several powers.
600
CE
4000 BCE- Wool
production was converted to
an assortment of textile
fabrics.
2800 BCE- They invented
bronze tools which helped
them to cut wheat and
barley. (also weapons)
1750 BCE- Slavery was an
established organization in all
major civilizations emerging in
Mesopotamia. Social stratification
was already present, with rulers
and elites at the top, nobles,
merchants/artisan, and lastly
peasants and slaves.
3700 BCE- Some technologies that
they had were the wheel, writing,
math systems, and some huts which
were made of bundles of reeds.
2400 BCE- Sumerian people have the
smooth precision and idealized
features of the classical period in
Sumerian art. Their art was ornate and
complex.
1900 BCE- Akkadian are group of
people that had the chance to learn.
Usually people learn by speaking and
writing their own language.
Time
Political
Economic
Religious/Social
Intellectual/Art/Technology
8000
BCE
2370-2315 BCE - The creator
of empire in Mesopotamia was
Sargon of Akkad, a city near
Kish and Babylon. Sargon is a
talented administrator and also
a brilliant warrior. He began
his career as a minister to the
king Kush. He was the first
ruler to maintain a standing
army. The power was based on
Sargon. He conquered cities
one by one, and place them
under his own governors and
administrators. He also seized
control of trade routes and
supplies of natural resources
like silver and tin.
6000 BCE - People in
ancient Mesopotamia earned
their food by farming.
Economy was based on
wheat and grains. The
economy grew stronger
because of
irrigation. Irrigation led to
an increased food
supply. Irrigation helped
them get a surplus, or extra,
supply of food. They used
tools made of flint to cut
wheat. They threw seeds
into the ground to grow fruit
and vegetables. Farmers led
farm animals used to trample
seeds into soil.
Farmers use Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers to trade.
3000-2000 BCE - Mesopotamia
was civilized by the Sumerians
who had religious beliefs of many
gods. They had priests who were
their ruler, and had temples to
worship their godsurates. There
were no real established religions
when Mesopotamia was founded.
The people of Mesopotamia were
polytheistic and they believed that
every piece of their world was
controlled by supernatural forces.
They thought that gods dominated
religion in ancient Mesopotamia
and many gods maintained their
substance throughout history.
1500 BCE - Assyrians artistic style
was distinct from the Babylonian art
which were the principal art in
Mesopotamia. Assyrian arts were the
polychrome carved stone relief that
decorated imperial monuments.
600
CE
3000 BCE - Food Supply
helped people to give up
farming and live in the city.
311 BCE - Their communication
was revolutionized with speech.
750 BCE - Assyrians used two
languages throughout their history:
Akkadian, and neo-syriac. Assyrian
monks develop a writing systems for
Mongolians using the Assyrian
alphabet. Their language was written
with the cuneiform writing system.
They took their common language and
their arts from Sumeria. Assyria’s
capital city had the world’s largest
libraries.
600 BCE - Most powerful and useful
thing that Assyrians used was the
wheeled war chariot. It also helped
them for quicker transportation.
Assyrian people were the first ancient
civilization to notice the efficiency of
iron over bronze. The Assyrians were
the first to use iron in spears, swords,
shields and armor.
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Assyrians = group of people who built powerful SW Asian society in 8th and 7th centuries BCE (good army
and state structure)
Catal Huyuk = Very important Neolithic settlement in Anatolia
City = densely populated urban center
Civilization = society with advanced social development
Cuneiform = language written by Sumerians; possible first written script
Deity = supernatural being that is worshipped by an individual or group and has higher powers and influence
Fertile Crescent = area of land from Nile River to Tigris and Euphrates River where agriculture and
civilizations boomed because of soil fertility
Gilgamesh = king of Mesopotamian city-state Uruk; Epic of Gilgamesh
Hammurabi’s Code = laws created by Babylonian king Hammurabi (1792-1750 BCE)
Intermittent = characterized by starting and stopping at irregular intervals of time
Lex talonis (law of retaliation) = part of Hammurabi’s code where offenders suffer from punishments
similar to offense
Metallurgy = technology of working with metals
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Monotheism = belief in one god; very uncommon in ancient history
Neolithic = New Stone Age; period when agriculture was first developed
Nomadic Herder = person who has no permanent home and tracks/hunts animals for food
Paleolithic = Old Stone Age; period of development before agriculture
Patriarchal = society where men have more power than women; lead government, have education, control
Pictographs = ideogram or symbol that conveys an idea or resemblance of the item is is meant to represent
Scribes = people in ancient times whose jobs were to record certain things, like laws, beliefs, etc.
Semitic = people who spoke Semitic languages and interacted with Mesopotamian societies
Silk Roads = trade routes from China to Roman Empire
Specialized labor = important element of civilization where people are designated with specific jobs, like
artisan, cultivator, herder, scribe, etc.
Temple community = areas where priests and priestesses lived; small markets, mini cities
Ziggurats = Mesopotamian temples
 The Ultimate Encyclopedia
of Mythology
 Mesopotamian clay tablet
(Traditions and Encounters:
A Global Perspective on the
Past)
 The Epic of Gilgamesh
 Description of ancient texts
in SW Asian (Traditions and
Encounters: A Global
Perspective on the Past)
 Photograph of ziggurat
remnants (The British
Museum)
 "About WordNet - WordNet - About WordNet." About WordNet - WordNet -
About WordNet. http://wordnet.princeton.edu (accessed August 29, 2010).
 Anonymous. The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin Classics). London: Penguin
Classics, 2003.
 Bentley, Jerry, and Herbert Ziegler. "Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the
Indo-European Migrations." In Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective
on the Past. New York, New York: McGraw Hill, 2006. 31-55.
 Cotterell, Arthur, and Tonny Rizzo. Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology.
Pennsylvania: Jg Press, 2008.
 The British Museum. "Ziggurats." Mesopotamia - The British Museum.
http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/ziggurats/home_set.html (accessed August
29, 2010).