Transcript Middle-Eastern Civilizations 3500 BCE * 395 CE Mesopotamia and

Middle-Eastern
Civilizations
3500 BCE – 395 CE
Mesopotamia and Egypt
Unit outcomes:
Number 1
Students should be able to;
Identify the geographic factors which encouraged
settlement in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
and the Nile.
Number 2
Students should be able to
Identify those factors which characterized
the governments of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Number 3
Students should be able to
Demonstrate an understanding of the role
of law in society and the contribution of the early
civilizations to this development.
Number 4
Students should be able to
Describe the role of religion in the
civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Number 5
Students should be able to
Describe the social structure
Mesopotamian and Egyptian society
Number 6
Students should be able to
Analyze the influence of technological
innovations on the lives of the Egyptians and
Mesopotamians.
Number 7
Students should be able to
Demonstrate an understanding of the role
of writing in the development of civilization.
Number 8
Students should be able to
Identify examples of cultural diffusion in
Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Number 9
Students should be able to
Identify the contribution to civilizations of
the Mesopotamians and Egyptians.
Number 10
Students should be able to
Identify the methods used by
archaeologists to reconstruct the past.
Questions to consider;
• What makes a person “civilized”?
• What characteristics make a larger group of people a
civilization?
Welcome to Mesopotamia
Unit 1 Chapter 2,3,4,5 Page 34 to 121
Mesopotamia and Egypt
1. Overview
2. Geography
3. Government
4. Law
5. Religion
6. Social Organization
7. Technology
8. Writing
9. Cultural Diffusion
10. Contributions
Development and Power
• Over 4,030 years 4 different civilizations controlled
Mesopotamia each expanding, developing and contributing
in many areas of civilization:
• The Sumerians 3500 – 1900 BCE
• The Babylonians 1900 – 1300 BCE
• The Assyrians 1300 – 609 BCE
• The Chaldeans 609-530 BCE
Development and Power
All early civilizations began as small farming villages and over
time developed into larger communities. As they grew the
communities needed to develop in a number of areas in order
to survive and continue to grow. We will look at the key
contributions made by the 4 civilizations in Mesopotamia.
What are the Advantages of Settling Near a River?
• Source for drinking and
bathing.
• Flow can be diverted to
irrigate crops
• Annual flooding creates
fertile soil for farming
• Useful for transportation
• Enables trade
Important Rivers for early civilizations
•Indus River: India
•Yangtze River: China
•Tigris and Euphrates Rivers:
Mesopotamia
•Nile River: Egypt
Geography
• Mesopotamia was one of the
first civilizations of the world.
• Its name means:
“The Land Between the Rivers.”
Meso = middle, potamos = river
• The two rivers are the Tigris
and the Euphrates.
The Ancient Middle East:
Mesopotamia

Sumerians created the first known
civilization in the ancient Middle East.
QUIZ tomorrow on everything on
Mesopotamia covered in this unit so far!
Mesopotamia the Fertile Crescent
• An arc of land that
stretches between the
Mediterranean Sea and the
Persian Gulf
• Contains rich soil to grow
abundant crops.
• Which can sustain a large
population
• Allowed the inhabitants to
develop large civilizations
Fill in the map
from information
in text page 46
Figure 210.
Mesopotamian Religion
• Sumerians as well as other
Mesopotamian civilizations, were
Polytheistic
• Polytheism – Belief in many gods
• Monotheism – Belief in one god
• Different gods were in charge of
different things
• An - god of heaven
• Enlil - god of air
• Enki – god of water and fertility
• People tried to please the gods by
making offerings in Ziggurats –
terraced buildings (some would say
pyramids) topped with a shrine.
• Believed in an afterlife which consisted
of spending eternity as a ghost in a
gloomy underworld.
Ziggurat of Ur
• Made of mud brick
• Shrine at the very top
• Place for sacrifices and
offerings
• Priests would perform rites
and rituals
• Ziggurats were often the
center of a city
Mesopotamian Social Organization
The King
• The King - Acted as god on earth
• Priests - Direct link with the gods,
distributed land, ran schools
• Scribes - Educated class, literate
• Merchants and Artisans - Traders
& craftspeople
• Common People - farmers
• Slaves - Captured prisoners;
Debtors (or debtor’s family
members) *Had no rights
Priests
Scribes
Merchants and Artisans
Common People
Slaves
Sumer
Sumerian Government
• Sumerian Kings were called Lugals
who reigned supreme over all
aspects of life.
• Lugals considered themselves
living representatives of particular
Gods on earth.
• Power was passed from father to
son, forming Dynasties
• The type of government therefore
is called a Theocracy
• No separation between
Government (state) and Religion.
Empire building
• The Sumerians were the smallest
of the 4 rulers of Mesopotamia
• When the Sumerians conquered a
city state it was forced to accept
their new king as ruler.
• The King would put a governor in
place to oversee the new states
operation.
The Sumerians
The Sumerians appeared between the Tigris and the Euphrates
around 3500 BCE. They contributed to their civilization with
many new concepts and inventions… most are still very
important to us today.
Irrigation
The Wheel
Math: A system based on
the number 60.
(60 minutes to an hour;
360 degrees to a circle.)
Writing: Cuneiform (wedge shaped)
1.
Pictograms (things)
2.
Ideograms (ideas)
3.
Phonograms (sounds)
Write your name.(cool Tattoo???)
http://youtu.be/u7JsfwAcCo0
Other Sumerian Inventions:
•Pottery wheel
•the sail
•the pick-axe
•12 month calendar
•Arches, columns, ramps
•beer
•Poem: Gilgamesh
(about man & Gods)
Babylonia
The Babylonians
•Conquered Sumer and surrounding areas,
established a huge empire that lasted from
1900 BCE to 1300 BCE.
•Their most significant ruler was King
Hammurabi.
•Upon Hammurabi’s death Babylonians lost
their power and the area was again divided
into small city-states.
The Code of Hammurabi
• World’s first instance of codified law
• Inscribed on a stele (a stone or wooden slab)
• Contained 282 laws
• 3,600 lines of Cuneiform
• Harsh punishment
• Distinguished from
major & minor offenses.
• State was the authority.
Hammurabi’s Code
•Key Concepts:
•Retribution
•Restitution
•Corporal Punishment
•Capital Punishment
•Trade, family, labor, real estate, & property.
•Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDALXORbtR4
Law & Order
• The Babylonians under King Hammurabi greatly
improved justice with the first codified laws.
Read about Hammurabi and his Code of Law, page 50
1. What laws are seem fair? Why?
2. What laws seem unfair? Why?
3. Restitution and Retribution are key concepts in
Hammurabi’s code, and also in modern law. List
laws in Hammurabi’s code that are examples of
each.
Assyria
The Assyrians
•Assyria – Northern Mesopotamia.
•Ruled from 1300 BCE to 609 BCE
•Fierce warriors: showed no mercy – often
tortured/killed prisoners.
•Their military strength can be attributed to:
• The development of iron weapons
• Specialization of military units – including the use of
cavalry (horses)
• Study of battle tactics and techniques
• Use of mercenaries
Chaldea
The Chaldeans
• 609 BCE – 530 BCE
• Babylon became an important city-state once again.
• Famous King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem among
other city states, takes Jewish prisoners (as slaves) back to
Babylon.
• In the Bible he is known as a warrior king, yet many historians
feel he should be remembered as a great builder.
• Created beautiful city of Babylon
• Eventually fell to Persia (King Cyrus)
Everyday life
• Father was “master” or “owner” of wife and children.
• Women could own land and run their own business, they could not
vote or rule.
• Marriages were arranged and the brides father provided a dowry.
• Monogamy was the rule although some men took concubines.
• Wealthy children went to school lower class children learned trades.
Assignment: Read page 58 to 61 and answer any 3 of the
Reflect and Analyze questions
Economy
• Main crops: barley, dates, sesame seeds
• 1/3 of the harvest went to the god of their
city state, 1/3 went to the King, 1/3 left for
the farmer
• Small boats made of reeds and goatskins
called keleks were used travel the rivers and
conduct trade
• Barter system was popular. Grain often used
as money
• Coins were developed, often made of silver
• The Shekel weighed the same as 180 grains of
barley and was worth about the same.
• The Mina = 60 Shekels
• The Talent = 60 minas.