Mesopotamia Egypt Middle East
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Mesopotamia Egypt Middle East Mesopotamia • Tigris & Euphrates Rivers – Fertileflooding • Sumer1st advanced civilization – 12 villages develop into City-States • Independent, self-governing community, city w/ surrounding farmlands • Ziggurat-- of social & economic life Sumer • Wheel & sail –Take advantage of water systems –Transportation & trade • Bazaar—common marketplace; easier to barter • Cuneiform –Wedge-shaped Sargon the Great • 2350 BC • 1st emperor (Akkad) • Conquered several areas— brought under control • Created 1st EMPIRE Hammurabi • Mesopotamian • Assimilation of cultures— elements continue • Code of Hammurabi – 1st written & published set of laws Mesopotamian Religion & Law • Polytheism—belief in more than 1 god – Sumerian city-states believed they were owned by the gods – Gods chose rulers & protected citystates – Much superstition Mesopotamia Egypt Middle East Mesopotamia • Tigris & Euphrates Rivers – Fertileflooding • Sumer1st advanced civilization – 12 villages develop into City-States • Independent, self-governing community, city w/ surrounding farmlands • Ziggurat-- of social & economic life Sumer • Wheel & sail –Take advantage of water systems –Transportation & trade • Bazaar—common marketplace; easier to barter • Cuneiform –Wedge-shaped Sargon the Great • 2350 BC • 1st emperor (Akkad) • Conquered several areas— brought under control • Created 1st EMPIRE Mesopotamian Religion & Law • Polytheism—belief in more than 1 god – Sumerian city-states believed they were owned by the gods – Gods chose rulers & protected citystates – Much superstition Mesopotamians & Scholarship • Mathematics & Astronomy • Multiplication/division • Geometry – System based on 60 – 360 degrees in – 60 minutes in an hour • Based on star observations • 12 month calendar based on cycles of the moon How do we know all this stuff? • The BEHISTUN ROCK • Found in 1840s in western Iran • 3 types of writing – Persian – Babylonian – Elamite • Henry Rawlinson Egypt • Hired scribes kept records • Hieroglyphics—sacred carving • “Learn to write, for this will be of greater advantage to you than all the other trades.” • How to translate? Rosetta Stone • Napoleon’s Army Engineers— 1799 • 3 kinds of writing – Hieroglyphics – Greek Other guys in the Middle East • Hittites • Phoenicians • Hebrews • Assyrians • Babylonians • Lydians • Persians Phoenicians • • • • • • Main contributions: Sea vessels Sailors, shipbuilders, merchants Purple cloth Clear glass Writing system based on early alphabet Hebrews • Monotheism • Hebrew religion— Judaism • Torah—1st 5 books of the Old Testament • Prophets— messengers from God • Skilled/ruthless warriors • Iron weapons • War chariots • Battering rams • Terrorists • Built library @ Ninevah • Adopted religion, art, literature of Mesopotamia Assyrians Babylonians • Nebuchadnezzar— enslaved Hebrews • Conquered much of Fertile Crescent • Hanging Gardens of Babylon • Rebuilt ziggurat of Marduk • Rebuilt Babylon into fabulous city Lydians • Main contribution • Used coins for trade instead of direct barter • Standard weight of gold, silver, other metals • Molded into disks • Create MONEY ECONOMY— economic system based on the use of money • What is money? Persians • 547 BC • Cyrus the Great • Largest empire in the ancient world • Released Hebrews from captivity • Conquered rest of Fertile Crescent • Conquered Asia Minor Persia • Darius the Great • Extended Persia into North Africa • Failed in conquest of Greece 490 BC • However: Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Judea, Phoenicia, Hittites, & Lydians under 1 rule • BIG AREA—how to • • • • • Persia Main contributions Improved/extended roads Unified use of coins Unified weights & measures Government officials spoke same language— Aramaic • Postal system (pony express) • Zoroastrianism—humans have choice between doing good & doing evil; good will triumph at the end of the world (destroyed by fire) Mesopotamians & Scholarship • Mathematics & Astronomy • Multiplication/division • Geometry – System based on 60 – 360 degrees in – 60 minutes in an hour • Based on star observations • 12 month calendar based on cycles of the moon How do we know all this stuff? • The BEHISTUN ROCK • Found in 1840s in western Iran • 3 types of writing – Persian – Babylonian – Elamite • Henry Rawlinson Egypt • Society based on Nile River—3 seasons – Flood – Drying out to preflood levels – Rainless time before flood • Transportation • Adjacent deserts protects Egypt from enemies • Religion Egypt –Polytheistic –Amon-Re –Life after death (mummification & belongings) • 3100 BC Menes formed 1 kingdom • Memphis—capital • Established 1st dynasty—family of rulers Important!! Pharaohs individual power weakened from time to time, but the empire always continued. This changed when Alexander the Great invaded in 300BC. Constants to remember: Empire starts, empire builds and increases, empire decays from within (corrupt rulers, natural disasters, etc.), empire dies. The culture remains! Egypt • Hired scribes kept records • Hieroglyphics—sacred carving • “Learn to write, for this will be of greater advantage to you than all the other trades.” • How to translate? Rosetta Stone • Napoleon’s Army Engineers— 1799 • 3 kinds of writing – Hieroglyphics – Greek Other guys in the Middle East • Hittites • Phoenicians • Hebrews • Assyrians • Babylonians • Lydians • Persians Hittites • Main contribution • Iron weapons –Kept secret about 200 years –Empire decline • IRON AGEtoday Phoenicians • • • • • • Main contributions: Sea vessels Sailors, shipbuilders, merchants Purple cloth Clear glass Writing system based on early alphabet Hebrews • Monotheism • Hebrew religion— Judaism • Torah—1st 5 books of the Old Testament • Prophets— messengers from God • Skilled/ruthless warriors • Iron weapons • War chariots • Battering rams • Terrorists • Built library @ Ninevah • Adopted religion, art, literature of Mesopotamia Assyrians Babylonians • Nebuchadnezzar— enslaved Hebrews • Conquered much of Fertile Crescent • Hanging Gardens of Babylon • Rebuilt ziggurat of Marduk • Rebuilt Babylon into fabulous city Lydians • Main contribution • Used coins for trade instead of direct barter • Standard weight of gold, silver, other metals • Molded into disks • Create MONEY ECONOMY— economic system based on the use of money • What is money? Persians • 547 BC • Cyrus the Great • Largest empire in the ancient world • Released Hebrews from captivity • Conquered rest of Fertile Crescent • Conquered Asia Minor Persia • Darius the Great • Extended Persia into North Africa • Failed in conquest of Greece 490 BC • However: Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Judea, Phoenicia, Hittites, & Lydians under 1 rule • BIG AREA—how to • • • • • Persia Main contributions Improved/extended roads Unified use of coins Unified weights & measures Government officials spoke same language— Aramaic • Postal system (pony express) • Zoroastrianism—humans have choice between doing good & doing evil; good will triumph at the end of the world (destroyed by fire)
