Chapter 2: The Ancient World
Mesopotamia
• Geographic Location
– The area lies between the Tigris & Euphrates
Rivers in modern day Iraq.
Mesopotamia
• Advances
– Bronze Metallurgy
– Cuneiform (wedge
shaped writing)
• Pictograph: picture
representation
• Ideograms: symbol
representation for
abstract thought.
Mesopotamia
• Sumer (Mesopotamian
City-State)
– Religion
• Polytheistic (many gods)
• Anthropomorphic: Human
form with human
personalities.
• Ziggurats-Sumerian Temples
Mesopotamia
• Sumer (Mesopotamian City-State)
– Religion
• Enuma elish
– Creation myth
– Marduk vs. Tiamat
Mesopotamia
• Sumer (Mesopotamian CityState)
– The Epic of Gilgamesh
• The story of a god/king.
• Explains how the universe works
(God-Human interaction).
• The Flood
Mesopotamia
• Babylon
(Mesopotamian CityState)
– King Hammurabi
• Creates the Code of
Hammurabi.
• Establishes a codified
law.
• “Eye for an eye, tooth for
a tooth.”
Mesopotamia
• Neo-Babylon (Mesopotamian City-State)
– King Nebuchadnezzar
• Hanging Gardens
• Tower of Babel
• Gates of Ishtar
Mesopotamia
• Neo-Babylon (Mesopotamian City-State)
– Glazed Brick (painted & fired)
Gates of Ishtar
Egypt
• Geography
– Life in Egypt was
based entirely on the
Nile River.
– The deserts initially
act as a protective
barrier preventing
invasion.
Egypt
• Hieroglyphics
– They are pictographs.
– They were
indecipherable until the
translation of the
Rosetta Stone by Jean
Champollion.
Egypt
• Religion
– The Egyptians were polytheistic.
– They believed in a soul-like concept known as the
ka.
Egypt
• Religion
– Mummification
• Stressed the
importance of the
afterlife.
• Especially the upperclass.
Egypt
• Religion
– The Religion of Aten
• Under Amenhotep IV, he
created a monotheistic religion
based on the creator god,
Aten, the sun god.
• After his death, the religion fell
into ruin and the Egyptians
went back to polytheism.
Egypt
• Architecture
– Mastabas: flattopped one-story
rectangular buildings
with slanted walls.
Egypt
• Architecture
– The Great Pyramids at Giza
Egypt
• Architecture
– The Great Sphinx
Egypt
• Gender Equality
– Women of the same class
had a nearly equal status
with men.
– Royalty
• Queen Nefertiti
• Queen Hatshepsut
Queen Nefertiti
Indus River Valley
• Harappan
– This is the name
commonly given to the
civilization that developed
around the cities of
Mohenjo-daro and
Harappa.
– Both of these major cities
fall along the Indus River.
Indus River Valley
• Harappan
– Both cities showed a
high degree of civil
engineering.
– Both also had
centralized drainage
(sewage) systems.
Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan.
Indus River Valley
• Harappan
– They were eventually invaded by the Aryan (IndoEuropeans) who with the Harappan created:
• Sanskrit
• Hinduism
Hinduism
• Major Concepts
– Dharma: duty or
cosmic order.
– Artha: worldly
success.
Dharma Wheel
Hinduism
• Major Concepts
– Kama: physical and
spiritual love.
– Moksha: breaking from
the cycle of life and
reemergence with the
World Soul.
Hinduism
• Major Concepts
– Samsara: reincarnation
of the soul.
– Karma: moral cause
and effect between
lives.
Hinduism
• Major Concepts
– Caste System
• Brahmins (Priests)
• Kshatriyas (Warriors)
• Vaishyas (merchants &
professionals)
• Shudras (laborers)
• Untouchables (outcasts)
Hinduism
• Gods
– Brahman (The World Soul)
• Brahma the Creator
• Vishnu the Preserver
• Shiva the Destroyer
Hinduism
• Religious Texts
– The Vedas: a set of
hymns.
– The Upanishads: a
collection of philosophical
poems that defined Hindu
philosophy.
Ohm, the symbol of Hinduism.
Hinduism
• Religious Texts
– The Ramayana:
• It is a Hindu epic that blends history, myths, legends
and moral tales with religion and social teachings.
• It serves as a guide on politics, society, and family.
Hinduism
• Religious Texts
– The Mahabharata: It is an
Indian epic about two
warring families.
• The Bhagavad Gita (the 6th
book) is a spiritual teaching
about duty.
• Krishna consults with Arjuna,
an Indian prince, who is
troubled about having to kill
his relatives.
Buddhism
• It was founded by
Siddhartha Gautama.
– He was prophesized to be
a great conqueror or a
world redeemer.
– He was raised a Hindu.
– After a number of trials,
he meditated under the
Bodhi Tree and attained
enlightenment.
Buddhism
• Concepts
– The Four Noble Truths
• End desire.
• End suffering.
• Achieving Nirvana (oneness
with the universe and the
breaking of samsara).
– It could be achieved by
following the Eightfold
Path.
Hinduism vs. Buddhism
• Similarities
– Both believe in samsara
(reincarnation).
– Both believe that
suffering will end when
the final goal is
achieved.
Hinduism vs. Buddhism
• Differences
– Hindus believe in the castes system, Buddhists
have no caste.
– Hindus have multiple gods, Buddhists have none.
Hinduism vs. Buddhism
• Differences
– In Hinduism, only Brahmins can achieve moksha
after a minimum of seven life times.
– Buddhists believe that Nirvana is unique to the
individual and can be achieved in one lifetime.
Ancient China
• Geography
– China is a system of
mountainous
valleys.
• Yellow River (Huang
He) contained the
earliest Chinese
settlements.
• Yangtze (Chang
Jiang) were settled
later.
Ancient China
• Dynasties
– Xia (pronounced Shiyuh)
• Led by a mythical
engineer king.
• No actual evidence
except what has been
left by the Shang.
Ancient China
• Dynasties
– Shang
• First documented
dynasty.
• Known for the carving
of jade and bronze
work.
Ancient China
• Dynasties
– Zhou (pronounced Joe)
• Developed the
Mandate of Heaven.
• The mandate created
the concept of the Son
of Heaven, which
becomes the
foundation of the
Chinese political
system.
Ancient China
• Confucianism
– Confucius
• His real name is Kong Fuzi.
• His written works are
collectively known as the
Analects.
Ancient China
• Confucianism
– Confucius
• He grew up during
the period of the
Warring States, a
time of chaos and
confusion.
Ancient China
• Confucianism
– Dogma
• His literature focuses on
three key aspects.
– Self-control
– Propriety
– Filial Piety (respect for
elders)
The symbol of Confucianism.
Ancient China
• Confucianism
– Dogma
• He believed if everyone knew their proper position in
society it would lead to harmony.
• None of his literature deals with any type of spiritual
afterlife.
Ancient China
• Confucianism
– Dogma
• His philosophy will become the cornerstone of Chinese
public relations.
• It is considered the “face you wear in public.”
Chinese Philosophies/Religions
• Taoism/Daoism
– Laozi/Lao Tzu
• The origin of the founder
is unknown though a
multitude of stories exist.
Chinese Philosophies/Religions
• Taoism/Daoism
– Dogma
• Tao/Dao literally means “the
way.”
• The main concern of a Daoist
is balance in all things.
Dao
Chinese Philosophies/Religions
• Taoism/Daoism
– Dogma
• It is best represented by
the Yin & Yang symbol.
• It is regarded as the
“inner” or private religion
practiced by the Chinese.
Mesoamerica
• Olmecs
– This was the earliest
advanced tribe of the
Americas (ca. 1300
B.C.E.)
– They were known for
the carving of gigantic
heads.
Mesoamerica
• Mayans (250 B.C.E.-900 C.E.)
– Their empire centered around the Yucatan
peninsula.
– They had an incredible amount of knowledge
about mathematics and astronomy.
Mesoamerica
• Mayans
– Popol Vuh
• The creation myth of the
Mayan’s (it may have
extended even early to
the Olmecs).
• This was the belief that
man was created from
maize and water.
• The gods also shed their
blood to make the world
work.
Mesoamerica
• Aztecs
– They are descendants of the Toltecs and are part
of a larger tribe called the Mexica.
– Their capital was Tenochtitlan, modern day
Mexico City.
Mesoamerica
• Aztecs
– They are most commonly known for their human
sacrifices and the abundance of gold they mined.
– This society were conquered by the Spanish led by
Hernan Cortes.
Andean Indians
• The Chavin Cult (preMoche Indians)
– These were some of the
earliest advanced Native
Americans living in the
area of Peru.
– They too promoted the
Popoh Vul like their
cousins to the North.
Andean Indians
• The Inca (1300-1537 C.E.)
– Culturally they are very similar
to the Aztecs.
– They possessed advanced
building techniques.
• Pyramids
• Roads
• Terraced Fields
Andean Indians
• The Inca (1300-1537 C.E.)
– Machu Picchu
• This is one of their cities built high in the Andes.
• It is believed to be a retreat for the nobility.
Andean Indians
• The Inca (1300-1537 C.E.)
– Culture
• The nobles used mummies of
their ancestors to
communicate with their gods.
• Music
– They used instruments like the
panpipe.
– It normally accompanied
religious dance.
North America
• The culture of North American Indians was
largely influenced by their environment.
North America
• The most impressive remaining construction
of the North American tribes was the Great
Serpent Mound created by the Mississippian
tribe.