Ancient Sumer 3300 B C 1900 B C

Ancient Sumer 3300 B. C. -1900 B. C.

Fertile Crescent Region of rich soil in the middle east, curving from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

Mesopotamia Region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Name given to this region by the ancient Greeks meaning “between the rivers”

Ziggurat A large stepped platform with a temple on top used for religious ceremonies in ancient times.

Cuneiform Earliest form of writing. Consisted of wedge shaped marks in clay tablets.

Sumer § § § World’s First Civilization. (3300 B. C. ) Located in Mesopotamia. Part of the Fertile Crescent.

Floods and Irrigation § Tigris and Euphrates flooded frequently, destroying topsoil and homes. § Leadership in the form of temple priests or royal officials allowed for an organized effort to control the flooding and use it for irrigation. § Dikes to hold back floods. § Ditches dug for irrigation.

Innovative people. § Sumer lacked timber and stone for building. § Used clay to make bricks, which led to the building of some of the world’s first great cities, including Ur and Uruk. § Trade brought riches to Sumerian cities. § Traders travelled down the rivers or across the desert to trade with distant regions. (As far away as Egypt and India)

City-States § Sumer divided into at least 12 city-states. § City-States ruled at first by war leaders who battled each other for control of land water. § Rule by war leaders leads to hereditary rule.

§ These rulers were responsible for…. . § Maintaining walls for protection. § Irrigation systems. § Conducting warfare. § Enforcing laws. § Employing Scribes to collect taxes and keep records. § Lead ceremonies meant to please their gods.

Social Classes in Sumer § Highest Level § Ruling family § Leading officials § Priests § Middle Class § § Lesser Priests Scribes Merchants Artisans § Lowest Class § Peasant farmers § Slaves

Religion § Polytheistic § Believed gods controlled every aspect of life, especially nature. § Believed their highest duty was to keep the gods happy, to ensure the safety of their citystate. § Each city built a ziggurat dedicated to their gods. § Believed in a grim afterlife in an underworld from which there was no release.

Invention of Writing § Cuneiform (from Latin word cuneus for “wedge”) Created around 3200 B. C. § Scribes would carve wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets using a sharp tool called a stylus. § Evolved out of a system of pictographs used to record goods brought to the temple storehouses. § Became more complicated over time.

Other contributions from Sumer. § Started developing astronomy and mathematics. § Divided the hour into 60 minutes. § Divided a circle into 360 degrees. § The “Epic of Gilgamesh” § Narrative Poem about a hero named Gilgamesh who may have been a real King in Uruk.

The End of Sumer § Around 2500 B. C. , invaders began conquering Sumer city-states. § By 1900 B. C. , Sumerian city-states had all been over-run by invaders.

Wrap up Question? ? § Why did cuneiform have such a major impact on the ancient world? Why is it such a major step in history? § The development of Cuneiform meant the beginning of written communication and also, as a result, the beginning of an actual written record of history.

Invaders and Empires

Codify To arrange in orderly fashion and write down.

The first empires of Mesopotamia. § Some of the more powerful invaders of Mesopotamia begin to create large, well organized empires. § This brings peace and prosperity to the region as warfare among individual citystates ends and trade flourishes.

Akkadian Empire (2350 -2300 B. C. ) § Sargon § ruler of Sumer city-state Akkad. § Invaded neighboring city-states. § Built first known empire in history. § Appointed local rulers to oversee the empire. § Did not last long, ended after Sargon died.

First Babylonian Empire (1790 B. C. - 1595 B. C. ) § Hammurabi, King of Sumer City-State Babylon. § Brought much of Mesopotamia under the control of his empire.

Hammurabi’s Code § Set of nearly 300 laws carved on a stone pillar. § First attempt to codify all the laws that would govern a state. § Addressed both civil law and criminal law. § Created order. (Page 37 in book)

Objective of Hammurabi’s Code… § “. . to cause justice to prevail in the land, to destroy the wicked and evil, to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak, . . and to further the welfare of the people. ”

Other contributions of Hammurabi. § § Improved Irrigation. Organized a well trained army. Repaired temples. Promoted his own patron god “Marduk” in order to bring religious unity to the empire.

Hittites (1400 B. C. – 1200 B. C. ) § Invaded Mesopotamia out of Asia minor. § Brought with them the knowledge of how to extract iron out of ore. § Far superior iron weapons compared to softer copper or bronze weapons. § Iron was more plentiful so the Hittites could arm more people at less expense. § Tried to keep this technology a secret, but as their empire collapsed their ironsmiths looked for work elsewhere. § This technology spread across Asia, Africa, and Europe (cultural diffusion) ushering in the Iron Age.

Assyrian Empire (1350 B. C. – 612 B. C. ) § § § Lived on the upper Tigris river. Also learned to forge iron weapons. Gained a reputation as the most feared warriors in history. § Took great pride in their warfare. § Well ordered society § Built large palaces and well planned cities. § Founded one of the world’s first libraries at Nineveh. § Defeated by an alliance of neighboring peoples.

New Babylonian Empire (625 B. C. – 539 B. C. ) § King Nebopolassar brings Babylon back into power. § Quickly revived its powers under its second king, Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar § § § Aggressive and ruthless king. King during part of the biblical story of Daniel. Made the city of Babylon into one of the most highly regarded cities is Mesopotamia. § Rebuilt canals, temples, walls, and palaces. (85 ft. thick brick walls and nine solid gateways) § Enlarged the city’s ziggurat. § Famous “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” § One of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Persian Empire (539 B. C. – 330 B. C. ) § Cyrus the Great. § Defeated Babylon in 539 B. C. (Daniel) § Largest empire yet, from Asia minor to India. § Tolerated customs of conquered people.

§ Darius I (522 B. C. – 486 B. C. ) § Skilled organizer. § Divided empire into provinces ruled by a governor. § Each province paid taxes based on resources and wealth. § Like Hammurabi, Darius drew up a single code of laws for the empire. § Hundreds of miles of roads are built or repaired. § Established a common set of weights and measures. § Encouraged use of coins which helped bring merchants and traders out of the old barter economy and into an early form of money economy.

Zoroaster (600 B. C. ) § § § Persian thinker Rejected the old Persian gods. Believed in a single wise god (monotheism) who was constantly fighting against the prince of lies and evil. Each person must choose their side. § Believed in a final judgment day.

Phoenicians § Small state of cities along the Mediterranean coast. (modern day Lebanon and Syria) § Famous as sailors and traders. § Established colonies from North Africa to Spain in order to promote trade. (Some sailed as far as Britain for trade) § Created their own alphabet, which the Greeks later adapted for their own use and which later led to our own alphabet.

Wrap up Question? ? ? § What effects did the formation of empires, and the establishment of trade, have on the ancient world? § The formation of empires and establishment of trade led to more interaction between the various civilizations which allowed for cultural diffusion, the spread of ideas and technological developments throughout the ancient world.

Kingdom of the Nile: Ancient Egypt

Cataract A waterfall on the Nile river.

Delta Triangular area of marshland formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of a river.

Pharaoh Government and religious head of ancient Egypt. The king of Egypt.

Dynasty Chain of rulers from the same family.

The Nile River § Longest river in the world. § Made travel throughout Egypt easier. § Trade flourished in Egypt as its merchants traveled up and down the Nile in sailboats and barges exchanging the products of Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean region. § Life blood of Egyptian empire. § Fertile soil that was replenished by yearly flooding. § Wheat and flax ( a fibrous plant used for clothing) grew well here.

Flood control § Every Spring the Nile floods from rain in the interior of Africa. § Cooperation was needed to control these floods. § Early governments in Egypt built dikes, reservoirs, and irrigation ditches to channel flood waters and store water for the dry seasons.

Two Regions of Ancient Egypt. § Upper Egypt § Actually Southern part of Egypt. § Started at the Nile’s first cataract and continued to within 100 miles of the Mediterranean sea. § Lower Egypt § Actually Northern part of Egypt. § Covered the delta plain region of the Nile at the Mediterranean Sea.

§ 3100 B. C. § Menes, king of Upper Egypt unites the Upper and Lower regions. § Establishes Egypt’s first capital at Memphis. § Utilized the Nile as a highway between the Upper and Lower regions which created unity in Egypt.

Divisions of Egyptian History § § § Old Kingdom (2575 B. C. – 2130 B. C. ) Middle Kingdom (1938 B. C. – 1630 B. C. ) New Kingdom (1539 B. C. – 1075 B. C. )

Old Kingdom (2575 B. C. – 2130 B. C. ) § Pharaohs § Leaders in ancient Egypt. § Organized a strong centralized state. § Were believed to be gods, therefore they had absolute power and owned all of Egypt. § Took pride in justice and order. § Delegated responsibilities in the empire.

Pyramids § § § Built by the Pharaohs for tombs. Most located near Memphis. Considered homes for the dead in eternity. § Pharaohs were buried with everything they would need in the afterlife.

Reasons for Old Kingdom’s collapse. § § § Power struggles Crop failures Building costs of pyramids

Middle Kingdom (1938 B. C. – 1630 B. C. ) § After more than 100 years of disunity, new pharaohs reunited Egypt. § Middle Kingdom is a turbulent period in Egyptian history. § Nile did not flood regularly. § Corruption and rebellion are common.

§ There were some positives. § New land was drained for farming. § Region of Nubia is occupied by Egyptian forces, giving Egypt a new source of gold, ivory, cattle, and slaves. § Trade with Middle East and island of Crete increases.

§ 1700 B. C. , foreign invaders called Hyksos occupy the delta region, bringing an end to the Middle Kingdom. § Hyksos introduced war chariots to Egypt, which the Egyptians would master in time.

New Kingdom (1539 B. C. – 1075 B. C. ) § New Powerful and ambitious pharaohs establish a large empire, stretching from Nubia to Syria. § Age of conquest which leads to greater contact with other African and Southwest Asian peoples.

Powerful Rulers § Hatshepsut § First female pharaoh. § Encouraged trade. § Thutmose III § Stepson of Hatshepsut. § Great military general who stretched Egypt’s borders. § Ramses II § Regained control of old borders to Syria. § Big time boaster, built great temples and monuments to himself for his victories.

Decline of Egypt § After 1100 B. C. , Egyptian power slowly declines. § Constant warfare and invasions take its toll. § Invaders such as the Assyrians and Persians conquered the Nile region. § Last Egyptian dynasty ends with Greek control in 332 B. C. § Roman armies take over in 30 B. C. § The Nile valley continued to be an important resource for each of its conquerors.

Wrap up question? ? ? § How did the Nile River influence the rise of the powerful kingdoms of ancient Egypt? § The Nile river was the life blood of the Egyptian empire. The fertile soil around the Nile allowed the Egyptians to grow surpluses of crops to support their civilization. The Nile unified the various regions of Egypt because it allowed for easy travel throughout the empire. Trade also flourished because of travel on the Nile.