Chapter 2 Early Societies in Southwest Asia and

Chapter 2 Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the Indo-European Migrations Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 1

The Quest for Order n n n Growth of urban societies Political/military systems Social stratification Economic specialization Religion Communications Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 2

Mesopotamia n “The land between the rivers” q n n Modern-day Iraq Reservoirs, canals, and irrigation Sumer begins small-scale irrigation 6000 B. C. E. By 5000 B. C. E. , complex irrigation networks q n Tigris and Euphrates Population reaches 100, 000 by 3000 B. C. E. Attracts Semitic migrants, influences culture Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 3

Early Mesopotamia, 3000– 2000 B. C. E. Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 4

Sumerian City-States n n n Cities began to appear 4000 B. C. E. Dominated region from 3200 to 2350 B. C. E. Ziggurats: temples and altars to local deities q n n n Uruk Irrigation systems Defense from nomadic marauders Absolute monarchies 5

The Course of Empire n Regional empires emerged as Semitic peoples from northern Mesopotamia began to overshadow Sumer q Sargon of Akkad (2370– 2315 B. C. E. ) n n q Destroyed Sumerian city-states one by one, creating empire based in Akkad Military juggernaut to maintain control Hammurabi of Babylon (1792– 1750 B. C. E. ) n n Improved taxation, legislation Used local governors to maintain control of city-states Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 6

Hammurabi’s Laws n Established high standards of behavior and stern punishment for violators q q n Lex talionis—“law of retaliation” Social status and punishment Babylonian empire later destroyed by Hittites from Anatolia, ca. 1595 B. C. E. 7

The Later Mesopotamian Empires n n Weakening of central rule invited foreign invaders Assyrians’ use of new iron weaponry q n During eighth and seventh centuries B. C. E. , controlled Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Anatolia, most of Egypt Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (r. 605– 562) q q Took advantage of internal dissent to create Chaldean (New Babylonian) empire Famously luxurious capital 8

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Mesopotamian Empires, 1800– 600 B. C. E. Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 10

Economic Specialization and Trade n Bronze (copper with tin), ca. 4000 B. C. E. q n Iron, ca. 1000 B. C. E. q n n Military, agricultural applications Cheaper than bronze Wheel, boats, ca. 3500 B. C. E. Shipbuilding increased trade networks 11

Social Classes n Ruling classes based often on military prowess q n Priestly elites q q n Role: intervention with gods to ensure good fortune Considerable landholdings, other economic activities Free commoners q n Perceived as offspring of gods Peasant cultivators, some urban professionals Slaves q Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 12

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Patriarchal Society n Men as landowners, relationship to status q n Double standard of sexual morality q q n Women drowned for adultery Relaxed sexual mores for men Yet some possibilities for social mobility for women q n Power to sell wives, children Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity Introduction of the veil by ca. 1500 B. C. E. 14

The Development of Writing n n Sumerians first experimented with pictographs About 2900 B. C. E. , Sumerians developed more flexible writing system q q q Cuneiform: “wedge-shaped” Preservation of documents on clay Declined in fourth century B. C. E. with spread of Greek alphabetic script 15

Education and Science n n With cuneiform writing, formal schools established Literacy led to rapid expansion of knowledge q q Astronomy Mathematics n n Agricultural applications Mesopotamian conventions: q q Twelve months in a year Sixty-minute hours, sixty-second minutes Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 16

The Epic of Gilgamesh n n Writing also used to reflect on religious and intellectual problems Epic of Gilgamesh compiled after 2000 B. C. E. q q Heroic saga Themes of friendship, relations with gods, meaning of life and inevitability of death 17

The Early Hebrews n n n According to Hebrew scripture, Abraham migrated to northern Mesopotamia ca. 1850 B. C. E. Parallels between early biblical texts, code of Hammurabi Branch of Hebrews under Moses traveled to Palestine ca. 1300 B. C. E. q n On-going conflict with indigenous populations King David (1000– 970 B. C. E. ) and King Solomon (970– 930 B. C. E. ) Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 18

Moses and Monotheism n n Hebrews shared polytheistic beliefs of other Mesopotamian civilizations Moses taught monotheism, belief in single god q q q Denied existence of competing parallel deities Personal god: reward and punishment for conformity with revealed law The Torah (“doctrine” or “teaching”) Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 19

Conquests of Israel n Assyrian conquest, 722 B. C. E. q q q n Conquered the northern kingdom Deported many inhabitants to other regions Many exiles assimilated and lost their identity Babylonian conquest, 586 B. C. E. q q q Destroyed Jerusalem Forced many into exile Israelites maintained their religious identity; many returned to Judea Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 20

Israel and Phoenicia, 1500– 600 B. C. E. Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 21

The Phoenicians n n City-states along Mediterranean coast after 3000 B. C. E. Extensive maritime trade q n Dominated Mediterranean trade, 1200– 800 B. C. E. Development of alphabetic script q q Simpler alternative to cuneiform Spread of literacy Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 22

The Indo-European Migrations n n Common roots of many languages of Europe, southwest Asia, India Implies influence of a single Indo-European people q n Probable original homeland: modern-day Ukraine and Russia, 4500– 2500 B. C. E. Domestication of horses, Sumerian knowledge of metallurgy and wheels allowed them to spread widely Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 23

Indo-European Migrations 3000– 1000 B. C. E. Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 24

Similarities in Vocabulary Indicating Close Relationships between Select Indo-European Languages Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 25

Effects of Indo-European Expansion n n Hittites migrated to central Anatolia ca. 1900 B. C. E. , later dominated Babylonia War chariots with spoked wheels Refinement of iron metallurgy Significant migrations to western China, Greece, Italy, Iran, India Copyright © 2015 Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education. 26