Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the IndoEuropean

Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the Indo-European Migration Chapter 2

A Note of Caution �Because this is a fast paced course, and the first 6 chapters of the textbook are only 5% of what is covered on the AP World History exam, this presentation is condensed. �In order to be fully prepared for the quiz, students should make sure they are reading the textbook! �This will be true throughout the course!

Pre-history �Pre-history is before the written record. �How do we know what happened during Pre-history? �Artifacts are a key tool to discovering both Pre and Historical events. �Artifacts reveal information about the lives of early peoples. �These are discovered by Archeologists and Anthropologists.

Evolution of Mankind �Human beings clearly stand out as the most distinctive of the primate species. �Whereas other animal species adapted physically and genetically to their natural environment, human beings altered the natural environment to suit their needs and desires. �Anthropologists call humans and other human-like creatures hominids. �Some notable types of hominids include Australopithecus ( the southern ape), Homo erectus (upright-walking human), and Homo sapiens (consciously thinking human) �Homo-Sapiens differed from other hominids because they buried their dead, had high intelligence, and spoke several languages. �This time period is referred to as the Paleolithic Era

Global Migrations of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens

Early Humans �Lucy o Discovered by Donald Johanson in 1974 in Ethiopia. She was an Australopithecus or “southern ape”. �Neanderthal o Scientists think Neanderthals had religious beliefs because they buried meat and tools with their dead �Cro-Magnon o One thing that made the Cro-Magnon’s different from other hominids was that they painted pictures on cave walls

Neolithic Revolution �Early humans were nomadic, meaning they traveled many different places in search of food. �The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution was a slow process that shifted people from food gathering to food producing and revolutionized early human life. �Nomads & Foragers start farming which allowed them to have a reliable source of food. �As a result, the population exploded.

Early Agricultural Society �Historians estimate that before agriculture, about 10, 000 BCE, the earth’s human population was 4 million. �By 5000 BCE, when agriculture had appeared in a few world regions, human population had risen to about 5 million Year Human Population 3000 BCE 14 million 2000 BCE 27 million 1000 BCE 50 million 500 BCE 100 million

Origins and early spread of agriculture

Mesopotamia �Mesopotamia comes from two Greek words and means “the land between the rivers”. �This refers to the fertile valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which are in modern-day Iraq. �People in these areas soon realized that by tapping into these rivers, building reservoirs, and digging canals, they could irrigate fields of barley, wheat, and peas.

River Valley �The valley is known by many names, Tigris-Euphrates River Valley, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, The Fertile Crescent and Sumer. �Unlike the Nile, the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates could not be predicted. �Early people of the valley viewed nature and the gods as harsh and unpredictable

Sumerians �These pastoral nomads settled in Mesopotamia about 5000 BCE creating the civilization of Sumer �Ur and Uruk were the largest cities with close to 50, 000 people �This organization of people led to massive development of Mesopotamia �Canals, dams; which needed a centralized government �Sumerian government developed into city states �Competing city states would go to war over resources

Life in Sumer �Temples were known as ziggurats. �The Sumerians also invented the arch. �The Sumerian gods were identified with forces of nature and heavenly bodies, such as the sun and moon. �Polytheistic �Made sacrifices to please the gods �They buried their dead with some possessions, but did not believe in a vivid afterlife �Upper class women enjoyed some freedom �Owned property, have income �Marriages were arranged and only boys were educated

Ziggurats

Sumer Economy and Trade �As farming increased food surplus, specialization of labor allowed for craftspeople to create goods �Sumerians traded extensively by land sea �Egypt, Persia, Southeastern Africa, India (Harappa) �Pottery, cloth, utensils in bronze �The introduction of specialized labor would change the social structure of Sumerian life �New class of wealthy, nobles and land owners � 40% of people were slaves

Sumerian Contributions �Cuneiform as invented as a writing system for record keeping �Inventions: cart, metal plow, sun dial, 12 month calendar, and Sumerian numbering system based on 60 �Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest piece of literature �This is how historians know so much about Sumer

Writing �Sumerian pictographs are one of the earliest known forms of writing �Most signs were wedged shaped �They formed a system called cuneiform meaning wedge shaped

Decline of Sumer �Mesopotamia was an attractive location to live with plenty of water and fertile land �This attracted other groups who wanted to control the region �There were no natural barriers to stop invaders and Sumerians were not warriors at heart �Sumer fell to invaders circa 2300 BCE �Babylonians would form the next early civilization empire

The Akkadians �In 2330 BCE, the Akkadians attacked and conquered the Sumerians. �Their great ruler was Sargon. He ruled from 2334 -2279 BCE. He was the most powerful Akkadian king. �The Akkadian Empire lasted 150 years and they founded a new city called Babylon.

The Babylonians �Hammurabi is their great ruler. He comes to power in 1792 BCE. �He is most famous for the Code of Hammurabi. �The Code of Hammurabi used the principle of lextalionis or “law of retaliation”. �Women had some legal and economic rights �The Babylonians believed in many of the Sumerian gods.

Code of Hammurabi

The Assyrians �Came to power between 900 -650 BCE �Known for being fierce warriors; First to use cavalry in battle �The Assyrian Empire included Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and the Nile River Valley �Their capital was called Nineveh. This is the same Nineveh mentioned in the Bible �Nineveh had a great library. In its many texts was the Epic of Gilgamesh.

The Chaldeans �Peak of power is during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, 605 -562 BCE �Known for their skills in math and science �Created one of the great wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Mesopotamian Empires, 1800 -600 B. C. E. 29

Social Classes in Mesopotamian Societies �Ruling classes based often on military prowess �Perceived as offspring of gods �Religious classes �Role: intervention with gods to ensure good fortune for community �Considerable landholdings, other economic activities �Free commoners �Peasant cultivators �Some urban professionals �Slaves �Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors 30

Patriarchal Society �Men as landowners, relationship to status �Patriarchy: “rule of the father” �Right to sell wives, children �Double standard of sexual morality �Women drowned for adultery �Relaxed sexual morals for men �Yet some possibilities of social mobility for women �Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity �Introduction of the veil at least ca. 1500 B. C. E. 31

The Hittites �Settled in Mesopotamia sometime around 1600 BCE �First people to smelt iron �The Hittites had an advanced law system, different from the Code of Hammurabi, similar to our own.

Phoenicians �The Phoenicians appeared around 1200 BCE �Their main industry was trade �Phoenicia only had one, main natural resource, lumber! �The Lebanon Mountains in Phoenicia had beautiful cedar forests and many other types of trees. �Lumber was rare in many places in Asia Minor and Africa, so it was considered an important and valuable resource.

Trade �Phoenicia’s main exports were lumber, metals such as gold and silver, and hand-blown glass. �Another export was a shellfish called murex that would be used to make a purple dye. �This dye was very expensive to make, and it became the symbol of royalty throughout the ancient world. �Through their trading, the Phoenicians’ founded many cities including Carthage in North Africa.

The Phoenician World

Early Phoenician Ship

Phoenician Trading Ship

Phoenician Alphabet

The Hebrews �Most of the historical information we have on the Hebrews comes from the Bible �Modern Jews trace their heritage through the Twelve Tribes of Israel. �Key Hebrew Figures: �Abraham �Joseph �Moses –Monotheism �David �Solomon-Builder of The Temple

The Founding of Israel �After spending 40 years in the Sinai desert, the Hebrews entered a time where Judges and Prophets were the government. �Around 900 BCE, the tribes created one nation, Israel, and united under one king, Saul. �Saul was succeeded by David who founded a powerful dynasty. �David made Jerusalem the capital city & religious center for Israel.

Peak of Power �The Peak of Israeli power came during the reign of King Solomon. �Solomon made Israel a wealthy and respected nation. �He was known for his wise decisions and respected the law, such as the Torah �His great achievement was building the first Temple.

The Temple

The Fall �After Solomon’s death, the tribes split with the 10 northern tribes remaining Israel with their capital at Samaria. �The two southern tribes formed Judah with Jerusalem as its capital �The Assyrians and the Chaldeans both conquered Israel, and the Chaldeans destroyed Solomon’s Temple. �The Persian king, Cyrus allowed the Hebrews to return to Israel and rebuild the Temple.