Early Societies in Southwest Asia Chapter 2 The

Early Societies in Southwest Asia Chapter 2

The Quest for Order • Population increase required political and social organization • Mesopotamia: between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers • Very dry with unpredictable flooding -> irrigation

Sumer • C. 4000 BCE: first cities (pol and mil authority, regional control, cult. and econ. centers) • Some became city-states, ruled by assemblies, then absolute monarchs • citizens participated in public works projects: walls, ziggurats, irrigation systems, military

The Course of Empire • War between city-states -> regional empires • Sargon of Akkad: conquered Sumerian citystates, forming empire – Declined due to rebellion and invasion

The Course of Empire (cont. ) • Hammurabi: ruled Babylonian Empire with bureaucratic rule and taxes, laws (“an eye for an eye”) – Declined due to Hittite invasion

The Later Mesopotamian Empires • Assyrians: powerful military (infantry and cavalry with chariots, plus iron weapons) – Used Babylonian gov. techniques and laws – Decline due to rebellion and invasion

The Later Mesopotamian Empires (cont. ) • New Babylonian Empire: aka Chaldeans – Nebuchadnezzar, lavish capital, hanging gardens – Decline due to invasion

Economic Specialization and Trade • • • Bronze metallurgy: copper and tin, weapons, tools Iron metallurgy: cheaper The wheel: carts, wagons to move grain, bricks, ore Shipbuilding: trade as far as India Trade Networks: trading colonies

Social Structure • Social classes, due to wealth – Ruling elites, plus priests and priestesses (temples owned land workshops) – Free commoners – peasants and city workers, owned land – Dependent clients – laborers, no property – Slaves – POWs, convicts, debtors; worked as laborers or servants

Gender Roles • Patriarchal: adult males ruled households, in public • Early, some women had power (in court, temples) • Later, male control of women increased (virginity, veiling)

Written Cultural Traditions • Earliest: c. 3500 BCE for econ purposes (pictographs) • C. 2900 BCE – symbols = cuneiform • Adopted by others • Schools, astronomy, mathematics, literature

Hebrews • Pastoral nomads – some settled in Mesopotamia (e. g. , Abraham of Ur) and later Palestine • Some migrated to Egypt, led back by Moses • Formed 12 tribes of Israel, then unified as monarchy (David, Solomon) with capital at Jerusalem

Hebrews (cont. ) • Early, polytheistic (Mesopotamian gods) • Later, monotheistic – Yahweh (10 Commandments, Torah) • Palestine divided into Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah (conquered by various empires) • Maintained strong sense of identity

The Phoenicians • • • = Canaanites Early: indep. city-states More interested in commerce than expansion Overland maritime trade Set up trade colonies; traded along Atlantic coast Created alphabet from cuneiform

Indo-European Migrations • Language family found throughout Eurasia • 4500 -2500 BCE: W. Asia steppes – pastoral/agriculturalists • Domesticated horses, with carts, chariots • Allowed military and transportation advantage, and means of expansion • Population increase -> gradual migrations

Indo-European Migrations • West: Hittites – Anatolia, kingdom, trade with Mesop. – 2 important innovations: war chariots and refined iron metallurgy • East: central Asia (burials in China) • West: Greece, central and western Europe – Pastoral/agriculturalists, no cities or states • Social structure: military ruling elite, priests, commoners • South: Iran and India; same, but did form states