First Civilizations Mesopotamia Land between two rivers Tigris

First Civilizations

Mesopotamia • Land between two rivers – Tigris and Euphrates • Flooding and drought unpredictable

• Independent innovation – Will pass on to Egypt/Indus river civilizations • Geography – Lack natural barriers • Frequent conflict over water/property rights

Sumerians • Birthplace for world’s first cities • City-state • Ziggurat – Temple

Cuneiform 3500 BCE Sumerian system of writing Gilgamesh oldest story in the world

• Number system based on 60 • Used for navigation and measurement of time – 60 seconds – 360 degrees – Calendar- 12 months • Wheel – Origin of wheel unknown – First associated with the Sumerians

• First empire in the world • Empire • Several people, nations under the control of one ruler rul • Sargon I • Will unite Mesopotamia into one empire • No one sure how large empire actually was • Disappear after death of Sargon’s grandson Akkad

• Most famous ruler was Hammurabi • Developed Hammurabi’s Code – Code of law – Based on an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth – Reinforces principle that government is responsible for what happens in society Babylonian Empire

Hittites • First to use iron weapons • Law more about payment for damages rather than punishment • First to sign a peace treaty

• Confederation Phoenicians – Loose union of independent city states • Will never unite into a country • Experts at ship building and navigation • Big into trade – Purple dye – Starts practice of bill of sales and contracts

• Alphabet – Basis of the Greek alphabet • Sacrifice first born to please the gods Phoenicians

Lydians • Introduce system of using coins

Assyrians • Reputation as lethal fighting force • Nineveh – Walled capital city – Walls a mile wide • Ancient world library

• • • King Nebuchadnezzar Hanging Gardens of Babylon Foundation for science of astronomy Chaldeans

• System of provinces with governors • Allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem • Single code of laws • Built royal road • Zoroaster – Reform Persian religion – World divided between good and evil – People control their own fate – Influenced Judaism, Christianity and Islamic religions Persians

• Lived in Canaan – Area between Jordan river and Mediterranean Sea • Philistines – Will be in conflict with Hebrews over control of Canaan Hebrews

Yahweh • Hebrew God- One creator – Made world and all life – Created world for humans to enjoy and practice free will • Unusual because does not belong in only one place – Hebrew could worship Yahweh where every they went • Yahweh not only god for Hebrews but god for all people every where.

Beliefs – Destiny of world is paradise and with divine help • Salvation-- afterlife – Tasks of human beings • • • Serve and honor God Promote the ethics of the prophets Maintain the identity of the people – Sin is not a fact of birth, it is a matter of choice

Kingdom • Kingdom of Israel will divide – Israel- North – Judah- South • Fight among themselves but often united against common enemy

• Judaism is not a missionary religion – Did not attempt to convert non Jews – even after 70 years in Babylon

Impact of Judaism • First major monotheistic faith • Spawn two other monotheistic religions – Christianity – Islam

• In Mesopotamia civilizations were conquered, their cultural heritage, religions, laws, customs and technology rarely lost • Conquering civilizations commonly adopted and adapted customs and technology of those defeated

Ancient Egypt

Kemet • One of the world’s first civilization • Early name was Kemet – Means “black land” after the dark soil • Ancient Greeks will later name the area Egypt • Developed around the Nile River

Annual Flooding Floodin • Renews the land with thick layer of silt • Very dependable – Same time every year • No longer floods because of Aswan Dam – Result is the soil is becoming wore out

Uniting Egypt • Egypt difficult to invaded because of desert, delta and cataracts • Egypt consisted of two kingdoms – Lower Egypt • North part of Nile River – Upper Egypt • South part of Nile River Valley

• Narmer was the king of Upper Egypt – Also called Menes • Will united Upper and Lower Egypt • Establish capital at Memphis • Form first dynasty – Line of rulers from one family – 30 dynasties will rule Egypt Narmer

• In beginning both Upper and Lower Egypt will maintain separate identities • Theocracy – A government in which the same person is both religious and political leader • God-King delegated many responsibilities to a bureaucracy – A group of government officials • Bureaucracy led by the king’s vizier – Prime minister Theocracy

Kingdoms • Ancient Egyptian history is into time periods called kingdoms – Old Kingdom – Middle Kingdom – New Kingdom

Old Kingdoms • Pyramids – Built to honor god-kings – To provide them an eternal resting place • Great Pyramid – – One of 3 built at Giza Stands 481 feet high & 756 feet at each side of base Structure covers 13 acres 2 million stone blocks • • • Limestone brought 400 miles upriver Each stone block cut perfectly Stones weigh between 2 ½ tons to 15 tons

• Believed king’s soul continued to guide kingdom after death • Pharaoh eternal soul called Ka • Mummification – Used to preserve the body – Body steep in natron salt for 40 days Old Kingdom

• Great Sphinx • Guard the Great Pyramid – 240 feet long and 66 feet high – Body of lion and human head • Historians do not agree on the purpose of the Great Sphinx – Many Egyptians believe that sphinx was the guardian of the sacred sight Old Kingdom

• Capital moved to Thebes • Egypt invaded successful for the first time by Hyksos – Hyksos had advantage of bronze weapons and horse drawn chariots – Dynasty will last around 110 years Middle Kingdom

New Kingdom Kingd • An Egyptian prince, Ahmose will drive the Hyksos out of Egypt • Start of New Kingdom • Assume the title of Pharaoh – Means Great House of the king

• Queen Hatshepsut – First woman pharaoh • Even wore false beard that was traditionally worn by male pharaohs – One of only 4 woman pharaohs – Carried out extensive building program • More into trade than war Pharaohs – After her death her stepson Thutmose III attempted to erase her name from all official records and shattered her stone portraits

Pharaohs • Akhenaton – Married to Nefertiti • Believed the Egyptians should worship only one God – Aton the sun god • Monotheism – Belief in only one god • After Akhenaton death Egypt will return to polytheism – Belief in many gods

• Tutankhamen – Better known as King Tut – Boy pharaoh– started rule at age 9 • Question about death? – Natural or was he murdered • Most famous not for his rule but the discovery of his tomb.

• King Tut’s tomb discovered by Howard Carter – Nov. 6, 1922 in Valley of Kings • Famous because it had not been robbed • Is the tomb cursed? – Many believed Howard Carter release a 3000 year curse

• Ramses II – Also called Ramses the Great – Ruled for 67 years • Restore prestige of Egypt – One of the first to sign a peace treaty • Large family – 150 kids • Order many statues of himself built – On one statute– his ear measured over 3 feet • Died at the age of 99

• Pharaoh • Vizier • Imakhu Egyptian Society – friends and family of pharaoh • Nomarchs – keeper of order and armies • Scribes-educated officials who kept records • Priest • Hemutiu – craftsmen and skilled workers • Peasants- – 90% of the population – Required to give labor to the pharaoh each year

• Based on polytheism – Worship over 2, 000 gods and goddess • Believed gods guided every aspect of their lives • Stressed afterlife – Devoted large amount of time preparing for survival in the next world • Gods and Goddess often represented as part humans and part animals Religion

Gods • Horus – Looked after Pharaoh • Ra – Sun god • Osiris – God of death and rebirth • Anubis – Helped to prepare the mummies

• Writing system using picture symbols is called Hieroglyphics • Hieratic – Simplified cursive script used for everyday business • Ability to read and write Hieroglyphics lost after decline of Ancient Egypt – Mystery for nearly 2000 years Hieroglyphics

• Rosetta Stone – Discovered by French soldiers in 1799 – Three forms of writing. Greek and two Egyptian – Jean –Francois Champollion (1822) • used Greek was able to decipher the Hieroglyphics

• Very advanced Mathematics – Developed number system that enable them to calculate area and volume – Accurate calendar • Only short of a solar year by 6 hours

Medicine • Other ancient civilization would acquire much of their medical knowledge from the Egyptians

• Egyptians did not acquire bronze tools until long after Mesopotamia • Kingdom of Kush independent innovation of iron that will spread to Egypt

• Patriarchal society but women did have some rights – Serve as regents – Managed household finances / education of kids – Right to divorce – Own property- inherit