Unit 1 Early Complex Societies 3500 to 500

Unit 1: Early Complex Societies, 3500 to 500 B. C. E. Chapter 2: Early Societies in SW Asia and Indo-European Migrations

Civilization Defined �Urban (a. k. a. cities) �Political/military system �Social stratification (social classes) �Economic specialization (different jobs available) �Religion �Communications (writing or other) �“Higher culture” (art, literature, etc. ) �Key issue: irrigation � Necessity of coordinated efforts � Promoted development of local governments � City-states 2

Mesopotamia Fertile Crescent

� Mesopotamia � “Land between the rivers” � Sumer � Tigris & Euphrates � little rain = need for irrigation (small scale by 6000 B. C. E. ) � Sumerians were dominant people � Sumer = Southern ½ of Mesopotamia � Semitic Migrants � Sumerian City- States � Irrigation networks = abundant harvests = pop. Increase (by 3000 BCE close to 100, 000 ppl) � Sumer wealth attracted migrants � Sumerians built 1 st cities � cities were political, economic, & cultural center of larger region. � (i. e. political = extending authority/military power, economic = marketplaces/trading, cultural = schools/temples to spread traditions/values)

� Sumerian City- States https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=2 Odv. SB ydmk. Q (16: 20 – 24: 00) � Governments preserved peace & sponsor building projects and irrigation � Attacks lead to wall building & military development � Ziggurat home of god (temple) � Kingships Evolve � Earliest gov’t = prominent men making decisions for all community � By 3000 BCE, all Sumerian cities � Empire emerges had kings w/ absolute authority (monarchy). � To stop constant conflicts w/ neighboring ppls, conquerors united large areas

Mesopotamian ziggurat

�Sargon of Akkad �(2370 -2315 B. C. E. ) � Traveled w/ army; destroyed Sumerian states one by one, created empire based in Akkad � Seized trade routes & natural resources (builds resentments) � Empire unable to contain chronic rebellions �Hammurabi and �(1792 -1750 B. C. E. ) Babylonian Empire � Centralizes bureaucracy and regulates taxation � Used local governors to maintain control of city-states � Law Code: law of retribution (lex talionis) �importance of social status � Hittites attack empire crumbles in 1595 B. C. E.

�Later Mesopotamia n Empires �Assyrian Empire �New Babylonian Empire �Assyrians (northern Mesopotamia), about 1300 -612 B. C. E. � Cities: Assur and Nineveh � Powerful army - horse-drawn chariots, archers, iron weapons � Internal unrest (unpopular rule) & external assault = end in 612 B. C. E. �Also called “Chaldean Empire, ” 600 -550 B. C. E. � Nebuchadnezzar (605 -562 B. C. E. ) � Hanging gardens shows wealth/luxury � Foreign conquerors added to their empire (c. 550 BCE)

Mesopotamian Empires, 1800 -600 B. C. E. 9

� Formation of complex society & sophisticated cultural traditions �Economic specialization and trade �Bronze (copper with tin), c. 4000 B. C. E. � Military, agricultural applications �Iron, c. 1000 B. C. E. � Cheaper, more widely available than bronze �Wheel (c. 3500 B. C. E. ) helps trade; carts carry more goods further �Shipbuilding - maritime trade increases in all directions; network develops (3500 B. C. E. )

�Cities = more opportunities to accumulate wealth �Social Classes �Ruling classes based often on military prowess � Perceived as offspring of gods �Religious classes (priests) � Role: intervention with gods to Kings/Nobles Priests/Priestesses Free Commoners & Dependent Clients Slaves ensure good fortune for community � Considerable landholdings, other economic activities �Free commoners � Peasant cultivators � Some urban professionals �Slaves � Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors

� 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 behaviors for men � Women’s Roles � Some possibilities of social mobility for women � Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity � Women = fewer rights after 2000 B. C. E. � Wear veils to discourage attention at least c. 1500 B. C. E. � Married women = No socializing w/ men outside family � Virgin brides

� Development of written cultural traditions � Education � Sumerian invent writing (4000 BCE) for commercial transactions, tax collections � Cuneiform = “wedged-shaped” w/ reed stylus and clay tablets � Education: vocational to be scribe or government official � Literacy = rapid expansion of knowledge � Astronomy and Mathematics � To help w/ harvests � Mesopotamian scientists divided year into 12 mos. and hours into 60 secs.

�Epic of Gilgamesh �Explored themes of friendship, relations b/t humans & gods & meaning of life and death �Gilgamesh written as a god/godlike �Heroic saga �Search for meaning, especially afterlife

�Broader influence of Mesopotamian society �Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews �Early Hebrews are pastoral nomads between Mesopotamia and Egypt (2000 B. C. E. ) �Settle in cities �Abraham leads group to Palestine 1850 B. C. E. (“founder” of Judaism) �Descendants borrow laws from Mesopotamia (lex talionis) �Some migrate to Egypt in 1700 B. C. E. where they are enslaved, then back to Palestine with Moses

Moses and monotheism �Moses introduced monotheism, belief in one god � Denied existence of competing parallel deities (gods) � Personal god: reward and punishment for conformity with revealed law � Ten Commandments: moral and ethical standards for followers � Torah (“doctrine or teaching”) – Jewish holy book �Mesopotamian-style monarchs - http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=f. AJ 6 d. BXb. Ivs David (1000 -970 B. C. E. ) then Solomon (970 -930 B. C. E. ) - with Jerusalem as capital

�Assyrian Conquest �Assyrians conquer Israel in north; Judah in south & destroy Jerusalem �Deportees return to Judea; become known as Jews (586 B. C. E. ) �Prophets increase devotion of people & build distinct Jewish community with strong group identity

� Phoenicians � City-states along Mediterranean coast after 3000 B. C. E. � Extensive maritime trade � Dominated Mediterranean trade, 1200 -800 B. C. E. � More interested in commercial (trade) opportunities than state building or military expansion � Little agriculture; live on industry and trade (excellent sailors) � Colored textiles (dye) & cedar wood � Alphabet � Created early alphabetical script (1500 B. C. E. ) � 22 symbols = consonant sounds � Easier than cuneiform � More people became literate

Phoenician Alphabet

Phoenician Alphabet

Israel and Phoenicia, 1500 -600 B. C. E. © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 21

� Indo-European origins Migrations � Linguists discover similarities between many languages = must be related � Originated in steppes of central Asia (Ukraine & Southern Russia) � Pastoral people; 4500 -2500 B. C. E. � Horses � Domesticate horses; learn to ride; use horses with carts, then chariots � Travel, transport over long distances � Tremendous military advantage � Indo-European expansion and its effects � Indo-European society breaks up about 3000 B. C. E. ; peoples gradually migrate

� Indo-European � East � Tarim Basin (western China) Migrations � West � Greece, Italy, central Europe, western Europe, Britain � South � India � Commonalities � Honor similar of Indo. Europeans deities � Related languages � Pastoral agriculturalists � 3 main social groups: (1) military ruling elite, (2) small group of priests, (3)large class of commoners

Indo-European Languages Majority of people are native Indo – European speakers Have Indo-European language with official status

Indo-European Migrations 3000 -1000 B. C. E. © 2011, The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 25

�Hittites settle in central Anatolia (Turkey) 2000 B. C. E. � Build powerful kingdoms � Close relations w/ Mesopotamian peoples � Conquer Babylonian empire 1595 B. C. E. � Dissolve by 1200 B. C. E. �Technological Innovations (1) light horse- drawn chariots (spokes) (2) iron metallurgy