Geography of the Ancient World

1
Geography of the Ancient World

• Ancient History
• HST 397 Spring 2007
• Prof. Marc Cooper

2
Important Ideas

• Geography of
• Near east
• Europe
• Greece
• Italy
• North Africa
• Relation of landforms to human occupations

3
Things to learn

• Names of major landforms
• Mountains
• Regions
• Rivers
• Seas
• Weather patterns
• Natural resources available to ancient people

4
The Old World

• Eurasian Land Mass
• Concern mainly with western half
• Strong connection between developments in the
  Near East and Europe

5
(No Transcript)
6
Near East

• Mesopotamia
• Egypt
• Learn
• Regions
• Cities
• Mountains
• Rivers
• Seas
• Natural resources

7
Aegean and Greece
8
Black Sea
Thrace
Macedonia
Ionia
Aegean Sea
Greece
Attica
Peloponnesus
Crete
9
Geography

• Aegean centered
• Many good harbors
• Sailing weather good except in winter
• No land farther than 50 miles from sea
• Mountainous terrain
• Caves and small streams
• Earthquakes frequent
• Arable plains small and isolated

10
Gaul
Alps
Apennine Mountains
Adriatic Sea
Pyrenees
Rome
Spain
Italy
Mediterranean Sea
Sicily
Africa
11
Geography

• Widest in the north.
• Most of the peninsula is less than 125 miles
  wide.
• Italy enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate.
• The Alps mountains in the north block cold winds.
  
• Apennine mountains run diagonally across northern
  Italy and then turn southward to bisect the
  peninsula
• Most people lived on the west side of the
  Apennines
• South - poorer soil and less water.
• Hills of Italy are gentle enough for pasturing
  and wood was plentiful.
• Hills did not act as barriers to isolate cities
  as was the case in Greece.