Chapter 2 Section 2:

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Chapter 2 Section 2 Fertile Crescent Empires
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Section 2 Fertile Crescent Empires
Main Idea Indo-European invaders introduced new
technologies to the Fertile Crescent while
adapting earlier technologies developed by the
civilizations they encountered there.

• Reading Focus
• What military advantages helped the Hittites
  establish an empire in Asia Minor?
• What events led to the rise and fall of the
  Assyrian and Chaldean empires?
• What were the main achievements of the
  Phoenicians?

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Summary
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I. The Hittites
Babylonian Empire declined, nomadic tribes fought
over land and wealth
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I. The Hittites
Invaders included Indo-Europeans from the steppes
north of Black Sea
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I. The Hittites
c. 2000 BC Hittites settled in Asia Minor and
built an empire
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I. The Hittites
Used war chariots and new tactics sacked Babylon
in 1595 BC
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I. The Hittites
Blended their culture with cultures around them
were first to master ironworking
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II. The Assyrians and the Chaldeans
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A. The Assyrians
Came from northern Mesopotamia By 900 BC empire
included Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Egypt
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A. The Assyrians
Fierce warrior society used war chariots, foot
soldiers, cavalry - armed with iron weapons
Soldiers of Assyria going to battle
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A. The Assyrians
Mastered siege warfare used terror to control
conquered areas
Assyrians blinding prisoners. Captives were
skinned alive, blinded, impaled, and had limbs,
ears, noses, etc. cut off
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A. The Assyrians
Created efficient government using local leaders
system of roads connected the empire
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A. The Assyrians
Greatest cultural achievement - library at
Nineveh
Assyrian capital city,
Nineveh Library constructed during the reign of
King Ashurbanipal (c. 668-627)
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B. The Chaldeans
Assyria declined, Chaldeans took power and made
Babylon their capital
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B. The Chaldeans
Most famous king was Nebuchadnezzar II
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
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B. The Chaldeans
Fought Egyptians and Jews, captured Jerusalem,
brought Jews to Babylon as slaves
Babylonian Captivity or Babylonian Exile
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III. The Phoenicians
Phoenician Cargo Ship
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A. Phoenician Trading Society
Phoenicia - western end of Fertile Crescent
farming difficult, turned to trading and the sea
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A. Phoenician Trading Society
Greatest traders of ancient world established
colonies in Italy, Spain, North Africa
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A. Phoenician Trading Society
Invented glassblowing traded glass items, cedar
wood, purple dye from a shellfish
Phoenician glass bead necklace
The murex
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B. Phoenician Alphabet

• Greatest achievement was worlds first alphabet