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Ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia and Empires)

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Ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia and Empires) AMH UHS MR. Moran What was there prior? The site were chosen because it was believed to be sacred land. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia and Empires)


1
Ancient Middle East(Mesopotamia and Empires)
  • AMH
  • UHSMR. Moran

2
What is in a name?
  • The word Mesopotamia is Greek meaning- people of
    between the rivers
  • Mesopotamia is one of the earliest centers of
    urban civilization
  • Found in the area of modern Iraq and eastern
    Syria between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
  • The early people were Sumerians and they were
    believed to be nomads.

3
What was there prior?
  • The site were chosen because it was believed to
    be sacred land.
  • Temples were built
  • Sacrifice to the gods were held there
  • Pilgrimage
  • Soon religious leaders requested bigger temples
  • Lead to more pilgrimage and tithes.
  • Stories tell of the city of Eridu created by the
    God Marduk (text date to 3800 BCE)

4
From Protection to Cities
  • The need for self-defense and irrigation led the
    ancient Mesopotamians to organize and build
    canals and walled settlements.
  • The city of Uruk is believed the oldest city in
    this region.
  • First discovery was the Ubaid Temple (4900 BCE

5
City-states/ Kings and Warlords
  • Mesopotamia was composed a number of city-states
    (independent urban centers and the surrounding
    territories)
  • Kish, Eridu, Nippur, Ur, Uruk, and Sumer
  • A city-state controlled a large city and the
    surrounding areas.
  • Because of Specialization and competition the
    City-states were in constant competition and war.
  • At first, the cities were governed by elected
    officials, (religious leaders)
  • Originally, leaders were priests
  • Enman
  • Ninwoman
  • but later, because of war, they were lugal or
    big man
  • Today we call them kings.

6
Once protectedcity-states flourished
  • Constant building created great cities
  • The lack of rocks pushed the Sumerians to us
    clay.
  • Ziggurat or Mesopotamian pyramids were built to
    show power.
  • Important inventions
  • Writing called cuneiform
  • Wheel
  • Irrigation systems
  • Potters wheel
  • The inventions and building required organized
    governments.

7
Sumerian Inventions
  • Cuneiform writing
  • The wheel
  • Potters wheel
  • Sailing ship
  • Pick-axe
  • Brick mold
  • Glass
  • 60-based counting system 60 minutes to an hour,
    360 degrees to a circle
  • Number positioning
  • Beer
  • Epic poetry

8
Sumerian Schools
  • Literacy was a highly valued skill
  • Sumerians set up first institutions of formal
    education edubba
  • Education included writing and mathematics
  • Tuition paid for education
  • Educated were privileged elite government
    officials, scribes, etc.

9
Writing
Tablet of pre-cuneiform scriptSouth
MesopotamiaUruk III, end of 4th millenium
BC.Clay (?sun-baked clay)Louvre
  • Why
  • Record Keeping
  • Trade
  • Laziness

10
Steps
  • A number system is also important
  • Dashes or ticks were first used then a number
    system
  • Pictograms
  • Laziness led to simple abstract drawings
  • Written up and down
  • Abstract elements then turned 90 degrees and
    wrote left to right

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14
Other languages
  • Egyptians
  • Hieroglyphics
  • Chinese
  • Characters
  • Indo-Aryans
  • Sand script
  • Semitic groups
  • Aramaic

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19
Evolution
  • First pictograms represented items (nouns)
  • Abstract kept same principles
  • Prefixes and suffixes were added to show meaning
    or intent (verbs)
  • Abstract then represented sounds
  • First all consonants
  • Then added vowels
  • Finally we have an alphabet
  • From over 400 pictures to 26 letters

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22
The Rise of an Empire(Sumer and Akkadian Empire)
  • Sargon of Akkad (ca 2350 BCE),
  • became a powerful official of the city of Kish.
  • Story is similar to that of Moses
  • Gilgamesh (most famous Ruler of Uruk)
  • He seized power from the king and with an army
    conquered Akkad.
  • His mighty army soon conquered Sumer
  • Sargon and his successors controlled most of
    Mesopotamia for ca 75 years.
  • First Dynasty
  • Believed Sumer customs were adopted

23
The Third Dynasty of UR
  • The Dynasty created tight government control and
    helped the development of the infrastructure
  • Roads, communication systems, record keeping,
    standardized weights
  • Great city walls and structures
  • Due to nomadic incursions and Elamite attacks,
    The Ur Dynasty fell.
  • Consisted of 5 kings who ruled for 100 years.
  • Accomplished by a combination of military
    campaigns/ conquests and marriages.

24
Babylon and the Amorites
  • A new city emerged as a powerful center
  • Created by the Amorites
  • Babylon had strict codes thanks to King Hammurabi
    (r. 1792-1750 BCE)
  • Hammurabis Code
  • Aggressive military campaigns brought about the
    next empire the Old Babylonian State
  • The Babylonian Empire was the larger than the
    Sumer/Akkad Empire
  • Hammurabis code create a template for society to
    grow and flourish
  • Trade and commerce grew to create centers of
    luxury and excess.

25
Mesopotamian Society
  • 3 class system
  • The free, landowning class
  • Royalty, high ranking officials, warriors,
    priests, merchants, and some artisans and
    shopkeepers
  • Dependent farmers and artisans
  • Legally attached to the land that belonged to
    kink or temple (work force
  • Slave class
  • Primarily employed in domestic service
  • Social class was important as it dictated
    authority and punishment
  • Because of education we know life of the elite
    but not from anyone else

26
Women
  • Lost power and rights in a male dominated society
  • Men did heavy work leaving women to child bearing
    and rearing
  • No political role but could own property
  • Controlled dowries
  • Engage in trade
  • Some worked outside the house
  • Textile factories, breweries, prostitutes, tavern
    keepers, bakers, fortune tellers.
  • By 2000 BCE more power and laws favored men
  • Divorce was given if women did not produce
    children
  • Or could take a second wife (as long as he could
    afford it)
  • Families used women as instruments of society
  • Marrying them to other families or for deity
    service

27
Chronology of Mesopotamia
Time Period Ruling Powers
3500 BCE 3000 BCE 2500 BCE 2000 BCE 1500 BCE Early Dynastic (Sumerian) 3000-2350 BCE Akkadian (Semitic ) 2350-2230 BCE Sargon I Third Dynasty of Ur (Sumerian) 2112-1600 BCE Amorites (Old Babylon-Semitic) 1900-1600 BCE - Hammurabi
28
Egypt and the Nile Delta
  • AMH
  • UHS
  • Mr. Moran

29
The Gift of the Nile
  • Another River-Valley civilization developed on
    the Nile River in Africa.
  • Egypt was protected by surrounding barriers that
    allowed it to flourish
  • Desert
  • No harbors
  • Marshy sea coast
  • Where Mesopotamia was open to trade and cultural
    diffusion, Egypt developed a special society
    which was self-sufficient and unique
  • For long periods of time had nothing to do with
    other civilizations

30
The Nile River
  • Is the longest river in the world
  • It begins in Lake Victoria and ends at the
    Mediterranean Sea.
  • Flows northward which confuses many people.
  • The river creates a green fertile strip of land
    that is surrounded by desert
  • The river, is believed, to have carved out the
    valley through out the years.
  • The valley always flooded in September.

31
Migration to the River
  • Unlike Mesopotamia were cities were created
    because of trade centers, the change in climate
    and growth of the desert moved hunter-gatherers
    to the river.
  • Here nomads became farmers who depended on
    domestic animals and foods
  • Clay and bamboo were abundant for building and
    fertile land provide a variety of foods.
  • The river also provided fish and other wild life
  • The Nile became the primary source of food,
    transportation, and communication

32
Divine Kingship
  • With the increase of population, small local
    areas developed kings similar to the
    evolutionary theory
  • However, the conquest of the small kingships lead
    to the creation of three major Epoch of Egypt
  • Old Kingdoms (2575-2134 BCE)
  • Middle Kingdoms (2040- 1640 BCE)
  • New Kingdoms (1532- 1070 BCE)

33
Pharaohs
  • The central figure in the Egyptian state was the
    Pharaoh or King
  • He was believed to be a god who came down to
    earth
  • He was there to maintain maat or divinely
    authority over the universe
  • He was the link between the people and the gods
    and ensured the welfare of the people
  • The concept of divine king was the source of law
    and justice, there fore there were no written
    laws similar to Hammurabis code
  • In an attempt to satisfied the gods, great
    resources were use to ensure the well being of
    the pharaohs spirit upon death
  • This lead to the building of the pyramids

34
Capitals and Administrations
  • Capitals were picked by the ruling dynasties.
  • Memphis was the capital of the lower Nile
  • Capital of Old Kingdom
  • Thebes was the capital of the upper Nile
  • Middle and New Kingdoms
  • The main purpose of the government was to keep
    detailed records and collect revenue
  • The bureaucracy starts at the village level to
    the central government.
  • Kept track of labor, land, products, and people.
  • The focus is revenue
  • Revenue was use to run the palace, government,
    and army

35
Religion
  • Egyptians believe that the natural world was a
    place of recurrent cycles and periodic renewal.
  • The sun god Re traveled across the sky every day.
  • Believed in the after life story of Osiris.
  • Polytheistic Religion
  • To appease the gods temples were built or
    decorated with lavish gifts
  • Many towns had temples
  • Gods had animal heads while others had human
    bodies
  • Cult practices occurred in side the temple
  • Festivals were held to celebrate special
    occasions.

36
The Afterlife
  • Egyptians were very adamant about the afterlife
    and the preparations needed for safe passage to
    the next world.
  • The process of mummification is an Egyptian trade
    mark though other cultures used it.
  • Tombs had great treasure and personal items
    believed to be necessary for afterlife.
  • Tombs usually reflected the wealth and stature
    of the individual
  • Kings had great tombs
  • Common folk had to settle for pit graves or small
    mud-brick chambers.

37
Middle East (1700-1100 BCE)
  • Babylon was one of the most important cities of
    the ancient world
  • Babylon means Gate of God
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