Title: Ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia and Empires)
1Ancient Middle East(Mesopotamia and Empires)
2What 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.
3What 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)
4From 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
5City-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.
6Once 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.
7Sumerian 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
8Sumerian 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.
9Writing
Tablet of pre-cuneiform scriptSouth
MesopotamiaUruk III, end of 4th millenium
BC.Clay (?sun-baked clay)Louvre
- Why
- Record Keeping
- Trade
- Laziness
10Steps
- 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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14Other languages
- Egyptians
- Hieroglyphics
- Chinese
- Characters
- Indo-Aryans
- Sand script
- Semitic groups
- Aramaic
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19Evolution
- 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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22The 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
23The 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.
24Babylon 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.
25Mesopotamian 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
26Women
- 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
27Chronology 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
28Egypt and the Nile Delta
29The 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
30The 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.
31Migration 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
32Divine 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)
33Pharaohs
- 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
34Capitals 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
35Religion
- 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.
36The 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.
37Middle East (1700-1100 BCE)
- Babylon was one of the most important cities of
the ancient world - Babylon means Gate of God