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The First Civilization!

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Title: The First Civilization!


1
The First Civilization!
  • Mesopotamia

2
Sumer
  • The people are called the Sumerians, the land is
    called Sumer.

3
Religion
  • Polytheists- belief in multiple gods.
  • Gods acted like humans
  • Priests held high status and at first governed
    city-states.
  • Please gods to get good crops.
  • At heart of the temples a pyramid shaped
    structure called a Ziggurat.

4
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5
Enter the War Chiefs!
  • War Chiefs became important to fight battles and
    wage wars.
  • War chiefs gained power and formed dynasties.
  • Dynasties a series of rulers from one family.
  • They also performed ceremonies to please gods and
    become representatives to them.

6
Sumerian Culture
  • Cuneiform the first known writing system to keep
    business records, law, grammar, literature. Epic
    of Gilgamesh (story of a king).
  • Math/Science math system based on 60, geometry
    (building, irrigation).

7
Culture
  • Invented the wheel to make pottery and vehicles.
  • The plow
  • Bronze to make stronger tools weapons
  • Basic surgery
  • Architecture arches, ramps, and columns.
  • Sculptures
  • Cylinder seals.

8
Trade
  • Most materials for building obtained through
    trade.
  • Lacked wood, metals, and would trade for them.
  • Trade brought social classes.
  • Hierarchy
  • 1. Kings, priests, agents
  • 2. Landowners, wealthy merchants
  • 3. Artisans, farmers, laborers
  • 4. Slaves (captured in battle)

9
The Akkadians
  • Constant warfare weakened Sumer and eventual was
    conquered by others.
  • Others adopted Sumerian culture as the conquered
    and it continued to influence Mesopotamia.
  • The Akkadians lived north of Sumer.
  • Located on the Euphrates river at the city of
    Akkad.

10
The Akkadians
  • Sargon I created the first permanent Army.
  • Conquered all of Sumer and Northern Mesopotamia.
  • Formed the worlds first Empire.
  • Different kingdoms and people now under one
    ruler.

11
The Akkadians
  • Adopted Cuneiform from the Sumerians.
  • Akkadians used Cuneiform to write their own
    language.
  • The Akkadian languages was the official language
    of the government.
  • Sumerian language remained the language for
    religious and literary texts.
  • Kept the power of the priesthood which helped
    keep Sumerian culture.
  • Lasted about 140 years.
  • Empire fell to other tribes.
  • 100 years of chaos following.

12
Babylonian Empire
  • A tribe called the Amorites settled in Babylon on
    the Euphrates river.
  • 1792 B.C.E. the Amorite King Hammurabi became
    king of Babylon.
  • A warrior who united all Mesopotamia to create
    the Babylonian Empire. (named for its capital)

13
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14
Hammurabi
  • Not only a warrior but great administrator.
  • Oversaw great building projects
  • Improved tax collection system
  • Increased trade
  • Absorbed earlier cultures
  • Continued Sumerian traditions and Cuneiform.

15
Hammurabis Code
  • Most famous for his code of laws.
  • 282 laws dealing with every aspect of life.
  • Codified, and written down for all to see across
    the Empire.
  • 3. If any one bring an accusation of a serious
    crime before the elders, and does not prove what
    he has charged, he shall, be put to death.
  • 56. If any one open his ditches to let in the
    water to his crop, and the water overflow the
    plantation of his neighbor, he shall pay ten gur
    of corn for every ten gan of land.
  • 136. If any one leave his house, run away, and
    then his wife go to another house, if then he
    wishes to take his wife back, the wife of this
    runaway shall not return to her husband.

16
Babylon Empire
  • Babylon become Mesopotamias greatest city.
  • After Hammurabi died the Empires power declined
  • In less then 200 years the Empire had Fallen.

17
The Hittites
  • Various tribes conquered Mesopotamia following
    the fall of Babylon.
  • They were a tribe from Asia Minor (Turkey).
  • War like tribe
  • Success through horse drawn chariots.
  • Heavy, slow, but three people to drive, defend,
    and attack.
  • They sacked Babylon, which fell later.

18
Hittite Culture
  • Blended their cultures with those around them.
  • Used Sumerian Cuneiform and a similar code to
    Hammurabi.
  • First in the region to master iron work
    techniques.
  • Peak in 1300s but remained a strong force until
    1200 B.C.E.
  • The Fell to the Sea Peoples

19
The Assyrians
  • From northern Mesopotamia from the city of Assur
    along the Tigris river.
  • Grew barley and raised cattle.
  • Adopted Sumerian culture as well.
  • Good rainfall and sat among major trade routes.
    Many Tribes invaded due to this.
  • Been conquered various times, gained power a
    short time but did not last. Eventually ruled all
    of Mesopotamia 900 B.C.E.

20
The Assyrians
  • They relied on Military Strength they developed
    from frequent warfare.
  • Chariots, foot soldiers, cavalry all with iron
    weapons.
  • Masters of Siege warfare.

21
The Assyrians
  • Relied on terror tactics to spread fear and
    control conquered areas.
  • Killed or maimed captives, enslaved, and split up
    and resettled people to keep people from
    rebelling.

22
The Assyrians
  • Efficient government ruling through local leaders
    that governed a small area.
  • Linked the empire with roads with messengers for
    communication.
  • Nineveh (NI-nuh-vuh)- a massive library in their
    capital including 20,000 Cuneiform tablets (Epic
    of Gilgamesh). A valuable source for scholars
    today.
  • The Empire grew to big to control and fell to
    other tribes.

23
The Chaldeans
  • Chaldeans (Kal-Dee-unzs)
  • Lived in southern Mesopotamia
  • Joined forces with the Medes to defeat the
    Assyrians.
  • Chaldeans picked up the pieces and took over.
  • Made Babylon their capital

24
The New Babylonian Empire
  • Chaldeans are also known as the second Babylonian
    Empire.
  • Nebuchadnezzar II the most famous Chaldean King
  • (neb-uh-kuhd-nez-uhr)
  • A warrior and great Builder

25
The Chaldeans Build
  • Rebuilt Babylon into a place of splendor.
  • Palaces, temples, immense multi-storied
    ziggurats, filled the city, and the Euphrates
    river flowed through it.
  • Temple featured the hanging gardens (one of the
    seven wonders of the ancient world.

26
The Chaldeans
  • Surprise, Surprise they adopted Sumerian culture,
    studied its language, built temples to Sumerian
    gods.
  • Developed a Calendar based on the phases of the
    moon and made advances in astronomy.

27
The Chaldeans Fall
  • In spite of their many achievements the empire
    was short-lived.
  • Less then 100 years in 539 B.C.E. they are
    conquered by the Persians.

28
The Phoenicians
  • During the rise and fall of empires, smaller
    states emerged.
  • Various city-states in western Asia emerged in
    Phoenicia as trading centers.
  • Often under the rule of foreign empires

29
The Phoenicians
  • Now in the nation of Lebanon.
  • Farming was difficult and resources were limited
    due to rugged hills.
  • They turned to trade and the sea for their
    livelihood.
  • Expert sailors.
  • Dominated trade on the Mediterranean
  • Ports in Egypt, Greece, Italy, Sicily, and Spain.
  • Sailed along African coast and to Britain.
  • It is not known how far they have sailed.

30
The Phoenicians
  • They founded many colonies along trade routes
    like Carthage.
  • Traded wood from giant cedar trees, local shell
    fish produce purple dye, invented glassblowing
    (heating and shaping glass).

31
The Phoenicians
  • Greatest achievement was their Alphabet.
  • Letters and alphabets more flexible then other
    systems with symbols.
  • Consisted of 22 letters, all consonants.
  • Many adopted a similar one like the Greeks and
    our own.
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