Ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia and Empires)

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Ancient Middle East(Mesopotamia and Empires)

• AMH
• UHSMR. Moran

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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.

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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Writing
Tablet of pre-cuneiform scriptSouth
MesopotamiaUruk III, end of 4th millenium
BC.Clay (?sun-baked clay)Louvre

• Why
• Record Keeping
• Trade
• Laziness

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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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Other languages

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

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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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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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
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Egypt and the Nile Delta

• AMH
• UHS
• Mr. Moran

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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

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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.

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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Middle East (1700-1100 BCE)

• Babylon was one of the most important cities of
  the ancient world
• Babylon means Gate of God