Mesopotamia: the rise of civilization

1
(No Transcript)
2
What makes a way of life a civilization?

• Writing system
• Organized economy
• Specialization of labor
• Social classes
• Legal code
• Advanced art
• Central government
• Several cities with monumental architecture
• Religion the central force in primary
  civilizations

3

• How did humans advance during the Paleolithic era?

4
(No Transcript)
5

• Why are the discoveries of Jarmo, Jericho and
  Catal Huyuk of interest to historians?

6
Ancient Jericho, circa 9000 BCE
7
Jarmo, circa 7000 BCE
8
Çatal Hüyük, circa 6000 BCE
9
Mesopotamia a highly unlikely location for
civilization to begin...

• gtmarsh swamp land
• gt sandy soil
• gt summertime temps of 110 degrees
• gt 8 annual rainfall
• gt No stone to quarry
• gt No metal ores to mine
• gt Little timber for building
• gt No natural boundaries

10

• Two great rivers were fed by the winter rains of
  Syria and the spring thaws of the snows of the
  Taurus and Zagros mts life-giving but
  unpredictable

11

Marshland and swamps

12
How was Mesopotamia transformed around 3200 BC?
13
The ancient Sumerians were very smart people

• writing
• Law codes
• Literature
• Schools
• Numbering system
• Kiln-dried bricks pottery
• Lunar calendar
• Potters wheel
• The wheel

• The wheelbarrow
• Sailboats
• Bronze tools and weapons
• The plow
• Frying pans
• Razors
• Cosmetic sets
• Shepherds pipes
• harps

14
Religion was the central force

• Explained the workings of nature
• Eased the fear of death
• United people in a common view
• Bolstered the authority of rulers
• Justified rules and morality
• Promoted creativity in art, literature and science

15

• Each city was believed to be the property of an
  individual god

16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19

• U.S. soldiers, 2010

20

• The functions of the temple priest class
• gtAnticipated the god's desires
• gt Interpreted their actions
• gt Soothed their wrath with prayer and sacrifice
• gt collected taxes
• gt coordinated all economic activity

21
How did Mesopotamians define the purpose of mans
existence?
22
Why did a mood of pessimism, uncertainty and
anxiety pervade the Sumerian psyche?

• Frequent floods and droughts
• Windstorms
• The gods were unpredictable

23
Sumerian women roles and rights depended on the
city-state, their social status and changed over
time.

• gt high born were literate
• gt commoners were occupied with child-rearing and
  household duties
• gt little individualism-daughter or wife
• gt rulers of city-states- rare but possible
• gt could inherit and own property
• gt ran their own businesses
• gt freedom of movement in the marketplace
• gt arranged marriages-dowry/bride price
• gtextra-marital affairs not uncommon
• gt divorce was possible
• gt singers in temples and palaces were highly
  regarded

24

• How did King Sargon (2350 -2218 BCE) earn a place
  in our history books?

25

• The Akkadian Empire 2350 2100 BCE

26
Third Dynasty of UrUr-Nammu, 2113-2096 BC
27
(No Transcript)
28
The Code of Hammurabigt 8 ft column of basalt
inscribed with an engraving of the king receiving
the laws from the god Marduk a prologue
(advertisement for Hammurabi's greatness!) and
282 decisions- the law code itself.Why were
King Hammurabi's law codes obeyed?
29

• What should be done to the carpenter who builds a
  house that falls and kills the owner?

• 229. If a builder builds a house for a man and
  does not make its construction sound, and the
  house which he has built collapses and causes the
  death of the owner of the house, the builder
  shall be put to death.

30

• What should happen to a boy who slaps his father?

• 195. If a son strikes his father, they shall cut
  off his hand.

31
196. If a seignior has destroyed the eye of a
member of the aristocracy, they shall destroy his
eye.199. If he has destroyed the eye of a
seignior's slave, he shall pay half his
value.200. If a seignior has knocked out the
tooth of a seignior of his own rank, they shall
knock out his tooth.201. If he has knocked out
a commoner's tooth, he shall pay one-third mina
of silver. 245. If a seignior rented an ox and
had caused its death through carelessness or
through beating, he shall make good an ox for ox
to the owner of the ox.274. If anyone hires s
skilled artisan, he shall pay as wages 5 gerahs
wages for a potter or a tailor is five
gerahs...of a ropemaker or mason 4 gerahs per day.

32
(No Transcript)
33
Shalamaneser I boasted of blinding 14,000
captives
34
The Hittites,1600 bc- 1200 bc
35
examples of Hittite iron swords
36
The Phoenicians Merchant sailors
37
(No Transcript)
38
(No Transcript)
39

• The Phoenician Alphabet, circa 1400 bc

40
The Hebrews

• Monotheism
• Removed the gods from nature
• Assertion of human dignity
• 10 Commandments

41
(No Transcript)
42
An animation From nomad to farmer 15 minutes
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v9WX5jaLzxik