The First Civilization!

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The First Civilization!

• Mesopotamia

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Sumer

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

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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Babylon Empire

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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The Assyrians

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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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).

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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.