Chapter 2

Tristan Akong

First First Civilizations: Civilizations:

Africa and AsiaAfrica and Asia

Section 1: Ancient Kingdoms of the Nile

• The desert in Egypt protected them from invasion.• The narrow band of land located along the Nile were dotted

with farming villages. Farmers took advantage of the fertile soil of the Nile Valley to grow wheat and flax, a plant whose fibers were used for clothing

• Yearly floods were waited upon desperately by the villages of the Nile Valley. It soaked the land with life giving water and deposited a layer of rich soil called silt.

• Upper Egypt in the South and lower Egypt in the north. Upper Egypt stretched from the first waterfall of the Nile to within 100 miles of the Mediterranean. Lower Egypt covered the delta region where the Nile empties into the Mediterranean. Menes the king of the Upper Egypt united the two region using the Nile as a highway linking the North and South. The Nile helped make Egypt the First Unified State

Old Kingdom

• Egypt was divided into three main periods; Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. (from about 2700 b.c.- 1100 b.c.)

• In the Old kingdom, Egyptian rulers called Pharaohs organized a strong, centralized state. Egyptians believed the pharaoh was a God. Therefore pharaohs had absolute power, owning and ruling all the land in the kingdom.

• In the Old Kingdom Great Pyramids were built as tombs for eternity, because Egyptians believed in an afterlife the bodies were preserved of their dead rulers and provided them with everything they would need in their new lives.

• Building Pyramids took so long that often a Pharaoh would being to build his tomb as soon as he inherited the throne.

Middle Kingdom

• The Middle Kingdom was a turbulent period;

• The Nile did not rise as regularly as it did• Corruption and rebellions were common• Irrigation was weak• Invaders (Hyksos) took over the delta

region with their horse drawn chariots. • But finally after more than 100 years new

Egyptian leaders arose and drove out the Hyksos and set up the New Kingdom

New Kingdom• Powerful and Ambitious Pharaohs created a

large empire. Stretching to the Euphrates River it connected contact with western Asia as well as Africa.

• Monarch Hatshepsut was the first female ruler known to History she encouraged trade.

• But the most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom was Ramses II. He pushed Egyptian Rule Northward to Syria.

• After Ramses II died Egyptian rule declined letting in Invaders such as the Assyrians and Persians.

Section 2:Egyptian Civilization

• Egyptian Religion was very important in Egyptian civilization. Chief Gods and Goddesses control the everyday life of the Egyptian civilization.

• Gods like Amon-Re (sun god) and Osiris (ruler of the underworld) and Isis.

• Egyptians believed the soul had to pass a test in order to win eternal life. That test was determined upon by Osiris and Isis.

• Book of the Dead was relied upon by the Egyptians; which contains spells, charms and formulas for the dead to use in the afterlife.

• To give the soul use of the body in the afterlife, Egyptians preserved the body in strips of linen. This process is known as mummification.

Egyptian Society

• Egypt had its own class system. At the top was the one and only pharaoh under him was high priest and priestesses, who served the gods and goddesses. Next came the Nobles who fought for the pharaoh.

• Majority of Egyptians were farmers. Many were slaves who served the pharaoh and built temples, palaces and tombs for him.

• Women of Egypt raised children and prepared food. But under Egyptian law women could inherit property, enter business deals, buy and sell goods and work was not only confined to the home. But women were excluded from becoming scribes or holding other government jobs

Written Records• Hieroglyphics a form of

picture writing were used to keep important records.

• Ideograms, pictures that symbolized an idea or action.

• Paper like writing material was formed from papyrus. (Paper was not invented until 100 A.D. in China).

• Jean Champollion, French scholar deciphered the Rosetta Stone which unraveled the mysterious writings on Egypt’s great monuments. Champollion was then able to decode many hieroglyphic symbols. Which helped historians read the thousands of surviving records from ancient Egypt.

Art and Literature

• Art of ancient Egypt included statues, paintings in tombs, and carvings on temples.

• Oldest Literature of Egypt includes hymns and prayers to the gods, proverbs and love-poems. Others tell of famous wars and royal victories

Section 3:City-States of Ancient Sumer

• Mesopotamia (between the rivers) was uncovered between the two rivers the Euphrates River and Tigris River. Floods washed away topsoil and destroyed mud-brick villages.

• The First Sumerian Cities were emerged in Mesopotamia.

• Sumerian Civilization: hierarchy, or system of ranks formed the society of the Sumerian civilization. Highest class included the ruling family, leading officials, and high priest. Small class was made up of lesser priest and scribes. The middle class included merchants and artisans. Then came peasants and farmers who tended the land of the ruling family.

Sumerian Culture• Sumerians were polytheistic, worshiping many gods.

These gods were thought to control every aspect of life and forces of nature.

• To Sumerians, their highest duty was to keep these divine beings happy and thereby ensure the safety of their city state. Each city built a Ziggurat, a pyramid temple that soared toward the heavens.

• Advances in Learning: Sumerian invented what may be the earliest known form of writing. Called cuneiform (kyoo Nee uh form), from the Latin word cuneus for “wedge”, because it involved using a reed pen to make wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets. Cuneiform originated from pictographs. They based their number system on six, dividing the hour into 60 minutes and a circle into 360 degrees like we do still do today

Section 4:Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders

• Sargon invaded and conquered the city-state of Sumer and built the first empire known to History. Which fell after his death.

• Hammurabi, king of Babylon, established a remarkable set of laws known as the Code of Hammurabi; which let his empire know the legal principles his government would follow. Hammurabi’s Code was the first important attempt by a ruler to codify (set down in writing) all of the laws that would govern his state

• Under Hammurabi’s Code, criminal law was controlled by setting up specific punishments for specific offenses.

• Although his Code paved way for major reform Hammurabi improved irrigation, organized a well-trained army, and had temples repaired.

Warfare and the Spread of Ideas• The Hittites pushed out of Asia Minor into Mesopotamia, they

had learned to extract iron from ore. Heating iron ore and pounded out impurities before plunging into cold water.

• The tools and weapons they created from iron were harder and had sharper edges than those made out of bronze or copper. Hittites tried to keep this technology a secret. When the empire collapsed Hittite ironsmiths migrated west to serve customers elsewhere. Therefore spreading the new knowledge across Asia, Africa and Europe, ushering into the Iron Age.

• Assyrians who lived on the upper Tigris, learned to forge iron weapons. For 500 years, they earned a reputation for being among the most feared warriors in history

Persian Empire

• Babylon fell to the Persian armies of Cyrus the Great. Cyrus went on to conquer the largest army seen.

• But unification of this empire is credited to Persian emperor Darius. Darius set up a government that became model to later rulers, divided the Persian empire into provinces headed by a governor. Built roadways which made communication easier and to encourage unity.

• Darius encouraged the use of coins which the Lydian's of Asia Minor had first introduced, but the barter economy was still used by many. (Exchanging one set of goods or services for another)

Phoenician Sea Trader• Phoenicians gained fame as sailors and

traders. They occupied cities along the eastern Mediterranean coast.

• Phoenicians became best known for manufacturing and trade.

• Historians called the Phoenicians “carriers of civilization” because they spread Middle Eastern civilization around the Mediterranean. The Phoenicians brought about the alphabet, which contains letters that represent a sound.

Section 5Roots of Judaism

• The Israelites had set up a kingdom called Israel. Solomon, King David’s son split the kingdom having Israel in the north and Judah in the South.

• Israelites could not fight off invasion and fell to the Assyrians. Babylonian armies capture Judah and forced many Israelites into exile in Babylon. During this period, called Babylonian Captivity, the Israelites became known as the Jews.

Covenant with God• Unlike the Sumerians the Israelites were

monotheistic (belief in one true God)• Israelites believed that God has made a

covenant with Abraham. To lead the Israelites out of bondage and into the “Promised Land” of Canaan. So thus, the Jews saw themselves as God’s “chosen people”.

Teaching of Law and Morality• Israelite society was patriarchal, that is, fathers

and husbands held great legal and moral authority. Fathers arranged marriages for his daughters.

• Women had few legal rights, although some laws protected them.

• The heart of Judaism are the Ten Commandments, a set of laws that Jews believe God gave them through Moses.

• In Jewish history, spiritual leaders emerged to interpret God’s will known as Prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. These Prophets warned that failure to obey God’s law would lead their people to disaster and a code of ethics or moral standards of behavior.

• Judaism is considered a major world religion for its unique contribution to religious though

Chapter Review• Pyramids suggest the strength

of ancient Egyptian civilization• Power struggles, crop failures,

and the cost of pyramids contributed to the collapse of the Old Kingdom.

• The Egyptians and Hittites signed a peace treaty, the first such document known to have survived in history. Declared that “there shall be at peace and in brotherhood forever”.

• Inscriptions on monuments and wall paintings in tombs reveal how Egyptians appealed to the divine forces that they believed ruled this world and the afterlife.

• By means of the various peoples who conquered the Middle East, Sumerian Knowledge passed on to the Greeks and Romans. They, in turn, had a powerful impact on the development of the western world.

• The Middle East remained a region where diverse peoples came into close contact. Though these people lived thousands of years ago, some of their beliefs and ideas survived to shape our modern world.

• The Israelites came to believe that God was taking a hand in their lives. As a result, they recorded events and laws in the Torah, their most sacred text.

• Today, Jews, Christians and other Muslims all honor the prophets and all their teachings. In the west, this shared heritage of Jews and Christians is known as the Judeo-Christian tradition

Questions• The Code of Hammurabi and the Twelve Tables were designed to

(1.) create a stable society (2.) promote peaceful relation with other cultures (3.) provide a framework for the development of democracy (4.) Emphasize the importance of life after death

• Which heading best completes this partial outline? 1.___________________________.

A. Natural boundaries of desert, mountains, and the seaB. Yearly flooding to enrich farmlands

C. Old and Middle KingdomsD. Production of papyrus plant

(1.) Egypt- Gift of the Nile(2.) Mesopotamia- Land Between the Rivers(3.) China’s Sorrow- Huang He River(4.) Harappa- City on the Indus

• Hammurabi’s code of laws and Qin dynasty legalism are similar in that both promoted the idea that(1) worship of leaders will maintain the power of an empire(2) an informed citizenry will help maintain peace and prosperity(3) equality of the people is the most important goal of government(4) harsh punishments for crimes will lead to a more orderly society

• The Code of Hammurabi was a major contribution to the development of civilization because it (1) treated citizens and slaves equally(2) ended all physical punishment(3) recorded existing laws for all to see(4) rejected the principle of filial piety

• Which geographic feature had the greatest influence on the development of ancient civilization(1) dense forest (3) smooth coastlines(2) mountain passes (4) river valleys

DatesDates AnswersAnswers

I. January 2003

II. January 2005

III. August 2003

IV. June 2004

V. August 2004

I. 1

II. 1

III. 4

IV. 3

V. 4