Lecture One: History Lecture One: History 115115

Early Civilizations: Paleolithic, Neolithic, Early Civilizations: Paleolithic, Neolithic, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian Mesopotamian, and Egyptian

What does it mean to be a What does it mean to be a civilization? (common civilization? (common

characteristics)characteristics)

• System of communicationSystem of communication

• Stable locationStable location

• Rules of governance (that is a common Rules of governance (that is a common code/set of laws)code/set of laws)

• Production of non-necessities (art, Production of non-necessities (art, surplus goods for trade)surplus goods for trade)

What factors allow for the What factors allow for the development of development of

civilizations?civilizations?• Access to a riverAccess to a river

• AgricultureAgriculture

• Good defensive positionGood defensive position

• Enough population to defend the group and to Enough population to defend the group and to continue to growcontinue to grow

All civilizations require enough time and All civilizations require enough time and resources that they can develop beyond resources that they can develop beyond mere sustenancemere sustenance

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PeriodizationPeriodization

• Paleolithic Era: 400,000-7000 BCEPaleolithic Era: 400,000-7000 BCE

• Very early peoplesVery early peoples

• No written historyNo written history

• Archaeology/AnthropologyArchaeology/Anthropology

• No civilizations (as previously defined)No civilizations (as previously defined)

• Rudimentary toolsRudimentary tools

Venus of Willendorf 28,000-23,000 B.C.E.

Upper Paleolithic

Hall of the Bulls, 15,000-13,000 B.C.E

Map of the Ancient World

Neolithic EraNeolithic Era

• 7000 -3000 BCE7000 -3000 BCE

• Anthropology to HistoryAnthropology to History

• Stone toolsStone tools

• Stable Agriculture and HusbandryStable Agriculture and Husbandry

• Moved to organize in units larger than Moved to organize in units larger than familiesfamilies

Neolithic DevelopmentsNeolithic Developments

• LawLaw

• TownsTowns

• Accumulation of Accumulation of ““wealthwealth””

• ReligionsReligions

• Defense (walls, etc..)Defense (walls, etc..)

• IdentityIdentity

StonehengeStonehenge

Mesopotamia 3200-1200 Mesopotamia 3200-1200 BCEBCE

MesopotamiaMesopotamia

• GeographyGeography• Rivers (Tigris/Euphrates)Rivers (Tigris/Euphrates)• Fertile CrescentFertile Crescent

DevelopmentsDevelopments• IrrigationIrrigation• Writing (Cuneiform)Writing (Cuneiform)

First Mesopotamians: First Mesopotamians: SumeriansSumerians

CuneiformCuneiform• Meaning Meaning ““wedge shapedwedge shaped””

• Clay, sun-baked tabletsClay, sun-baked tablets

• Ability to communicate the abstractAbility to communicate the abstract

• Developed from pictograms to ideograms to Developed from pictograms to ideograms to sonic symbolssonic symbols

• Only employed by professional, male scribesOnly employed by professional, male scribes

Mesopotamian ReligionMesopotamian Religion

• PolytheisticPolytheistic

• Humanistic stories, otherworldly Humanistic stories, otherworldly talentstalents

• Feared godsFeared gods

• Fostered creation of Epic of GilgameshFostered creation of Epic of Gilgamesh

Mesopotamian Society: Mesopotamian Society: The SumeriansThe Sumerians

• GodsGods

• KingsKings

• Nobles (royal family, important clerics, Nobles (royal family, important clerics, officials)officials)

• Lesser noblesLesser nobles

• CommonersCommoners

• ClientsClients

• Slaves (different type of slavery)Slaves (different type of slavery)

BabylonBabylon

• Sumerians were conquered by Sumerians were conquered by Akkadians in 2331 BCEAkkadians in 2331 BCE• Unable to deal with unifying vast landUnable to deal with unifying vast land

BabyloniansBabylonians

• from Arabiafrom Arabia• settled near confluence of rivers (why?)settled near confluence of rivers (why?)• strong leadership in Hammurabi (1792-strong leadership in Hammurabi (1792-

1750 BCE)1750 BCE)

Ziggurat at Ur, Neo-Sumerian, 2100-2000 B.C.E.

Stele of HammurabiSusa, 1780 B.C.E.

Code of HammurabiCode of Hammurabi• Great model for lawsGreat model for laws

• Helped with unity/fairnessHelped with unity/fairness

• Gradation of punishmentGradation of punishment

• Punishments aimPunishments aim

• Reveals priorities of Mesopotamian/Babylonian Reveals priorities of Mesopotamian/Babylonian lifelife

Impact of MespotamiaImpact of Mespotamia

• Laws• Settlements• Culture• Trading routes and traditions

• Eventually overshadowed by Hittites• Later conquered for a short time by Assyrians (8th

and 7th centuries BCE)• Finally defeated by Persians in 540 BCE

• Laws• Settlements• Culture• Trading routes and traditions

• Eventually overshadowed by Hittites• Later conquered for a short time by Assyrians (8th

and 7th centuries BCE)• Finally defeated by Persians in 540 BCE

Ancient EgyptAncient Egypt

• 31 dynasties / 4 groups:– Old Kingdom (2660 B.C.E.)– Middle Kingdom (2080 B.C.E.)– New Kingdom (1570 B.C.E.)– Late Period (1185-500 B.C.E.)

• 31 dynasties / 4 groups:– Old Kingdom (2660 B.C.E.)– Middle Kingdom (2080 B.C.E.)– New Kingdom (1570 B.C.E.)– Late Period (1185-500 B.C.E.)

EgyptEgypt

• ResourcesResources• Nile RiverNile River• StoneStone• ClayClay• GoldGold• NearbyNearby

• Copper Copper • TimberTimber

Unification and Political Unification and Political SystemSystem

• PharaohPharaoh• United Upper and Lower EgyptUnited Upper and Lower Egypt• 3100 BCE3100 BCE• Centralized power systemCentralized power system• Connected with GodsConnected with Gods• Pharaoh= embodiment of the god HorusPharaoh= embodiment of the god Horus

Egypt: ReligionEgypt: Religion

• PolytheisticPolytheistic

• Amon (skygod)Amon (skygod)

• Ra (sun god)Ra (sun god)

• Afterlife beliefsAfterlife beliefs• Book of the DeadBook of the Dead

• OsirisOsiris• IsisIsis• Weighing of heartsWeighing of hearts

Egypt: PyramidsEgypt: Pyramids

• SignificanceSignificance• PowerPower• WealthWealth• Connections to godsConnections to gods• LegacyLegacy

Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Chefren 2575-2525

New KingdomNew Kingdom

• 1570-1075 (following brief interlude of 1570-1075 (following brief interlude of Hyksos)Hyksos)

• Egyptian Empire (conquering Palestine and Egyptian Empire (conquering Palestine and Syria)Syria)

• Time of King TutTime of King Tut

Akhenaten (r.1367-Akhenaten (r.1367-1350)1350)

• During New KingdomDuring New Kingdom

• Highly religionsHighly religions

• Wife: NefertitiWife: Nefertiti

• MonotheismMonotheism• UnpopularUnpopular

• PeoplePeople• PriestsPriests• Did not last past his ruleDid not last past his rule

Fall of EgyptFall of Egypt

• Sea PeoplesSea Peoples

• FragmentationFragmentation

• Rise of PhoeniciansRise of Phoenicians

Impact of EgyptImpact of Egypt

• Influenced cultural developments in GreeceInfluenced cultural developments in Greece

• System of hieroglyphsSystem of hieroglyphs

• Unified empireUnified empire

• ArchitectureArchitecture

• Trading routes and relationshipsTrading routes and relationships