Chapter 1 — the First Civilizations

Chapter 1 — The First Civilizations
The Earliest Humans
Essential Question
How did humans become food producers rather than food gatherers? * Domestication of animals * There was fertile soil to grow crops * Hunting animals was harder * Agriculture was a failure for a long time

I can statements
Explain why the development of agriculture was so crucial for the establishment of civilization. * Hunting wasn’t reliable * You may not get enough food for the day by hunting/gathering * People didn’t have to chase their food * With agriculture people had more free time * People could begin to trade goods
Describe the advantages & disadvantages of food producers over food gatherers.
Negatives
* Worse diets-less variety lacking protein * Bigger populations-more demand * Social and sexual inequality * Disease * Famine * People began to shrink * Wars over land
Positives
* Agriculture was easier than hunting/gathering * Settlements * Domestication of animals * Variety of grown foods

Analyze the gender roles during the Paleolithic & Neolithic Ages * Men were hunters * Women were gatherers * Women tended to children * Men were dominant

Concepts
Paleolithic vs. Neolithic Age
Paleolithic:
* No permanent settlement-always on the move for food (nomads) * Hunter-gatherers * Beginning of human beings-11,000 B.C. * Sophisticated kind of cave painting * Religious?-shown through cave paintings
Neolithic:
* “New Stone Age” * 11,000 B.C. * Discovered agriculture * Produced food * Larger populations * More food supply * First settlements
Gender Roles * Men were hunters * Women were gatherers * Women tended to children * Men were dominant
Eight Features of Civilization * Eight Features include: a. Cities b. Well-organized central government c. Complex religions d. Job specialization e. Social classes f. Arts and architecture g. Public works h. Writing * Specialization developed in civilizations * Sumer was the first civilization Terms/Events
Paleolithic Age * The Old Stone Age * Nomadic people * Religious cave paintings * Hunters/gatherers * Beginning of human beings-11,000 B.C.
Nomadic
* Nomad: “A member of a people who have no permanent abode and travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock.”- Dictionary.com * Moved around * Not settled * In the Paleolithic Age mostly
Neolithic Age * The “New Stone Age” * First settlements-due to agriculture * 11,000 B.C. * Larger population Homo Sapiens * 250,000 years ago
2 types: 1. Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis * 100,000-30,000 B.C. * Relied on varied stone tools and were first to bury their dead * Afterlife? * Made clothes from animal skin 2. Homo Sapiens Sapiens * 200,000 B.C. * Spread outside of Africa 100,000 years ago * Replaced Neanderthal 30,000 years ago
The First Civilizations in Mesopotamia
Essential Question
Why was agriculture an essential step in the creation of river valley civilizations of Sumer and Babylon? * It supplied food for a large population * The land there has rich soil for growing crops * It allowed people to settle down and not have to migrate to their food * It gave people more free time- essentially why architecture could be built
I can statements
Describe the characteristics of the Sumerian civilization as a significant development in Western history. * Developed cuneiform * Was the first civilization * Created the city of Uruk which had an estimated population of 50,000 people * Developed the sexagesmial system- based off the number 60 (still used today) * Created the “Epic of Gilgamesh”
Analyze how cuneiform inscriptions and codes revealed much about Babylonian politics, society, and culture.

* The Hammurabi Code described the laws and punishments in Babylonia * It showed inequality in sexes in some documents * There were three social classes * Showed how they were obedient to Marduk
Concepts
Positives/Negatives of Geographic Area
Positives
* Transportation * Many water sources * Good for trade routes * Floods- positive for farming * Rich soil
Negatives
* Susceptible to invasion * Floods- negative because it could destroy crops, cities, homes, etc… * Isolated because of deserts
Relationship with Gods

* Believed gods controlled nature * Polytheistic- believed in many gods * Epic of Gilgamesh * Pessimistic views towards gods linked to nature * Longed for immortality * No afterlife? * Built ziggurats

Trade, Math, and Writing
Trade
* Geography forced Sumerians to devise the art of drading * Essential for the growth of Sumerian cities-lacked some resources such as timber and stone
Mathematics
* Sexagesimal system * Based on the number 60 * Factors of 3, 10, and 12 * One of the longest lasting legacies of Mesopotamia * Still used today, ex: 12 inches in a foot, 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and the circle is 360 degrees.
Writing
* Developed cuneiform * Allowed them to keep records, codify laws, and transmit knowledge * Pictographic script * Made by pressing the end of a reed or bone stylus on a clay tablet * Cuneiform means “wedge”

Epic of Gilgamesh vs. Enuma Elish
Gilgamesh
* 2/3 god 1/3 human * Journey to find immortality * Pessimistic view * Gods control everything * Focused on humans and their conflicts with gods * Gods are the reason for life and death * Flood
Enuma Elish * Based off Sumerian story * People haven’t been created until the end * Only gods * Tells the creation of gods * Tells the creation of Earth * Doesn’t mention a flood * Gods fight each other- not humans * Marduk kills Tiamat
Importance of Hammurabi's Code * Created order * People obeyed higher authority * Protected women in some laws * Protected children in some laws * First law code ever written and displayed
Terms/Events
Mesopotamia * “Land between two rivers” * Had the fertile crescent * Agriculture was invented here * In between the Euphrates and Tigris river * Prone to flooding * Home to Babylon and Sumer
Ziggurat
* Ziggurat: a terraced tower built of baked brick and culminating in a temple, probably for the patron god of the city * 36 feet thick wall surrounding it * Was built in the center of the city * Tower of Babel was ultimately based on the memory of a ziggurat
Cuneiform
* Written by pressing the end of a reed or bone stylus into a clay tablet * Sumerian writing language * Developed about 3000 B.C. * Able to keep records now * In Latin cuneus means wedge
Sexagesimal
* Sumerian math system based on the number 60 * Factors of 3, 10, and 12 * Still used today in some cases
Code of Hammurabi * 280 sections of written law * Created by King Hammurabi * It is a stone column that stands 8ft tall and is written in cuneiform * Begins with a preamble * Most people could not read it so they feared it * Laid out laws and punishments * Sometimes was unfair or cruel

Lex talionis * "An eye for an eye" * Shown in the Code of Hammurabi * Ex: if a man breaks another man’s bone, they shall break his bone.
People
Gilgamesh * 2/3 god, 1/3 human * In the Epic of Gilgamesh * Wanted immortality * Protagonist in the story
Sargon
* Was of the area called Akkad * Ruled from 2371 to 2316 B.C. and conquered all of Mesopotamia * Through Sargon we meet the Semitites
Hammurabi
* Reigned Babylonia from 1792-1750 B.C. * Created the Hammurabi Code
Egypt
Essential Question
How did the Egyptians develop a prosperous, long-lasting, religious society along the Nile River from 3000 B.C.E. — 300 B.C.E.? * The Nile was believed to be a god * Their rulers (pharaohs) were directly linked to gods * They believed in afterlife so they were more optimistic * They built pyramids based on religious reasons to bury dead pharaohs * Their art reflected the gods * If you lived a good life you were granted eternal life after death
I can statements
Compare the Egyptian civilization to Mesopotamia in regards to the role their geography played in their development. * Egypt was protected better than Mesopotamia * Egypt was less susceptible to invasion * Egypt was surrounded by a desert * In Egypt the civilizations were on the Nile River * Mesopotamia was in the open * Mesopotamia was always flooding * In Mesopotamia cities were built between the two rivers in the fertile crescent
Connect Egyptian attitudes towards life after death to their religion and attitudes towards life in general. * To have eternal life you must live a good life on earth * They would mummify the dead so that they could stay intact to go to the afterlife * They were considered to be servants of god * They buried pharaohs in pyramids
Terms/Events
Pharaoh * Ruler of New Kingdom Egypt * Directly linked to gods * Had dynasties * Reigned for many years at a time * When they died they were buried in pyramids
Nile River * Essential for life in Egypt * Had cataracts * Cities are located along it * Good water source * Considered to be a god * “The creator of everything good”
Mummification
* After death bodies were embalmed * Brain was removed * Bodies were wrapped * Kept intact over thousands of years
Maat
* An abstract quality * “right order” * Maat existed if everything was in the order that the gods had ordained
Hieroglyphics
* Egyptian form of writing * Means “sacred carvings” * Written on many things, but one of the most important was the Rosetta Stone * Pictographic
Rosetta Stone * Found by French soldiers * Was divided into 3 sections (Greek, Demotic, and Hieroglyphs) * Helped to translate hieroglyphs * Discovered 1798 * Dates back to 196 B.C. * Praises a pharaoh
Tale of Isis and Osiris * Creation story * Osiris was the protagonist * Set, his brother was the antagonist * Osiris is the king of the Nile River * Explains the 5 extra days in the year (365 days in a year)
People
Menes (Narmer) * Unified Upper & Lower Egypt * Founder of the first dynasty * Created the capital of Memphis * Reigned for 62 years * Apparently killed by a hippo

Hatshepsut * 1437-1458 B.C. * Most powerful female ruler of all ancient times * Portrayed as a sphinx with a beard * Focused on architecture * Throne name Maat-ka-re * Daughter of Thutmose I * After death many of her reliefs sustained damage to erase her name from history
Thutmose III * “Napoleon” of Ancient Egypt * Throne name Men-Kheper-Re * Reigned after Hatshepsut (his mother) * Famous for his military campaigns
Amenhotep IV (Akhnaton) * 1352-1336 B.C. * Son of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiy * Changed art and religion in Egypt * Introduced the monotheistic cult of worship to the sun-disc Aten * Changed his name to Akhnaton
Ramses II * 1279-1213 B.C. * Throne name User-maat-re Setep-en-re * Military and cultural actions * Confrontation with the Hittites * Established a new capital called Pi-Ramesse
Palestine
Essential Question
What did the Phoenicians and Israelites contribute to urban, religious, and cultural traditions? * Phoenicians had a 22 letter alphabet which is the ancestor of western alphabets * Israelites made the Bible * Phoenicians were expert traders, sailors, and explorers
I can statements
Explain the extraordinary influence of the Canaanites and Phoenicians * The Phoenicians were expert traders and influenced other cultures * They established many trading posts * They controlled parts of North Aftica and Spain * They are known for their articles of trade which were a reddish dye that ancients called purple * They had developed a high urban civilization
Decide how useful the Old Testament is as a historical document * It talks about times when Hebrew people were enslaved multiple times * Parts of the bible have been proven * It talks about the Assyrians * It talks about certain geography * It talks about past events in history
Describe the major innovations of the Hebrew religion and why they exert such an impact on Western cilvilization * First monotheistic religion * It deals with real people * They had free will * The people were in control, but god wanted things done a certain way
Terms/Events
Phoenicians * Settled along Mediterranean coast in Phoenicia * Lacked military for empire * Expert sailors/explorers * “Carriers of civilization” * Expert traders
Indo-European
* Languages mostly spoken in Europe * Greek * Latin * Slavic * German * Italian * French * English…..etc Semitic * Languages * Arabic and Hebrew
Exodus
* Covenant= Responsibility * Ten commandments * Story of Moses leading his people
Covenant
* God’s promise * Contract between god and his people Babylonian Captivity * Jews were captured by Neo-Babylonians * Bible was written here * Cyrus allowed Jews back into Palestine

Yahweh * Name for god * Gave his people free will * Created 10 commandments

Ten Commandments * Yahweh’s rules for his people * Major one was to not have any gods before him * People could chose whether or not to follow them * You will get judged once you die on how well you followed them
People
Saul * The first King of the Israelite Monarchy
Moses
* Received the 10 commandments from god * Led Israelites from Egypt * Parted the Red Sea Abraham * Led his people into Palestine
David
* Second king * Captured Jerusalem
Solomon
* David’s son * Builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem
The Near Eastern Empires
Essential Question
How did the Assyrians and Persians establish powerful unifying empires in the Near East? * The Assyrian’s army was feared and powerful * They were a military based city * They had good rulers
I can statements
Explain how Assyrians, Persian and other Near Eastern kings were able to hold their empires together. * They had good military * Powerful rulers * Many refugees * Good battle plans
List the tenets of Zoroastrianism and how it contributed to the Christian religion. * Ahura Mazda created the world and directed the heavens and seasons * Persian god was influenced by the Hebrew religion * Zoroaster was the prophet * It is monotheistic * Creator of humankind
Terms/Events
Assyrians * Military based city * Magnificent works of art * Gave way to the Neo-Babylonian Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Medes
Neo-Babylonians
* Hammurabi was its capital * Notorious as a center of luxury and wealth * Dominant tribe in the kingdom was the Chaldeans * Most famous Neo-Babylonian king was Nebuchadnezzar
Persians
* Formed the largest, most efficient state down to their time * Founder was King Cyrus * Conquered many civilizations
Zoroastrianism
* The prophet who formed the Persian faith was Zoroaster * Lived about 600 B.C. * Formed the belief in the Persian god Ahura Mazda
Dualism
* Much like Christianity, perceived a God and a devil * Demanded the recognition of the one good spirit and a life of devotion to Ahura’s ideals * Persian faith taught that Ahura was opposed by Ahriman, a wholly evil spirit * One with two divine forces
People
Ashurbanipal * Assyrian King * Built the Library at Nineveh * The library contained 1,000s of cuneiform texts
Nebuchadnezzar
* Neo-Babylonian King * 586 B.C.-conquers south of Israel (Jerusalem) and exiles Hebrews to Babylon * Hanging gardens of Babylon
Cyrus
* 559-530 B.C. * Formed the largest, most efficient state down to their time * Determined imperialist * First conquest was his victory over Media

Darius * Height of the Persian Empire * Darius was source of law: “As was said by me, thus it was done” * Devotion to Justice: “I punish him according to the damage he has done”
Zoroaster
* Prophet who formed the Persian faith * Lived about 600 B.C.
Ahura Mazda * Persian god * Created the world and directed the heavens and seasons