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Mesopotamia

3a. During the New Stone Age, permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent. WHY?. Mesopotamia. Fertile Crescent. Land between Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea Mesopotamia : “land between the rivers” Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

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Mesopotamia

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  1. 3a • During the New Stone Age, permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent. • WHY?

  2. Mesopotamia

  3. Fertile Crescent • Land between Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea • Mesopotamia: “land between the rivers” • Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers • Fertile soil from the silt brought by floods

  4. Challenges of Mesopotamia • Flood or Drought: The Tigris and Euphrates would flood yearly at unpredictable times, often causing great loss. When the rivers weren’t flooding, the rain stopped falling. • Solution—live a little further from the river and dig irrigation ditches and reservoirs

  5. Sumer • A major city-state to appear in Mesopotamia was Sumer.

  6. Challenges of Mesopotamia • Easy Target: Living in the wide-open spaces in the Fertile Crescent left the Sumerian city-states open for attacks from nomads. • Solution---build a city wall

  7. Challenges of Mesopotamia • Limited Resources: Sumerians had fertile soil and lots of reeds, but not much else for natural resources. • Solution—They traded for what they didn’t have and became a huge trading center.

  8. Sumerian Religion (3c) • Polytheists: Sumerians believed in almost 3,000 gods. • Sumerians built huge temples, or ziggurats, and made sacrifices to the gods • No afterlife

  9. Sumerian Gods • The most powerful gods were the god of the heaven, Anu, and Ea, the god of water. • Close second, came the gods of the sun, moon and stars. • There were also city and house gods. • Sumerian gods had human characteristics, but humans were merely their servants.

  10. Sumerian Government (3b) • Usually controlled by the priests who could pacify the anger of the gods • Priests taxed the people for sacrifices and to feed the temple workers • Military Leaders controlled the government in times of war, which became increasingly frequent • Eventually the priests and military leaders split the power

  11. Class System (3b) • Priests and Kings • Wealthy Merchants • Normal artisans and workers • Slaves (could sometimes work obediently to earn their freedom)

  12. Writing • Cuneiform • The form of writing throughout Sumer (Mesopotamia)

  13. The End of Sumer • The multiple Sumerian City States fought against each other too often. They weakened each other and were defeated by nomads.

  14. Sargon of Akkad (3b) • Conquered N. and S. Mesopotamia • Created the 1stEmpire: several peoples and nations under the control of one ruler • ~2350 BC – 2150 BC

  15. Babylonian (Amorite) Empire (3b) • Led by Hammurabi • Hammurabi’s Code: • Credited as 1st written law • Unified law for the whole empire • Based on: • Retaliation • Class system • Government responsibility

  16. Egypt

  17. The Nile • Flows from Lake Victoria • Upper and Lower Egypt: • Upper in the South • Lower in the North

  18. Effects of the Nile • Made transportation easy • Flooded in June • Irrigation used to create Flood—Plant-- Harvest cycle • Egypt was the “Gift of the Nile” • Egyptians worshiped the Nile so it wouldn’t flood too much or not enough

  19. Deserts • Egypt’s cities were built along the Nile • West = Libyan Desert (Sahara) • East = Arabian Desert • Deserts were protection from invaders • Isthmus of Suez was only way in and out for invaders or trade

  20. History of Egypt • The story of Egypt can be told in three different parts.. • The Old Kingdom (2686-2181 BCE) • The Middle Kingdom (1991-1786 BCE) • The New Kingdom (1570-1070 BCE) ..We will start in the Old Kingdom

  21. Egypt Unites • ~3200 BC two kingdoms formed, Upper and Lower Egypt • King Menes • ~3100, united the 2 kingdoms

  22. Pharaohs • God-Kings • Head of government, religion, army, weather… everything • Ruled even after death

  23. Pyramids • Elaborate burial tombs (more important than palaces) • Mummification • How were they built? They didn’t even have wheels. • Historians think peasants built pyramids as public works projects

  24. Pyramid at Giza • 13 acre base • 2.5-15 ton blocks

  25. Life in Egypt • Social Classes • Pharaoh • Nobility/Rich • Middle Class Merchants and Artisans • Peasant Farmers and unskilled workers • Slaves

  26. Social Mobility • Everyone worked for the Pharaoh • Hard work and loyalty led to promotions • Women could move up too

  27. Writing • Hieroglyphics: • “sacred carving” • Started as pictographs and evolved into a quasi-alphabet • Papyrus: • Reed paper used to keep records

  28. Rosetta Stone • Translation guide to hieroglyphics • Found in 1799 by the French

  29. Egyptian Science & Technology • Number System • For collecting taxes • Geometry • For building pyramids and laying out fields • Calendar • To plan for floods, planting and harvests • Medicine • Check heart rates, set broken bones, treated fevers and wounds.

  30. End of Egypt’s Old Kingdom Hyksos(~1640 BC) • Invaders on chariots • Brought: • Powerful bows • Chariots • New weaving techniques • Bronze making skills

  31. The Middle Kingdom • Time where the king’s power weakened and which allowed for other to take over • Art flourished early • Some pyramids were built during this time but most were built in the Old Kingdom

  32. The New Kingdom Egypt’s New Kingdom • 1570-1075 BC • Warlike Pharaohs overthrew the Hyksos • Stronger & Richer than ever

  33. Hatshepsut • 1st & only female pharaoh • Led war & encouraged trade

  34. Thutmose III • Killed his mother to become Pharaoh faster • Conquered Nubia • Source of wealth • Located in Southern Egypt

  35. Ramses II • Conquered the Hittites in Syria and Palestine • Built the Temple of Amon • Pharaohs of this time built their tombs under cliffs in the “Valley of the Kings”

  36. Egypt Falls Again • Invaded by “the People of the Sea” • Egypt never recovered

  37. Nubia

  38. Nubia/Kush Took Over • Kush empire was in Nubia between the Nile and the Red Sea • ~1000 BC conquered Egypt WH Chapter 4

  39. Nubia/Kush • Rich from trade • Great location between the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea • Adopted Egypt’s Culture • Pyramids, Pharaohs, Hieroglyphics, etc. WH Chapter 4

  40. Indus River Valley Civilization

  41. Geography of India • India is a Subcontinent • 2 big rivers • Indus • Ganges • Rivers Provided • Flooding for new soil • Easy travel for trade

  42. Indus Civilization (2750-1750 BC) • 2 Big Cities • Harappa • MohenjoDaro

  43. City Layouts • Grid streets • Central storehouse for grain • Uniform houses with courtyards • Community bath houses • Under ground sewers • Uniform bricks (oven fired) • Uniform carts • Crop Fields around the city • Careful Planning is a sign of a strong central government

  44. Things we don’t know • Writing is not translated • Religion is suspected but not confirmed • Where did they go?

  45. ..Moving ahead to Indo-European Migration into the Indus Valley and India

  46. Indo-Europeans Migrate • Who? • People from the steppes between the Black and Caspian Seas • Herders who rode horses and chariots • Spread all over Europe and Asia Chapter 3

  47. Migration • Movements of people from one region to another • Indo-Europeans did it in waves over a long period of time Chapter 3

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