Read 10 min
Dec 29, 2015
BR: Tell me what the following decorations on the panel
suggest of the city of Ur? What does it tell us about their
level of technology?
Ancient Mesopotamia• Fertile Crescent/Mesopotamia: oasis between deserts between med. Sea andPersian gulf• Flat/Swampy, floods In the springtime leaving a thick bed of mud called silt• Washouts regular• Canals/organizationGov./Civ. appeared
Tigris
Euphrates
• Who developed first Civ.?• Sumerians in Sumer, we know the advantages…. What do
you believe were the disadvantages (3)? TPS• 1- unpredictable flooding/little or no rain 2- no natural
barriers for protection 3- Natural resources for building limited – LL How did they solve these issues?
• Mud Brick homes due to scarce supplies/adobe• Ziggurat- pyramid shaped structure in the heart of the
temple• Spring festival - wedding ceremony• City State- political unit formed by city with its own gov’t
(Ur a city-state in Sumer)• Polytheism, what is it? • Initially priests held power, believed that gods human like,
warriors became kings Dynasty formed
Sumer
• Dug irrigation ditches that carried river water to their fields
• For defense, built city walls with mud bricks
• Traded their grain, cloth and tools to people in the mountains for stone, wood, metal
• Cuneiform- Sumerian Writing• Refer back to LL what are the five key characteristics of a civilization?• 1st civ. to not only write laws/keepbusiness records, but write stories, Poems and songs• Priests initially led city @ Ziggurat, until war time• Created Math system based on number 60.
o How do we still use the Sumerian system today? TPS• 60 minutes• 360 degrees
Sumerian Culture1. Advanced cities2. Specialized workers3. Complex institutions4. Record keeping5. Improved technology
• War depleted Sumerian city-states• Sargon’s Empire – Akkadian 2350 B.C.
o Used Euphrates River to attack from the city of Akkad
o First ruler to have a permanent armyo Created the world’s first empire –different
land/kingdoms under one ruleo Named himself Sharrum-kin “rightful king”, why?o Adopted Sumerian culture such as power of
priesthood• Kept Sumerian culture alive
Empires in Mesopotamia
• Amorites took overo Settled in Babylon near Euphrates (Baghdad, Iraq)o King Hammurabi, very brilliant, united all of
Mesopotamia = Babylonian empire 1792-1750 B.C.o First to create written law that all could seeo Why would that matter? TPSo Listed 282 codes/specific laws dealing with
everything that affected the communityo Law applied to everyone, yet set different
punishments for rich/poor , men/women
Centuries of battle
• 196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out
• 199. If he put out the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bones of a man’s slave, he shall pay one-half of its value. (what do we see here?)
• 200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.
Hammurabi’s Code
• Read “Code of Hammurabi” Handout• After create your own 10 laws concerning working
conditions and payment of wages, etc. following the style of Hammurabi’s Code.
• Is the law Just?• Does the punishment fit the crime?• At least 4 of the laws need to have different
punishments for different people?• If so, why?
The Code: Pair up in groups of 4 or 5
Gift of the Nile• What is the gift of the Nile?• Herodotus – 400 b.c. – disbelief over non rainfall,
labeled it “gift of the Nile”• Nile, 4,000 miles in length comparable of Juneau, AK
to ????o Tampa Bay , Floridao Runs through driest desert in world *Saharao Longest River in the World – 4,100 miles
• Annual Flooding – predictableo Every year in July Nile River rises over banks, when
river recedes in October leaves behind silto Flood waters carried Silt over banks –very fertile
Geography continued….
• Delta –area at mouth of a river often triangle shapedo Uniquely made up of silt depositso 100 miles before river enters Mediterranean
• Given the nickname “The Black Land” Why?• Surrounding Desert “Red Land”
o Literally can stand and see the difference where the two meet
• Why is/was it a comfort to the Egyptians to be surrounded by such a harsh desert? Hinder them? TPS
• Cataracts- rocky stretches marked by swift currents and rapids
• LL How would this further deter enemies?• Aswan High Dam• Nile more predictable than Tigris/Euphrates but too much
flooding ruined crops/too little forced starvation
Two Kingdoms• Egypt unique due to its surroundings, natura
barrier• Northern Kingdom (Lower) – elevation is lower Southern (Upper) – elevation is higher
o Wind blows upriver enabling sailboats/trade to move against current
• Lower – cobra goddess/delta/Red crown• Upper – vulture goddess/white crown.• Scorpion or Narmer conquered , Memphis capital
o From Upper/conquered Lowero First Egyptian Dynasty(31 total) – combined
symbols/colors
Egyptian Kings• Names ????? • Pharaoh-means “great house”, ruler of Egypt
o Owned all land/word was law/judges/leaders of army
o Believed he was god in human form• Rituals performed by pharaoh/priests every day to
ensure sun would rise/Nile would flood/crops would grow
• Theocracy – a state ruled by religious figures• Bureaucracy – highly structured organization
managed by officials.o Egypt simply to large to rule on owno Vizier/adviser/hereditary
Hatshepsut• Encouraged Trade• One of few Egyptian rulers/only woman pharaoh• Took power from pharaoh/husband died• Initially a regent/ ruling in name of her young son but
eventually claimed herself pharaoh• Acted like a man to be treated like a
pharaoh/dress/false beard/referenced herself as son of the sun god
• Huge trading expedition to Red Sea (Punt) returned to Egypt with gold/Apes/Wild Animals/Myrrh
• So What ???? TPS• Model face for the statue of a sphinx
Imagine that you are a museum tour guide. Using your group, books and electronic devices…. What are some of his statue’s distinguishing features that you might point out to a tour group? List at least five specific characteristics. Draw a picture of the statue and label the interesting features.
The Old kingdom
• Built most famous symbols of Egypto Near Giza
• Tombs for Rulers/Quickly summoned, believed they ruled through their spirit or “ka” in the afterlife, expected to have same needs as their lives, needed to supply needs for eternity, tombs became incredibly important
• Deadly Traps• Earliest not smooth/step like, ones we know smooth, why?
LL• Limestone Blocks used – specially built ramps/rope to drag
stones• Usually peasants working (not slaves) one month of year
given food/housing for month of work . Also architects and specialists
The Middle Kingdom• Old ways overthrown by local nobles , collapsed around
2100 b.c.• 200 years economic
troubles/famine/disease/invasions/civil wars• Why is there usually not success after an overthrow?
TPS• Thebes became capital when new Dynasty started• Sailors/merchants thrived , traded with Greece and
south of Egypt• Taken down by Hyksos through Delta w/ technology• Why did they attack Delta?• Which technologies do you believe they had?
o Horse-drawn chariot, armor, strong bow
The New Kingdom• Resented newcomers after 100 years rose up• Learned natural barriers could not protect them,
created first Egyptian army (included archers and charioteers)
• Attacked to prevent from being attacked , south of Egypt and Sinai peninsula
Children’s Book of early Egypt
• Must be 10 pages• Must have a title and a cover• Must explain the significance, use, impact and
contribution to history and society during that historical time period and history as a whole
• Must include text telling the story in language a 5-7 year old would enjoy and be entertained by
• Must include hand drawn pictures and captions for each pageo Pictures must pop-up