The First Civilizations:The First Civilizations:The People of Western The People of Western

Asia and EgyptAsia and Egypt

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The Spread of Homo sapiensThe Spread of Homo sapiens

The First HumansThe First Humans

Australopithecines, c. 2-4 million years ago Homo habilis, c. 1-4 million years ago Homo erectus, c. 100,000-1.8 million years ago Homo sapiens

Neanderthal, c. 100,000-30,000 B.C.E. Homo sapiens sapiens, c. 200,000 B.C.E. (Map

1.1 of text)

The Hunter-Gatherers of the The Hunter-Gatherers of the Paleolithic AgePaleolithic Age Paleolithic Age, c. 2,500,000-10,000 B.C.E. Nomadic people

Division of labor Fire, 500,000 years ago Cave paintings

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The Development of AgricultureThe Development of Agriculture

The Neolithic Agriculture The Neolithic Agriculture Revolution (c. 10,000-4000 B.C.E.)Revolution (c. 10,000-4000 B.C.E.) Characteristics: growing plants and domesticating animals Mesolithic Age (c. 10,000 – 7000 B.C.E.) Independent development

Middle East, 8000 B.C.E. Balkans, 6500 B.C.E. France, Central Europe, and Coastal Mediterranean, 4000 B.C.E. Western Asia and Nile Valley of Egypt, 6000 B.C.E. Northwestern and Central India, 7000-5000 B.C.E. Southeast Asia and South China, 5000 B.C.E. North China, 6000 B.C.E. Mesoamerica, 7000-5000 B.C.E.

Consequences of the Neolithic Consequences of the Neolithic RevolutionRevolution Neolithic farms and villages

Oldest in the Middle East Shift to systematic

agriculture Consequences

Settled in villages and towns

Çatal Hüyük, 6700-5700 B.C.E.

• Walled city• 12 cultivated products• Religious shrines

Trade Specialization of crafts Pottery and baskets Flint blades Change in relationship of men

and women Men work in the fields and

herding animals Women care for children and

weaving cloth Fixed dwellings and

domestication of animals Writing Metalworking

The Emergence of CivilizationThe Emergence of Civilization Characteristics of Civilization Urban focus Distinct religious structure New political and military structures New social structure based on economic power The development of writing New and significant artistic and intellectual activity (Place small picture from text “Statues from Ain Ghazal” on

one side of this space. Caption to the side of the picture: “Perhaps this is an example of new artistic activity.”)

The Emergence of CivilizationThe Emergence of Civilization

Early Civilizations Around the Early Civilizations Around the WorldWorld Mesopotamia of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Valleys of the Indus River Yellow River in northern China Central Asia Supe River valley of Peru Why civilization developed?

Challenge and response Material forces created specialization of labor Management of water resources Religion provided unity and purpose

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The Ancient Near EastThe Ancient Near East

Civilization in MesopotamiaCivilization in Mesopotamia City-States of Ancient Mesopotamia

Sumerian city-states, c. 3000-2350 B.C.E.• Walls• Temple atop a ziggurat• Gods ruled the cities• Kingship divine in origin• Economy was agricultural• Social groups

• Nobles• Commoners• Slaves

Empires in Ancient MesopotamiaEmpires in Ancient Mesopotamia Akkadian Empire, c. 2340-2100 B.C.E. Semitic people (Table 1.1 of text) Sargon around 2340 B.C.E. overran the Sumerian cities and established

an empire over most of Mesopotamia Empire falls about 2100 B.C.E. Amorites (Old Babylonians)

Hammurabi in 1792 B.C.E. creates a new empire Established a new capital at Babylon

Code of Hammurabi Strict justice Penalties according to class Performance of work Marriage and the family Regulations of sexual relations

The Culture of MesopotamiaThe Culture of Mesopotamia Importance of Religion

Influence of physical environment Human relationships with the gods Numerous gods and goddesses

Cultivation of Writing and Sciences Writing in the form of cuneiform (“wedge shaped”)

• Primarily for record keeping which means retention of knowledge• Communicate important ideas• Literature - Epic of Gilgamesh

Achievements in Math • Based on 60 using combinations of 6 and 10• Geometry to measure fields and erect buildings• Used 60 to chart the heavens• Calendar of 12 lunar months (extra month time to time)

The Development Of Cuneiform The Development Of Cuneiform Writing.Writing.

This chart shows the evolution of writing from pictographic signs around 3100 B.C.E. to cuneiform signs by about 700 B.C.E. Note that the sign for star came to mean “god” or “sky.” Pictographic signs for head and bowl came eventually to mean “to eat” in their simplified cuneiform version.

Egyptian CivilizationEgyptian Civilization The Importance of

Geography Nile River flows

from central Africa Nile Delta Flooding

unpredictable Food surpluses Natural barriers

create isolation

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The Old and Middle KingdomsThe Old and Middle Kingdoms

The Old Kingdom Upper and Lower Egypt united, 3100 B.C.E. Old Kingdom, c. 2686-2125 B.C.E.

• Divine kingship: the pharaoh• The vizier

Middle Kingdom, c. 2055-1650 B.C.E. Stability Concern of the pharaoh for the people

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The Pyramid at GizehThe Pyramid at Gizeh

Society and Economy in Ancient Society and Economy in Ancient EgyptEgypt Pharaoh surrounded by an upper class of nobles Merchant class and artisans Most people worked the lands

The Culture of EgyptThe Culture of Egypt Spiritual life in Egyptian society

Provided a sense of security and timelessness Polytheistic with two groups of special importance

• Sun gods• Land gods

Egyptian rulers were the “Son of Re” The Pyramids

Tombs Great Pyramid

Art and Writing Art

• Profile, semi-profile, frontal art• Formulaic and stylized

Writing• Hieroglyphics• Means “priest carvings” or “sacred writings”• Never developed into an alphabet

Chaos and a New Order: The New Chaos and a New Order: The New KingdomKingdom The New Kingdom, c. 1550-1085 B.C.E. Hyksos

Horse-drawn chariots Egyptians learned bronze for making farm implements

and weapons Queen Hatshepsut (c. 1503-1480 B.C.E.) Amenhotep IV (Akhnaton, c. 1364-1347 B.C.E.) Aten “Sea People” drove the Egyptians out of Palestine Empire ends in 1085 B.C.E.

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The Temple of Queen Hatesheput The Temple of Queen Hatesheput in the Valley of Kingin the Valley of King

Daily Life in Ancient Egypt: Family Daily Life in Ancient Egypt: Family and Marriageand Marriage Monogamy and early marriage the norm Women’s property and inheritance remained in

her hands Marriages arranged by parents Divorce

New Centers of CivilizationNew Centers of Civilization

Megalithic structures, 4000 B.C.E. The Role of Nomadic Peoples

The Impact of the Indo-Europeans• From somewhere in the steppe region north of the Black Sea

or in southwestern Asia• One group into Asia Minor and Anatolia around 1750 B.C.E.

coalesced with people of the Hittite kingdom• First to use iron • Hittites destroyed by another group of Indo-Europeans

The Phoenicians & Children of IsraelThe Phoenicians & Children of Israel The Phoenicians

Palestine Ports of Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon Traders and colonizers Alphabet

The Hebrews: the “Children of Israel” Semitic-speaking people Religiously important Emerge as distinctive people c. 1200 – 1000 B.C.E. United Kingdom

• Saul (c. 1020 – 1000 B.C.E.)• David (c. 1000 – 970 B.C.E.)• Solomon (c. 970-930 B.C.E.)

• Control Palestine• Temple housed the Ark of the Covenant

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Ancient Ancient Palestine and Palestine and the Jewish the Jewish KingdomsKingdoms

The Divided KingdomThe Divided Kingdom Division into the kingdom of Israel with its capital at Samaria and

Judah with its capital at Jerusalem Assyrians destroyed Samaria in 722 B.C.E. and overran the

kingdom of Israel Ten tribes of the Kingdom of Israel were dispersed and

disappeared Two tribes of Judah survived only to face new enemies

Chaldeans defeated the Assyrians and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. Many upper class people of Judah deported to Babylon Persians destroyed the Chaldean kingdom People of Judah allowed to return to Jerusalem

The Spiritual Dimensions of The Spiritual Dimensions of IsraelIsrael Monotheistic

Yahweh: Omnipotent, just, and good Expected goodness from his people or they

would be punished Was not removed from the life he created Three aspects of Jewish religion: Covenant,

law, the prophets

The Rise of New EmpiresThe Rise of New Empires

The Assyrian Empire Use of iron weapons, create an empire by 700

B.C.E. Ruled by kings with absolute power System of communication Well organized army -- infantrymen and war

chariots Use of terror

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The Assyrian and Persian The Assyrian and Persian EmpiresEmpires

Persian EmpirePersian Empire

Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 B.C.E. Indo-European people Cyrus (559-530 B.C.E.)

• Empire stretched from Asia Minor in the west to western India in the east

• Demonstrated considerable wisdom and compassion Cambyses (530-522 B.C.E.) Darius (521-486 B.C.E.)

Civil Administration and the Civil Administration and the MilitaryMilitary

Divided into 20 provinces Satraps collected tribute, responsible for justice and

security System of communication Royal Road All subjects were the king’s servants Professional army of international contingents Cavalry and infantry Isolation of the later kings

Persian ReligionPersian Religion

Zoroaster Zoroastrianism

Monotheistic• Ahurmazda, the creator and only god• Opposed by an evil spirit: Ahriman• Gave all humans free will and the power to chose between

right and wrong• Each soul faced final evaluation to determine if you go to

paradise or an abyss

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

Why is the term “Neolithic or new stone age” misleading?

How did the advent of settled agriculture change human society?

Why were city-states at the center of the early stages of civilization?

Compare and contrast the Assyrian and Persian approaches to governing an empire.