The Middle East (1700 - 1100B.C.E.)&

The Agean World

Corten SingerKealoha Betanzos

Middle East: Politics• From 1500-1200B.C.E., Egypt and Mesopotamia succumbed to

outside invaders and large territorial states took over the Middle East

• It was split into two main territories, Babylonia in the South and Assyria in the North

• Babylonia had political control under the Hammurabi dynasty in the 18th and 17th Centuries

• Kassites came into the Middle East frequently and by 1460B.C.E. the Kassite Dynasty took power in Babyloniao Rarely pushed to conquer outside territories

•  The Hittites were the formost power in Anatolia from 1700-1200B.C.E. with advantage of horse drawn war-chariots

• After 400 years of flourishing, the Middle Egyptian Kingdom declined to the dismay of the Hyksos in 1640B.C.E.

o Bow made of horn and wood aided the Hyksos to victory

Middle East: Politics (Continued)• After a century of foreign reign, the New Egyptain Kingdom came

to power from 1532-1070B.C.E.

• The New Egyptian Kingdom spread their territory farther for more protection over mainland

• After Pharaoh Tuthmosis (II) died, his Queen Hatshepsut took control from 1473-1458B.C.E. and became one of the only female rulers of the Middle East

• In 1353-1335, King Akhenaten became the main ruler of Egypt and created monotheism

• Immediatley afterwards, the Boy-King Tutankhamun ruled from 1333B.C.E. to 1323B.C.E.

o Was the youngest ruler evero Was the only royal grave site that was not dug up by grave

robbers• Then Ramesses (II) or "Ramesses The Great" gained control from

1290B.C.E. through 1224B.C.E.

Middle East: Economics• Commercial contacts with neighboring societies made trade of items and ideas useful

and popular• The city Ashur (Northern Tigris) was a major center of trade along the Mesopotamian and

Anatolian Plains• Assyrian merchant families dwelled outside important Anatolian city walls• Assyrians textiles, tins and bronze (used since 2500B.C.E.) were traded for silver in Anatolia• Hittites had large deposits of copper, silver and iron which were greatly involved in

international commerce• New Egyptian Kingdom gained timber, gold and copper after conquering Nubian lands• Mari and Alalakh were major international trade cities• Coastal cities (mainly Ugarit) served as transhippment points along the Mediterranean

Coast

Middle East: Religion

• Were mainly polytheistic throughout all of the Middle East

• Altogether, worshipped and extremely wide variety of gods

• Akhenaten (Beneficial To The Aten) invented monotheism for Ateno Royal families

• Akhenaten closed religious temples pertaining to gods other than Aten

Middle East: Social• The majority of Middle Eastern

people were peasants• Throughout this period the

peasants saw an improvement of standard living

• Social classes focused on rulers and royal families first, merchants/traders second, peasants third and then slaves at the bottom

• Women had more power than ever and even had control over land (Hatshepsut)o Man-like qualities

Middle East: Intellectual• Kassites coming into Middle East spoke non-semetic language but

changed to the Babylonian language after conquering them• Hittites spoke an indo-european language and used cuneiform to

write it• Akkadian was the language of diplomacy between governments• In Ugarit, 30 diverse cuneifrom symbols were made for

constanants making story-telling spread• Domesticated horses were first used in Egypt in 1600B.C.E.

• New Egyptian Kingdom was introduced to exotic fruits and veggies, musical instruments and technologies like advanced pottery wheels

• Middle Eastern society had useful advantages like new bows and horse drawn chariots (Used mainly in war)

• Hittites had new ways to make iron/metal weapons by heating, shaping and cooling, but it was kept a secret from other societies

Middle East: Art

• Besides Egyptian advances in architecture, not much artwork throughout the Middle East

• Statues of Ramesses (II) at Abu Simbelo Placed at bend in Nile to

face Southern Frontier• Mortuary Temple of Queen

Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri, Egypt (1460B.C.E.)

Middle East: Near?

• Surrounds the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea and lies east of the Aegean Sea

• It is located below the Black Sea and is North-West of the Russian Gulf

• The land consists mainly of Mesopotamia, Upper Egypt, Anotalia, Mitanni and the Hittite Empire

 

The Minoan Civilization

• 2000 B.C.E. Island of Crete housed first Europoean Civilization with complex political and social structure.

• Civilaztion has been named after the Greek Legend King Minos.

• Ethnicity of Minoans is uncertain, and writing has not been deciphered.

• Land is mostly rocky and arid, with small plains lying between ranges of hills.

• Limited arable land suitable for grains, grapevines, and olive trees.

• Coastline, natural harbors, sea fastest mode of travel, and trade.

The Minoan Civilization

• Egyptian, Syrian, and Mesopotamian influences can be seen in the design of Minoan Palaces.

• Palaces, Cretan pottery and other artifacts show widespread trade connections.

• Palace complexes at Cnossus, Phaistos, and Mallia.

• Had a Centralized Government, and a system of writing.

• Absence of identifiable Cretan rulers, contrasts sharply with depictions of kings in middle east.

• Due to no "All powerful figure" suggests different conception of authority.

Cretan painting on pottery

Minoan Palace

Cnossus city ruins.

The Minoan Civilization• Statuettes of women with

elaborate head dresses and serpents coiling around may have represented fertility godess.

• Paintings in Cretan palaces show women in frilly, layered skirts in conversations, or watching forms of entertainment.

• Pictures of servants at work, fishermen throwing nets and hooks from boats.

• Pictures showed a joyful attitude toward work, but some say it showed a taste of the elite, away from daily life.

•  Depictions of animals and plants in Minoan culture showed a beauty in natural world.

• All palaces deliberatley destroyed around 1450 B.C.E 

• Only lasting palace is Cnossus.• Most people think it was the

Mycenaean Greeks.

The Mycenaean Greece

• In the Greek Peninsula around 2000 B.C.E.

•  Civilization named Mycenaean because it was the first place excavated.

• Started with speakers of Indo-European, then intermarriage with people, melding of languages and culture.

• For centuries remained simple farmers, and sherperds.

• Around the time of 1600 B.C.E life changed relativley suddenly.

•  Many say they gained power and wealth to evolve into a greater civilization from piracy and trade.

The Mycenaean Greece

• Much of the Mycenaean culture and technology was taken from the Minoan, yet control of the Minoan in the Mycenaean land was not seen.

• At the time they adpoted Minoan style and techniques of architect, pottery making, and fresco and vase paintings.

• Borrowed the Minoan idea of the palace, Centralized economy, and administrative bureaucracy, as well as Minoan writing system.

Lion Gate, Entrance

The Mycenaean Greece

• In Citadels, built at a commanding location on a hilltop.

• Surrounded by high, thick fortification walls made of large stones. 

• Stones so large later to be said to be placed there by the giant one eyed cyclopes.

• In the walls was a place of protection in a time of danger.

• Inside walls were the palace and administrative complex. 

• In the walls were the royal living chambers, courtyards, palace walls were brightly colored depicting art of war and hunting.

• Near the palace were the graves of past rulers, outside of the wall were the large houses. 

• Large houses belonged to the aristocracy, peasants lived on lower slopes in plains below near the land they worked on.

The Mycenaean Greece

• Writing style now called Linear B.• 4,000 clay tablets explain life of

the Mycenaean Greece.• Kept track of people, animals, and

objects in exhaustive detail.• Kept track of boats in docks, gods,

and much more.• Although keeping track of many

items, they do not mention a single name of a Mycenaean king, and very little about political and legal systems, social structures, gender relations, and religious beliefs.

• Political unity said to have happened due to similarity in production techniques, tools, and clothing in all cities.

The Mycenaean Greece

• Long distance trade made possible by boating. 

• Much pottery from the Mycenaean has been found in other civilizations that show trade routes were made through the Mycenaean people.

• Possible exports were wine, olive oils, weapons, and crafted goods.

• Also transported other goods of people for minimum profit.

• Imports were amber, metals, copper, gold, and tin.

• Metal goods were wanted some say for the elite of society at time.

The Mycenaean Greece

• During time trade and piracy were closley linked. 

• Mycenaean's were tough, warlike and acquisitive.

• Traded with those as strong as them, and took from those who were weak.

• Led to conflict with the Hittite kings of Anatolia.

• Documents found that showed sometimes peace between both people, but other times problems are battles.

The Mycenaean Greece• The end of the Mycenaean

civilization illistrates the consequences of political and economical collapse.

•  After palaces started deconstruction the ruling class lost its power.

• The linear B tablets disappeared, depopulation showed people leaving to better areas.

• Gods for years to come were still worshiped, people still kept there knowledge and technology.

• In the end societies that prospered slowly collapsed in face of violence and internal weakness and gave way to what the region called "The Dark Age" which lasted centuries filled with poverty, isolation, and loss of knowledge.