FINAL: Ancient Middle East

Fertile Crescent

A geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates

Mesopotamia

A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies. In the Bronze Age this area included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires, In the Iron Age, it was ruled by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires. "between two rivers"

Polytheism

Belief in many gods

Sumerians

The people who dominated southern Mesopotamia through the end of the third millennium B.C.E. They were responsible for the creation of many fundamental elements of Mesopotamian culture-such as irrigation technology, cuneiform, and religious conceptions.

Ziggurat

A rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians

Dynasty

A series of rulers from the same family

Patriarchy

a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line.

Cuneiform

A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge shaped stylus and clay tablets.

Behistun Rock

-Cuneiform was found on this rock
-Found in Behistum, Iran
-3 languages on it (Old Persian, Eliamite, Babylonian)
-Couldn't interrupt until 1830's-1840's
-Interrupted by Henry Rawlinson

Epic of Gilgamesh

An epic poem from Mesopotamia, and among the earliest known works of literary writing. Very similar to the story of Noah's arc.

Code of Hammurabi

A collection of 282 laws. One of the first (but not THE first) examples of written law in the ancient world.

Babylonians

A group of people who conquered the Sumerians. They had a very famous king named Hammurabi. Hammurabi created nearly 300 laws known as Hammurabi's Code of Laws, the old known legal system based on the concept of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".

Hitties

were the most influential Indo-Europeans, who migrated to the central plain of Anatolia just after 2,000 B.C.E, and then lead language and rule onto their people. Strong relationships during the seventeen and sixteen centuries B.C.E. with Babylonian and Mesopotamian peoples, along with accepting the latters into thier parthenon. They are well known for constructing horse drawn chariots (2,000 B.C.E), which were lighter and more manuverable, along with iron metallurgy refinment (1,300 B.C.E). The Hittites discovered that by heating then hammering the metals they were much more workable, and were able to fashion stronger tools to their advantage.

Assyrians

Known as a warrior people who ruthlessly conquered neighboring countries; their empire stretched from east to north of the Tigris River all the way to central Egypt; used ladders, weapons like iron-tipped spears, daggers and swords, tunnels, and fearful military tactics to gain strength in their empire. Capital was Nineveh with a huge library.

Nebuchadnezzar

A Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem, and built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Chaldeans

a Southwest Asian people who helped to destroy the Assyrian Empire

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

An artificial mountain covered with trees and plants, built by Nebuchadnezzar ll for his wife. The gardens are one of the Seven Wonders of the world.

Persians

tolerant; bureaucracy; Cyrus the Great and Darius were the most famous rulers; Royal Road was their trade route and united empire; Zoroastrianism

Darius

The third king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. He ruled the empire at its peak. He organized the empire by dividing it into provinces and placing satraps to govern it. He organized a new uniform money system, along with making Aramaic the official language of the empire. He also worked on construction projects throughout the empire.

Zoroastrianism

One of the first monotheistic religions, particularly one with a wide following. It was central to the political and religious culture of ancient Persia.

Phoenicians

Semitic-speaking Canaanites living on the coast of modern Lebanon and Syria in the first millennium B.C.E. Famous for developing the first alphabet, which was adopted by the Greeks. From major cities such as Tyre and Sidon, these merchants and sailors explored the Mediterranean, and engaged in widespread commerce.