City- state
groups of cities ruled by one central government
Sargon of Akkad
conquered Sumer, ruled worlds first empire (Akkadian empire) while traveling and constantly taking over, Enheduanna was daughter as high priestess
Enheduanna
Daughter of Sargon of Akkad, first author, named as high priestess in city of ur
Babylonian (Amorite) Empire
Hammurabi with his law code on pillars and is Semetic speaking with cuneiform
Sumer
city states ruled by king-priests with unknown language family, used cuneiform, built ziggurats
Akkadian empire (Akkad)
Sargon conquered sumer, empire -→ enheduanna, semetic speajing with cuneiform
Epic of Gilgamesh
poem from mesopotamia abaut Gilgamesh on a journey for immortality.
Endiku
created as an equal counterpart for Gilgamesh viewed as wilderness
Ut-napishtim
man who used to be mortal but was awarded immortality along with his wife after surviving great flood
Urshanabi
ferryman of Ut-napishtim goes across water of death which mortals cannot recross once already crossed, helped gilgamesh obtain immortality planteee
Humbaba
Monster guardian of the cedar forest
Hammarabi’s Law code
came from god marduck carved on stele pillars, higher classes and men pay less, with related equally brutal punishments for the crimes
Ziggurat
Stepped building with temple at the top
cuneiform
started from a need for record keeping, wedge shaped tools to carve symbols onto clay tablets
pharaoh
divine king and god of ancient Egypt means “great house” or “palace”
dynasty
succession of ruler from the same family
Nubia/Kush
northern part of modern Sudan that engaged in trade with egypt (ivory, ebony, frankincense, leapord skin) was taken by egypt but became independent during new kingdom took over egypt after developed iron.
Delta
area between rivers made up of tributaries that flood and dry up
cataracts
water falls within the nile river
Ma’at
cosmic balance in which the pharaos have to maintain
Narmer/Menes
united the lower and upper parts of egypt into one territory
Hatshepsut
husband died, ruled for young son, expanded territory and made 3 way peace- treaty built temple at beir
Amenhotep IV (akhenaten)
changed religion from polytheistic to monotheistic worship of sun god, Akhenate. son is king tut
heiroglyphics
symbolic, pictoral writings carved into stone
heiretic script
simplified cersion used by scribes on papurus for holy text
Demotic script
used by the people of egypt
book of the dead
collection of spells + magic formulas placed in tombs to help dead navigate journey of afterlife
Ka
the spirit that is like the double of the person
Ba
then personality; with head of man, body of bird and can fly between land of dead and living
Ea/Enki
god of fresh water, knowledge, creation
Shamash/Utu
god of justice + equality
Enil/Ellil
god of air, atmosphere
Ishtar/Innana
goddess of beauty, love, sex, war, justice
Ra/Re
God of Sun, kingship, power, light
Isis
Goddess of fertility, healing, magic
Osiris
Lord of the underworld, dead, vegetation
Nephthys
Goddess of air + sky
Set
god of war, chaos, storms
Horus
god of power and importance of all aspects of life
Anubis
God of the dead
Mesopotamian scientific and intellectual accomplishments
Cylinder seals, ziggurats, number system, cuneiform, calander, astrology,
Geographic barriers of egypt
Delta, cataracts, deserts, big hills