Lecture 4: Asia Minor at War

meso

mid

potamia

river-country

mesopotamia had which rivers

euphrates (copper) and tigris (arrow)

nile didnt have any

tributaries

euphrates and tigris did have

many tributaries which cut up the landscape

while the nile had predictable flooding, the E&T rivers were

unpredictable

while the nile was great for transportation (back and forth), the E&T rivers were

one way rivers

what was the lost city

sumer(ia)

where were the founders of sumer from?

a. zagros mountains (northeast)

b. marshes (southeast)

when did the founders of sumer arrive?

around 7,000BC (neolithic/late mesolithic people)

these earlier settlers had to learn how to tame

water

how did sumarians tame water

a. levees (earthen embankments)

b. irrigation channels

when was the plow invented and used?

5,000 BC

what did they use for building stone and why?

mud brick for everything bc they didnt have good building stone

polytheists

believed in multiple gods

sumarians believed in multiple gods they were

polytheists

where did sumarians worship?

on top of step temples

what were the temples called?

ziggurats

what was there writing system?

cuneiform (wedge shape)

what did they write on?

clay tables

what did writing begin w?

counting

after counting what did writing become?

stylized and faster

sumarians had armies that had:

a. some organization

b. armor

c. weapons

d. war wagons

sumarias used what for armor?

1. shields

2. head coverings (leather or copper (?)

3. cloaks (?)

sumarias used what for weapons?

1. spears

2. axes

3. pole arms

sumer c. 3250BC: what happened?

sumer had neighbors

who were sumer’s neighbors?

akkad

sumer c. 3200BC: what happened?

akkad had taken over sumer

were akkadian armed like the sumarians?

yes

akkad 2300-2000BC: what happened?

babylon took over

who were the akkadians neighbors?

babylon

why did the akkadians get taken over?

long drought (300yr) (2300-2000BC)

1200-1000BC: something happens

we dont know but it causes a change to overthrow middle eastern kingdoms

what were the kingdoms that were overthrown?

a. egypy

b. hitties

c. babylonians

which group survived the overthrowing?

assyrians (neighbors of babylon survived and became dominate power (900BC))

layard (1840s)

uncovered assyria

assyrians had a professional army and they used

a. helmets

b. shields

c. some armor

d. swords

e. spears

f. bows

g. slings

assyrians also had ____ in battle and warfare

a. chariots

b. cavalry

assyrians were masters of?

seigecraft

c. 1000BC

new indo-european people arrive on the iranian platue (medes + persians)

medes and persians

norse people from north of the black sea

c. 540BC

cyrus united the medes and persians and began conquest westwards through asia minor

who did the persians run into when moving west to the coast?

colonizing greeks which spelled trouble