Stone Age Man, Sumerians, Late Bronze Age

Mesopotamia

A land located between the Tigris and Euphrates river; first civilization to develop in the Fertile Crescent

Levant

Eastern coast of the middle east

Ur

A powerful city state in Sumeria

Semitic languages

Evolved on the Arabian Peninsula and separated into different languages. These languages spread to the Nile river area, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean

Indo-European Languages

Evolved in the Caucasus Mountains and separated into different languages. It became the basis of Latin.

Origins of the Sumerians and their language

Unknown; unrelated to Semitic and Indo-European

Pleistocene Era

When humanity first appeared roughly 12,000 years ago. It was the last major ice age.

Mega Fauna

Giant plants and animals that lived during the Pleistocene Era.

Hominids

Man-like creatures that were first found in Africa by Mary Leakey in 1959 in the Olduvai Gorge. Roughly 1.8 million years old

Australopithecus

An early man-like creature found by Donald Johanson. He named his finding Lucy.

Robostus

A form of Australopithecus that ate plants.

Africanus

A form of Australopithecus that used tools to kill animals.

Homo Habilis

A form of Australopithecus that used stone tools.

Homo Erectus

A form of Australopithecus that used fire, tools, walked upright, and is believed to be the first to leave Africa.

Homo Sapiens

A form of Australopithecus known for their larger brains in comparison to other early man-like creatures.

Africa

Believed to be the birthplace of mankind.

Neanderthals

Early form of Homo Erectus that lived in Europe, Asia, and Africa. They lived in caves, wore clothes, made tools, practiced religion, and created burial practices. They worshiped “mother earth” and believed in rebirth.

Cro-magnon

Replaced the Neanderthals and left cave-paintings in places like Europe. Considered to be the fore-runner to modern man.

Paleolithic Era

A cultural age of man characterized by the use of stone implements. People were nomadic and believed in animism: all things in nature have a soul.

Neolithic Era

A cultural age of man characterized by polished stone implements. People lived in villages and practiced agriculture and domestication which led to population growth.

Copper Age

A cultural age of man where people began to use copper tools and mixed copper alloy and tin to make tools.

Bronze age

A cultural age of man where bronze became the primary metal to use to make tools.

Iron Age

A cultural age of man where iron became the primary metal to use to make tools.

Things that identify civilization

1. Writing

2. Development of cities

3. Specialization of labor

4. Social Classes

5. Organized central government

6. Complex organized religion

7. Monumental construction

Ziggurat

A political, religious, and economic meeting place in Sumeria.

Theocracy

The type of government the Sumerians used.

Lugal

Translates to “important man”. These were land owners in Sumeria that eventually became nobles and kings.

Ensi

The high priest and governor of Sumerian society before being taken over by kings.

Polytheism

The type of religion the Sumerians practiced.

Sexagesimal system

A system of counting invented by the Sumerians; counting by sixties.

Cuneiform

The earliest form of writing made up of wedge-like shapes. Invented by the Sumerians.

Protoliterate

The period when writing was introduced that resulted in an explosion of technology and knowledge.

Akkadians

A group of people from the city Akkad. Sargon the great, ruler of Akkad, invaded Sumeria and created the first empire.

Empire

Is created when an individual/group conquers territory.

Babylonians

A group of people from the city Babylon. Their king, King Hammurabi, developed the first written code of law.

Hammurabi’s Code

The first written code of law known for being especially harsh; an eye for an eye.

Stele

A stone tablet that was written on with carvings.

Things that the Babylonians did/made

Irrigation, had better armies, and repaired temples.

Hittites

The civilization that took over Babylon. Their first ruler was Hattusilus and their civilization is famous for chariot warfare, long-range bows, and iron weapons.

Mittanians

A hegemonic civilization that was overrun by the Hittites.

Hegemonic

Politically dominant

Kassites

United with Babylon and helped reinvigorate Babylonian culture.

Kudurru

A marker invented by the Kassites used to mark king-granted land.

Phoenicians

Semitic people who lived a long the coast and became the Mediterranean’s greatest traders.

Byblos

A Phoenician city that traded paper and papyrus. They also made many books and published books for people.

Tyre

A Phoenician city responsible for the colony of Carthage.

Ugarit

A Phoenician city that adapted cuneiform into the Phoenician alphabet.

Purple dye and cedar trees

The main items traded by the Phoenicians that made them rich.

The reason that the Phoenicians were conquered by the Assyrians

The cities never truly united and couldn’t provide a strong enough force to fight off the Assyrians.

Hebrews/Israelites

Semitic people related to the Aramaeans. The first record of them was on a stele issued by Pharaoh Merneptah while he was repressing their revolt.

Hapirus

A nomadic group of people that raided the Assyrians. Biblical records say that they were Hebrews.

Yahweh

The name of the Hebrew God. The Hebrews were monotheistic.

Mosaic Covenant

The contract between God and the Hebrews that stated that if they followed the Ten Commandments, he would protect and provide for them.

Ten Commandments

The set of rules the Hebrews believed was dictated by God.

Promised Land

The land promised by God to the Israelites, but it was already inhabited by six other groups. In order to claim the promised land, the Israelites would have to defeat these other civilizations.

The order of kings in Israel

Saul, David, Solomon, and then Israel separated into two different nations; Judah and Israel.

Shosheng I

The man who plundered the Temple of Solomon

The civilization that the Israelites fell to

The Assyrians

King Josiah

The king of Judah who helped reinforce monotheism

Aramaeans

A group of people related closely to the Israelites. They dominated camel trade between Egypt and the northern Mediterranean coast. They lived in small city states.

Damascus

One of the city states inhabited by the Aramaeans

Aramaean Language

A dialect that became the most common in the Mediterranean due to it being used by traders.

Assyrians

A group of people who moved into Mesopotamia and became the dominant force in the area. They conquered many different groups of people.

Tukulti-Ninurta I

An Assyrian king who defeated the Hittites and the Kassites. He also destroyed Babylon.

Tiglath-Pilieser I

An Assyrian king who established Assyria as a great power and maintained his power through fear

Ashurnasirpal I

An Assyrian king who brought wealth through conquest and established the city of Kalhu

Tiglath-Pilieser III

An Assyrian king who expanded Assyria by annexing nearby kingdoms. He practiced siege warfare and resettled conquered people. He also captured Babylon.

Sargon II

An Assyrian king who defeated the Israelites and built the capital, Dur-Sharrukin

Sennacherib

An Assyrian king who was very cruel to the Babylonians and the Elamites. He also moved the Assyrian capital to Ninveh.

Esarhaddon

An Assyrian king who let vassal kings rule for him. He rebuilt Babylonian cities and defeated Kushite of Egypt and briefly held little power in Egypt.

Ahurbanipual

An Assyrian king who eliminated the Elamites and was betrayed by his brother.