history- unit 2: Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt

Mesopotamia

A historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent.

Sumerians

the earliest known ancient civilization founded in the Mesopotamia region of the Fertile Crescent.

city-state

political organization based on the authority of a single, large city that controls outlying (surrounding) territories

irrigation

the act of supplying dry land with water by means of canals, ditches, pipes, and streams

surplus

an extra amount; more than is needed

Polytheism

worship many gods

ziggurat

temple

social class

aka hierarchy

Hierarchy

a. Rulers and priests at top
b.Wealthy landowners and merchants next
c. Artisans and farmers
d. Enslaved people at bottom

cuneiform

(“wedged-shaped”) First writing system developed in Mesopotamia c. 3000 BCE, originally developed to keep track of trade and property

Scribe

specialized workers that were trained from a young age for this job of writing

pictograph

symbols that represented words or phrases

Sargon of Akkad

(c. 2350 BCE), At first, Sumerians lived in independent city-states, Sargon conquered most of the city-states of Mesopotamia, creating the first empire* in history

Hammurabi’s Code

was one of the first times laws were codified (written down for all to see)

Assyrian Empire

-850-650 BCE, the Assyrians controlled a large empire
Advantages

tribute

a payment made by a weaker power to a stronger power to obtain an assurance of peace and security

Ashurbanipal

king who created a huge library containing more than 20,000 clay tablets (including The Epic of Gilgamesh)

Nile River

longest river in the world, life in Egypt centered around it, annual flooding providing both water and silt

silt

fine-grained soil often deposited on riverbanks during floods

Narmer

AKA Menes, believed by historians to have unified Upper and Lower Egypt

Pharaoh

rulers that were seen as gods on Earth

Pyramid

built as tombs so the god-kings could continue to help rule Egypt

Mummification

a better way to preserve bodies after death

Hieroglyphics

a more flexible system of writing, Pictures often represented an idea but also could represent a sound like modern alphabet

Papyrus

paper-like, was easier to write on compared to clay and stone

Rosetta Stone

made translation possible

Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom

1. Old Kingdom (c. 2700-2200 BCE) when most of pyramids built
2. Middle Kingdom (c. 2050-1650 BCE) when Egypt made
advances in literature, art, and architecture
3. New Kingdom (c. 1570-1070 BCE) when Egypt
conquered its neighbors and created a powerful empire

Hapshetsut

(c.1470 BCE) Daughter of a pharaoh who married her half-brother (Thutmose II), served as a regent for Thutmose III, Hatshepsut made herself co-ruler and really held most of the power for about 20 years, known for her great building projects and expanding Egypt’s trade with other nations

Thutmose III

son of Thutmose II, became the pharaoh at a young age, tried to destroy all images and writings about Hatshepsut

regent

person appointed to rule, usually when the monarch is too young

Akhenaten

(c. 1340 BCE) ,Best known for abolishing (ending) polytheism and forcing people to worship only one god

Ramses II

(c. 1290 BCE-1224 BCE), c. 1285 BCE, Ramses II leads the Egyptians against the Hittites in the Battle of Kadesh (he claims victory but probably a draw/tie), later makes a peace treaty with Hittite king, also known as a great builder who added huge statues of himself to temples he built, some believe he is the pharaoh from Exodus

Cataracts

steep rapids
Kashta, Piankhy, Shabaka

Geography/Environment Challenges of Mesopotamia

-LARGE flooding problem while also struggling with a predictable water source/the SOLUTION was the creation of the irrigation systems
-located in an area with multiple surrounding civilizations, opening doors for more attacks from neighboring nations

Government and Social Structure of the Sumerians

Sumer had a ruling class, upper class, middle class, working-class, and enslaved class of peoples.

Sumerian Religious Beliefs

FROM NOTES: Polytheistic (worship many gods), Gods needed to be pleased through sacrifices and construction of ziggurats (temples)

(from Gilgamesh reading): Enkidu said that Gilgamesh would weep if he found out. Enkidu’s body is rotting in the Underworld.

Five Characteristics of Civilization for the Sumerians

1. Rise of the Sumerian City-States
2. Organized governments developed to address these problems
3. Religion
4. Social classes (AKA hierarchy)
5.Cuneiform

Geography/Environment Challenges of Ancient Egypt

Deserts to the east and west
Travel up the Nile was difficult
Close to the sea
Many natural barriers

Government and Social Structure of Ancient Egypt

Social Hierarchy
a. Pharaoh and family
b. Upper class: wealthy landowners, government officials, priests, army commanders
c. Middle class: merchants and artisans
d. Lower class: peasant farmers and laborers
e. Enslaved people at the bottom

Ruled by the pharaoh, people would follow the pharaoh’s rules bc they believed they were gods.

Egyptian Religious Beliefs

Polytheistic-believed in many gods
Believed dead people would be judged and good would be rewarded while bad will have their soul/heart devoured
Pharaohs (and eventually wealthy people) were mummified to better preserve their bodies and buried with stuff they needed for the afterlife
Believed pharaohs were gods

Five Characteristics of Civilization for Ancient Egypt

Advanced cities:
Many permanent structures and homes, as well as larger permanent structures like the pyramids and the temples
Organized Government:
A clear structure of leaders and rulers, including the Pharaoh at the head
Specialized workers:
Artisans, scribes, etc.
Record keeping:
HIEROGLYPHICS; they wrote stories and recorded history
Advanced Technology:
Writing system, chariots, tools and weapons, etc.

Egypt and Kush

Egyptians built forts in Kush along the Nile and considered it part of their empire
Kush heavily influenced by Egypt and adopts its religion, art, and use of hieroglyphics
c. 1070 BCE Egypt was weak so Kush stopped paying tribute
Shabaka defeated the last of the Egyptians and declares himself the first Kushite pharaoh
Kush driven out of Egypt by the Assyrians c. 660 BCE

Map of the Fertile Crescent

Modern day map