UNIT #2 - ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA, EGYPT, & AFRICA (Ancient Civ)

Mesopotamia

"land between the rivers"

A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first civilization

ziggurats

pyramid-shaped temples built by the Sumerians to honor the gods & goddesses they worshipped

cuneiform

a form of writing that used wedge-shaped symbols that was developed & used by the Sumerians

bazaars

a term referring to marketplaces in Mesopotamia

Akkadian Empire

empire that began around 2300 BC

first known multicultural empire in Mesopotamia

ruled over by Sargon

collapsed due to leadership & droughts

Babylonian Empire

empire that began aroun 1790 BC

ruled over by Hammurabi & saw the creation of the Code of Hammurabi

saw improved irrigation, well-trained armies, & repaired infrastructure

Hammurabi

Babylonian king

known for codifying the laws of Sumer known as the Code of Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi

developed & created by the Babylonian king, Hammurabi

first set of codified laws

Hittite Empire

empire that began around 1400 BC

known for extracting iron ore & creating sharper & more effective tools & weapons & known for developing new technologies

Assyrian Empire

empire that emerged around 1100 BC

known for being warlike & spreading terror, whil also creating well planned cities such as Nineveh that included the world's oldest library

New Babylonian Empire

empire that emerged around 612 BC

ruled by Nebuchadnezzar

empire stretched from Persian Gulf to Mediterranean

rebuilt canals, temples, walls, & palaces - including Hanging Gardens

Capital City = Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar

Babylonian king

conquered Jerusalem & built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Persian Empire

empire that emerged around 539 BC

ruled by Cyrus the Great

conquered & expanded the New Babylonian Empire

known for religious tolerance & bureaucracy

monotheism

a religion that believes in one god/goddess

Torah

the sacred book of Judaism

patriarchical

a social system where the eldest male is considered the head of the household and will pass on to the next eldest male

Abraham/Abram

the father & founder of the Ancient Israelites (& Judaism)

Isaac

the son of Abraham & Sarah

father of Jacob

Jacob

son of Isaac and brother of Esau

will have 12 sons -> represent the 12 tribes of Israel

Moses

Ancient Israelite who grew up as Egyptian prince

will guide Israelites from Egypt to the Promised land & renew God's covenant

Saul

first king of Israel

becomes king around 1000 BC

David

second king of Israel

leads successful military campaigns

establishes Jerusalem as capital city

Solomon

third king of Israel

known for wisdom - allies w/ many foreign nations

improves Jerusalem & builds the Temple

diaspora

the dispersion of the Jews outside Israel after the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians

Egypt

ancient empire that emerged in northeast Africa along the Nile River

delta

area where the mouth of a river meets a larger body of water & leaves behind very fertile soil & land to grow crops

dynasty

a powerful family or group of rulers that maintains its position or power for some time

Pharaoh

The title given to the ruler of Egypt

the personification & embodiment of Amun Ra & was seen as a god on Earth

vizier

the title given to the head of the Egyptian government that oversaw the day to day operations

only reported to Pharaoh

Hatshepsut

the first female pharaoh in Egyptian history

Thutmose III

Stepson of Hatshepsut; considered a great pharaoh of the New Kingdom of Egypt

Ramses II

considered the greatest pharaoh in Egyptian history

responsible for expanding Egypt to its greatest extent

Ra

Egyptian god of the sun & king of all gods

most powerful & creator of all life forms

Osiris

Egyptian god of the underworld & judge of the dead

Isis

Egyptian goddess of fertility & the mother of the gods

most popular & powerful of all goddesses

Seth/Set

Egyptian god of war, chaos, storms, & pestilence

often characterized as evil

Thoth

Egyptian god of knowledge, writing, & truth

author of the Book of Thoth

associated w/ magic, writing, & science

Anubis

Egyptian god of funerals & embalming

associated w/ mummification & afterlife

guide of the underworld

afterlife

AKA the duat

place where Egyptians believed all souls go after their life on earth

mummification

A process of embalming corpses to preserve one's body after their death

papyrus

one of the earliest forms of paper developed by the Egyptians

Rosetta Stone

a huge stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphics, Greek, and a later form of Egyptian that allowed historians to understand Egyptian writing

hieroglyphs

a system of writing developed by the Egyptians using images that represent objects, concepts, & sounds

pyramids

one of the greatest achievements of Egyptian civilization & examples of public works

built & used as tombs for pharaohs

savannas

A type of biome in Africa

areas of tall grasses & scattered trees that are very flat

Sahara Desert

The largest desert in the world, covering most of northern Africa

desertification

The process of the expansion of the desert

began occurring 2500 BC in Africa

Bantu

a common language spoken in Africa that became the basis & foundation of many different languages spoken in Africa

matriarchical

a social system where the eldest female is considered the head of the household and will pass on to the next eldest female

animism

a series of beliefs that every object on Earth has a living spirit

practiced by various African tribes

griots

professional storytellers in African societies

were responsible for the preservation of stories & traditions

Nubia

kingdom that developed in present day Sudan (south of Egypt)

AKA Kush

Meroe

the capital city of the Nubian kindom

became a center of commerce & led to the creation of a massive trade network

Carthage

city in Tunisia at the center of ancient Carthaginian civilization

controlled majority of North Africa along Mediterranean until overthrown by the Ancient Romans