Ancient Civilizations

SOL WHI.3

Fertile Crescent Objectives

 Ancient River Valley Civilizations Objectives: I will be able to…

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After Lesson

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After Review

Test

1. Explain why ancient civilizations developed around river valleys          

2. Locate the following civilizations on a map: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Nubians, Phoenicians, Hebrews and Persians.

         

3. Define polytheism and monotheism          

4. Summarize the origins, beliefs and spread of the first monotheistic religion.

         

5. Compare and contrast polytheistic and monotheistic religions of ancient river valley civilizations

         

6. Paraphrase the governmental practices of imperial bureaucracy and how it relates to the Persian Empire.

         

7. Define the terms social, political and economy.          

8. Identify social, political, and economic characteristics of river valley civilizations

         

9. Differentiate the development and uses of early written languages          

Ancient River Valleys

During the Neolithic Age, permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent. 3500 BCE to 500 BCE Both in Africa and Asia

River valleys provided rich soil for crops as well as protection from invasion. (2.1)

Characteristics of Civilization

1. Organized Government

Makes and enforces laws.

Plans, organizes and directs large projects. (2. Public Works) roads, schools, and water system Others?

Collects taxes.

Exercises authority over an organized state.

3. Organized Religion

Formalizes religious beliefs and offers guidance to life.

Establishes rituals, religious symbols, and sacred places.

4. Division of Labor (Jobs)

Provides goods and services.

Enables people to develop specialized skills.

Encourages trade and new technology.

Promotes system of social classes.

5. Class Structure

Defines a person’s place in society.

Reflects the distribution of wealth.

6. Writing System

Provides a way to keep accurate records.

Serves as a way to pass on knowledge.

7. Cities

8. Art/Architecture

River Valley Civilizations (about 3,500 to 500 BCE)

Mesopotamian civilizations – Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys

Egyptian civilization – Nile River Valley and Delta (Africa)

Indian civilization – Indus River Valley (South Asia)

Chinese civilization – Huang He Valley (East Asia)

Mesopotamia “Between the Rivers”

What natural features may have limited the expansion of early Fertile Crescent civilizations?

Label on your packet map – Cities - Catalhuyuk, Jerusalem, and JerichoCivilizations –PhoeniciaBodies of Water – Mediterranean, Black Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Tigris and Euphrates

Sumer and Sumerians

About 5,000 BCE people began to settle in the fertile region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

They were farmers and established the first city of Ur Tigris and Euphrates met.

Mesopotamia

Sumer and Sumerians

Overproduction of food allowed for Sumerians to begin trade. Traded up and down the Tigris and

Euphrates and along the Persian Gulf.

Developed the first writing – cuneiform Cuneiform was a “wedge” shaped writing of

pictures to represent words on CLAY tablets Came from pictograms Used by Babylonians and Assyrians

What do you think Sumerians wrote down?

Answer

Sumerians wrote down economic exchanges, myths, prayers, laws and

business contracts

Cuneiform

Cuneiform

Sumer Government

12 city-states - city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.

Hereditary rule – crown is passed down from one family member to another

Sumerian Religion

Sumerians also created holy temples known as Ziggurats. These were temples to their deities (Deity =

god or goddess) Sumerians were polytheistic – believed in

many gods.

Ziggurat

Babylonians

After 2,000BCE the people of Babylon grew powerful.

Babylonians conquered Sumer and united the region under Babylon.

The greatest leader of the Babylonians was Hammurabi.

Ancient civs of Mid

What would it be like to live in a world without laws?

(answer in notes)

Hammurabi’s Code was the first set of written laws on stone pillars and clay tablets. It is the world’s oldest surviving law code. 282 laws cover property, rent, and bodily

harm. Established the idea of an eye for an eye

Victim gets to inflict the same injury on the offender.

Why write down the laws?

Hammurabi’s Code

Babylonians

In 605 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II ruled Babylonia and defeated the Egyptians to extend Babylonia.

In the city of Babylon, he built his temple with the famous hanging gardens.

Under Nebuchadnezzar II, the Tower of Babel could have been built.

Hanging Gardens

Tower of Babel

Babylonians

586 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar II crushed the Jews in Judah who had been in rebellion

Babylonian Captivity (Exile?) – captured Jews were enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar II.

Hittites Video

Hittites

Were fierce fighters of Ancient Mesopotamia.

Had mastered the process of smelting iron. Had iron weapons and armor versus

bronze.

Hittites

Used horse drawn chariots

Often fought the Egyptians but were never fully able to conquer them.

As soon as others learned to smelt iron weapons, the Hittites were defeated around 1,250BCE.

Hittites Horse Drawn Chariots

Assyrians

The most feared warriors of ancient Mesopotamia.

Dominated Mesopotamia from about 1100 BCE until 612 BCE.

Neighboring people joined with the Babylonians to destroy the Assyrians in 612 BCE.

Assyrians

The greatest contribution of the Assyrians was their library at Nineveh. This library contained cuneiform tablets

from all over the Fertile Crescent. Modern scholars have gotten a wealth

of historical information from the remains of this library.

What is the importance of a library?

Assyrians and Persians

Phoenician Video

Why do you think this is the area the Phoenicians conquered

Phoenicians• Great merchants that spread civilization

through trade.Merchant – a person or business that trades

• Traded along the Mediterranean Sea.• Colonized throughout the Mediterranean

• Colonize = send a group of settlers and take control of an area

Kept records as a part of trade

Developed 22 letter alphabet – first alphabet.

Phoenician Sailors

Phoenician Trade Routes

Phoenician Alphabet

Hooked on Phonics Video