ancient mesopotamia and egypt

8/12/2019 Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt

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World Civilizations from Prehistory to 1500Dr. Edrene S. McKay (479) 855-6836 Email: [email protected] !e"#ie: $nline-%i#ory.or&

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA AND EGYPT

CIVILIZATIONDefined

ANCIENT SUMER

First Civilizti!n

C!ntri"#ti!ns

G!ds$

C!s%i&' Universl'

Or(nizin( P!)er !f

Universe

ANCIENT EGYPT

Gift Of T*e Nile

Stone Age achievements laid the foundations for CIVILIZATION (defined as an advancedstate of intellectual, cultural, and material development in human societ, mar!ed "

progress in the arts and sciences, the e#tensive use of record$!eeping, including %riting,

and the appearance of comple# political and social institutions&'

In esopotamia and the Nile Valle, people gathered into CITI)S in %hich life "ecamemore CO*L)+ and I)-A-CICAL' .sing even more S*)CIALIZ)/ LA0O-, cit$

d%ellers engaged in T-A/) and AN.1ACT.-IN2, administered LA-2)$SCAL)

A2-IC.LT.-), and "uilt ON.)NTS' The development of 3-ITIN2 ena"led these

people to !eep the records necessar for O-2ANIZ)/ 2OV)-N)NT'

S.)-, a collection of cit states around the LO3)- TI2-IS AN/ ).*-AT)S

-IV)-S in %hat is no% SO.T)-N I-A4, ma ver %ell "e the first civili5ation in the

%orld' 1rom its "eginnings as a collection of farming villages around 6,777 0C through itscon8uest " Sargon of A!!adaround 9,:;7 0C and its final collapse under the Amorites

around 9,777 0C, the Sumerians developed a religion and a societ %hich influenced "oth

their neigh"ors and their con8uerors' Sumerian cuneiform, the earliest %ritten language,

%as "orro%ed " the 0a"lonians, %ho also too! man of their religious "eliefs' In fact,traces and parallels of Sumerian mth can "e found in 2enesis'

Sumerians %ere earl users of CO**)- < perhaps as earl as 6,777 0C' 0 =,677 0C the

%ere casting copper into molds to ma!e various TOOLS and A-T O0>)CTS' A"out :,:77

0C the invented a pictographic form of 3-ITIN2 to !eep account of stored goods at

these temples' The used reed ends pressed into soft cla ta"lets (C.N)I1O-& to ma!etheir recordings' -ecord$!eeping evolved to include -O?AL INSC-I*TIONS (9,;77 0C&

and ne% LA3 CO/)S (9,@77 0C& promulgated " .r$Nammu, !ing of .r'

The contri"uted immensel to industrial technolog' Speculation is that the %ere theinventers of the *OTT)-S 3))L' The also developed the ANIAL$/-A3N *LO3'

And the used SAILS on their "oats to navigate the "road Tigris and )uphrates -ivers'

Also, the developed for %ar use a SOLI/$3))L)/ CA-IOT dra%n " a no%$e#tinct

form of don!e

esopotamian religion too! on a character %hich %as more comple# than Neolithic

religion' The common people continued to o"serve locall the Neolithic fertilit religions

that seemed so vital to their agricultural life' 0ut the imperial structure that presided over

the larger social order had to "e nurtured " a loftier set of religious ideas'The !ings andpriests had a special role in interceding for the %hole empire "efore the maBor gods

(principall A-/.& %ho guarded the imperial enterprise' These gods %ere COSIC,

.NIV)-SAL, and represented the O-2ANIZIN2 *O3)- O1 T) .NIV)-S) as theirempires on earth represented a ne% organi5ing po%er among the people'

Life along the Nile river as it cut through the desert %aste of )gpt %as ver much li!eSumerian life' 1or survivals sa!e, the COO*)-ATIV) LI1) %as essential' A.TO-IT?

%as needed to organi5e the "uilding of irrigation canals and the allocation of %ater rights'

And under proper *OLITICAL O-2ANIZATION life %as a"undant' Life outside of such

social organi5ation %as unthin!a"le' The surrounding /)S)-T isolated "ut also protected)gptian culture' In thousands of ears of e#istence, seldom %as ancient )gpt seriousl

challenged " outside armies' This too ena"led )gpt to flourish generation after

generation retaining its essential cultural characteristics %ith relativel little change over its
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Ancient esopotamia and )gpt *age 9

MESOPOTAMIA

+ EGYPT

Reli(i!n$

Unif,in( nd

Cretive F!r&e

Ulti%te G!l !f

Mt* + S&ien&e$

T! Understnd +

A&&!%%!dte t*e

-ill !f t*e G!ds

P#r.!se !f Art$

T! Re.resent

t*e Relti!ns*i.

/et)een 0#%nit,

+ t*e G!ds

Literr, Trditi!n$

Epic of Gilgamesh

Enuma Elish

Book of the Dead

long histor'

Ver earl (prior to :,977 0C& there %ere t%o D)gptsDE (@& .pper )gpt along the narro%Nile valle to the south, %ith its center at The"es, and (9& Lo%er )gpt along the %ider

fluvial and delta plains in the north, centered on emphis' 0ut in :,977 or :,@77 0C

Narmer (2ree!E enes& forcea"l .NIT)/ T) T3O )2?*TS into a single !ingdom

and "ecame the first *haroah'

In )SO*OTAIA and )2?*T, -)LI2ION %as the *-INCI*AL .NI1?IN2 AN/

C-)ATIV) 1O-C)' *eople sa% divine forces at %or! in ever aspect of nature, and ever

form of human endeavor %as meant to serve the gods' 1or e#ample, the Sumerians"elieved that la%s descended from the gods' ings administered these la%s %ith the

assistance of priests %ho revealed for them the %ill of the gods' In )gpt, the pharaohs

themselves %ere considered gods, and " serving them, their su"Bects respected the divine

%ill'

In addition to la% and government, -)LI2ION /-OV) ACTIVIT? IN AT)ATICS

AN/ SCI)NC)' esopotamian mathematicians, for e#ample, devised multiplication anddivision ta"les, %hile their )gptian counterparts developed simple geometr' *hsicians

of "oth cultures gained some accurate !no%ledge of pharmacolog, and )gptian healers

learned to identif diseases and understood the connection "et%een cleanliness anddisease' esopotamian and )gptian astronomers o"served the movements of the planetsand stars and devised, respectivel, lunar and solar calendars' In all these areas of activit,

the .LTIAT) 2OAL %as TO .N/)-STAN/ AN/ ACCOO/AT) T) 3ILL O1

T) 2O/S as revealed through the processes of nature and %or!ings of the human "od'

Similarl, the *.-*OS) O1 A-T %as TO -)*-)S)NT T) -)LATIONSI*

0)T3))N .ANIT? AN/ T) 2O/S' The esopotamian ZI22.-AT, for

e#ample, gave architectural form to the e#perience of approaching the gods to gain %isdom'

Stli5ed )gptian roal statues tpicall emphasi5e the pharaohs divine grandeur'Although ST?LIZATION %as the norm in Near )astern art, )gptian Amarna art too! a

naturalistic turn during the Amarna period, during %hich Amenhotep IV imposed

monotheism on his su"Bects' e also encouraged artists to represent the human form more

realisticall and even to depict the pharaoh engaged in everda activities' This stle andthe ne% religion died %ith Amenhotep, %hose successors reesta"lished poltheism and the

rigid artistic stle of the Old ingdom'

0et%een 9,;77 and 9,@77 0C a literar tradition developed in Sumer, one %hich left a

permanent imprint on the peoples around them and after them' 1or instance, theEpic of

Gilgamesh"ecame the forerunner of the Genesisaccount of the 2reat 1lood' The gods sentthe 1lood to punish people %ho had made them angr %ith their diso"edience' 0ut the

%arned the faithful .tnapishtim to "uild a "oat, thus saving onl him and his famil' All

the rest of humanit perished' The human race %as "egun again through his famil'

At the center of the religious life of the 0a"lonian culture %hich replaced Sumerianculture %as the Ne% ?ears Cele"ration held in April' This involved a num"er of eventsE

the enthroning of the !ing for another ear, the !illing of a scapegoat as a sign of the deathof the old ear, and the reciting of theEnuma Elish(composed a"out @,677 0C "ut much

older in tradition&' TheEnuma Elish%as an epic stor of creation telling ho% the gods %erecreated to "ring order out of %ater chaos'

The )gptianBook of the Dead(a"out @,9=7 0C&is a group of mortuar spells %ritten on

sheets of paprus covered %ith accompaning illustrations' These %ere placed %ith the

dead in order to help them pass through the dangers of the under%orld and attain an

afterlife of "liss in the 1ield of -eeds' Some of the te#ts and illustrations are also found on


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Ancient esopotamia and )gpt *age :

CONTRASTING

-ORLD VIE-S

Mes!.!t%in$

Pessi%isti&

E(,.tin$ A

0..ier Vie) !f

Life nd Det*

PERSIA

Unified Nti!ns

Diverse Trditi!ns

Z!r!strinis%$

Unif,in( F!r&e

C*!i&e /et)een

G!!d nd Evil

MYT01MA2ING

-ORLD VIE-

ONLINERESOURCES

the %alls of tom"s and on coffins or %ritten on linen or vellum rather than on paprus'

)arl esopotamians and )gptians shared a religious outloo!, "ut their %orld vie%

differed in %as that affected their religious thought, art, and literature' The

)SO*OTAIAN 3O-L/ VI)3 %as fundamentall *)SSIISTIC' The 2O/S %ere

vie%ed as CA*-ICIO.S and human life as an effort to cope %ith their %hims'Conse8uentl, esopotamian literature is comparativel austere' 1or e#ample, %isdom

literature poses impondera"le 8uestions a"out human suffering' A central theme of the

EPIC OF GILGAMESis the hopelessness of the search for immortalit'

*erhaps "ecause the Nile Valle afforded relative securit, the )2?*TIANS C.LTIVAT)/

A A**I)- VI)3 O1 LI1) AN/ /)AT' The conceived of an A1T)-LI1) TAT

3AS AN I/)ALIZ)/ V)-SION O1 )A-TL? LI1), and much of their art andliterature e#plores the passage through death to the afterlife' !E BOO" OF !E DEAD,

for e#ample, contains a variet of te#ts composed to guide the deceased safel into the ne#t

%orld' Tom"s included tools, food, and personal items for use in the afterlife, as %ell as

relief sculptures that depict dail activities in %hich the deceased participated in life and%ould again in the ne#t %orld' Although "oth )gptian and esopotamian %omen %ere

su"ordinate to men, the former enBoed legal protections and a greater scope in life than thelatter'

usic %as important in esopotamian and )gptian culture' *aintings and sculptures

depict a variet of instruments used for religious rituals, roal processions, funerals, and

private gatherings'

The last great ancient Near )astern civili5ation %as *)-SIA' This vast empire .NI1I)/

NATIONS from the editerranean to the Indus Valle, governed them through a single

administrative sstem, and "rought them under a %orld vie% composed of /IV)-S)

T-A/ITIONS' One C)NT-AL .NI1?IN2 1O-C) 3AS ZO-OAST-IANIS, amonotheistic religion %hose prophet, Zarathustra, developed an eschatolog (a stud of the

final events in the histor of the %orld& and taught that .ANS CAN COOS)

0)T3))N 2OO/ AN/ )VIL' *ersian art represented the empires cultural snthesis "

fusing elements from esopotamian, )gptian, and 2ree! art'

Near )astern civili5ations shared a ?T$AIN2 3O-L/ VI)3' Although

esopotamians and )gptians o"served their %orld, the did not anal5e and dra% general

conclusions a"out %hat the sa%' Li!e their prehistoric ancestors, the told stories thatpersonified and e#plained phenomena in terms of divine influence' Later civili5ations

moved from a mth$ma!ing mind to scientific thought, through %hich people formulated

universal rules a"out inanimate natural processes' Nevertheless, Near )astern cultural

achievements laid the crucial foundation for 3estern civili5ation and influenced thee"re% and 2ree! traditions for centuries'

Adapted from 0UMANITIES IN T0E -ESTERN TRADITION" arvin *err and A HISTORY OF THE

OR!D"S #A$OR %&!T&RES" iles odges

1or more information on Ancient esopotamia and )gpt, e#plore one or more of the

follo%ing online resourcesE

The 0ritish useumE esopotamiaEInteresting %e"site covering various aspects of

esopotamian culture' 1ocuses on Assria, 0a"lonia, and Sumer'

T*e 0ist!r, !f An&ient S#%erE/etailed discussion of Sumerian culture, including%riting, schools, cities, and architecture' Includes a num"er of primar sources'

Ancient Ta"lets, Ancient 2ravesEAssessing 3omens Lives in esopotamia' 3omen in
http://college.hmco.com/humanities/perry/humanities/1e/students/index.htmlhttp://college.hmco.com/humanities/perry/humanities/1e/students/index.htmlhttp://www.newgenevacenter.org/world-cultures/outline.htmhttp://www.newgenevacenter.org/world-cultures/outline.htmhttp://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/menu.htmlhttp://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/menu.htmlhttp://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sumer_anunnaki/esp_sumer_annunaki04.htmhttp://www.womeninworldhistory.com/lesson2.htmlhttp://www.womeninworldhistory.com/lesson2.htmlhttp://college.hmco.com/humanities/perry/humanities/1e/students/index.htmlhttp://www.newgenevacenter.org/world-cultures/outline.htmhttp://www.newgenevacenter.org/world-cultures/outline.htmhttp://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/menu.htmlhttp://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sumer_anunnaki/esp_sumer_annunaki04.htmhttp://www.womeninworldhistory.com/lesson2.html


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Ancient esopotamia and )gpt *age =

DISCUSSION

3UESTIONS

3orld istor Curriculum $ Lesson of the onth " Ln -eese'

Ancient 0a"lonia$The ZigguratsE /iscusses various aspects of these monumental

structures' Includes diagrams and illustrations'

/ail Life in Ancient )gptEA %ealth of information on Ancient )gpt, including

hieroglphics, medicine, astrolog, garment ma!ing, and "eer and %ine ma!ing'

)gptian thsE 1lash$ena"led site that tells of the stor of creation'

ieroglphsE )#cellent treatment of )gptian hieroglphics' Includes a hieroglphicstranslator (see our name in hieroglphics& and a free hieroglphics screen saver'

Ancient )gptian Civili5ationE 0i"liograph of %e"sites devoted to various aspects of

)gptian life, including clothing, furniture, sports, food, pramids, etc'

?ou 3ouldnt 3ant to "e an )gptian ummE umorous and entertaining loo! at theprocess of mummification'

/ra%ing on the resources ou have had an opportunit to e#plore (te#t"oo!, course

documents, online resources, li"rar resources&, ans%er one or more of the follo%ing8uestionsE

In 4565' t*e A%eri&n )riter 0enr, Miller defined &ivilizti!n s$ 7dr#(s' l&!*!l'

en(ines !f )r' .r!stit#ti!n' %&*ines nd %&*ine slves' l!) )(es' "d f!!d' "d

tste' .ris!ns' ref!r%t!ries' l#nti& s,l#%s' div!r&e' .erversi!n' "r#tl s.!rts'

s#i&ides' infnti&ide' &ine%' 8#&9er,' de%(!(,' stri9es' l!&9!#ts' rev!l#ti!ns'

.#ts&*es' &!l!nizti!n' ele&tri& &*irs' (#ill!tines' s"!t(e' fl!!ds' f%ine' disese'

(n(sters' %!ne, "r!ns' *!rse r&in(' fs*i!n s*!)s' .!!dle d!(s' &*!) d!(s'

Si%ese &ts' &!nd!%s' .essries' s,.*ilis' (!n!rr*e' insnit,' ne#r!ses' et&:' et&:7

-*t d! ,!# t*in9 .r!%.ted s#&* .essi%isti& vie) !f &ivilizti!n; -*t )!rds nd

.*rses )!#ld ,!# #se t! define A%eri&n &ivilizti!n in t*e .l!rti!n !f An&ient Mes!.!t%i

nd E(,.t;
http://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/BabyloniaThe_Ziggurat.htmhttp://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/dailylife.htmlhttp://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/dailylife.htmlhttp://mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth/myths/english/2_egyptian_full.htmhttp://www.eyelid.co.uk/hiromenu.htmhttp://www.archaeolink.com/ancient_egyptian-civilization.htmhttp://www.salariya.com/web_books/mummy/index.htmlhttp://www.bible-history.com/babylonia/BabyloniaThe_Ziggurat.htmhttp://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/dailylife.htmlhttp://mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth/myths/english/2_egyptian_full.htmhttp://www.eyelid.co.uk/hiromenu.htmhttp://www.archaeolink.com/ancient_egyptian-civilization.htmhttp://www.salariya.com/web_books/mummy/index.html

ancient mesopotamia and egypt

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