Chapter two

Early Societies in Southwest Asia and

Early African Societies

I- The Quest for Order

•A. Mesopotamia: the land between the rivers”

1. Valleys of the Tigris and

Euphrates

2. Little rain so area needs irrigation3. Food supplies increase a. human population increases b. migrants to the area

increase, especially Semites

c. Sumer (in south) becomes population center

• Genesis 10:10 And in the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech

and Accad and Calneh in the land of Shinar (Sumer)…

4. First cities emerge, 4000 B.C.E.

a. between 3200 and 2350 B.C.E. , they

involve into city-states (control of

surrounding region) b. governments sponsor building projects and irrigation

d. Kingships evolve with cooperation of

noble families

c. attacks by others led to wall building and military development

B. The course of empire

1. Sargon of Akkad (2370-2315 B.C.E)a. coup against King of Kish

b. seizes trade routes and natural resources

c. gradually empire weakens and collapses about 2000 B.C.E.

2. Hammarabi

• Centralizes the bureaucracy and regulates taxation

• Capital is Babylon• Law Code: law of

retribution and importance of social status

• Hitte assault and empire crumbles 1595 B.C.E.

c. The later Mesopotamia empires

1. Assyrians (northern Mesopotamia),

about 1300-625 B.C.E.

a. cities: Assur and Ninevahb. powerful army: professional officers (merit), chariots, archers, iron weaponsc. unpopular rule leads to rebellions; ends 612 B.C.E

chariots

2. New Babylonian empire, 600-550 B.C.E.

a. Nebuchadnezzar (605 – 552 B.C.E.)

a. Hanging gardens of palace shows wealth and

luxury

II- The formation of a complex society and sophisticated cultural traditions

A. Economic specialization and trade 1. Bronze (made from

copper and tin) used in

weapons and later agricultural tools

2. Iron (about 1000 B.C.E.) cheaper and more widely available; used in weapons and tools

3. Wheel (about 3000B.C.E.) helps trade; carts can carry more goods further4. Shipbuilding: maritime trade increases in all directions, network develops

The emergence of a stratified patriarchal society

•Social classes

Cities:provide moreopportunityto accumulatewealth

• Standard of Ur (shows social classes)

Ziggurat

Kings: (hereditary)and nobles (royal family and supporters) arehighest class

Priests and priestesses ruletemple communities with large incomes and staff

• Free commoners (peasants), dependant clients (no property), pay taxes and labor on building projects

Slaves (POW’s, criminals, debt servitude): mostly domestic servants

• Patriarchy 1. Hammurabi’s code: men are head of household

2. Women get fewer rights after 2000 B.C.E.; by 1500 B.C.E. are

wearing veils

• The development of written cultural traditions

- Reed stylus (wedge shaped) pressed in clay then baked

- mostly commercial and tax documents

• Education: vocation to be scribe or government official

• Literature: astronomy, mathematics, abstract (religious and literary like Gilgamesh)

III- The broader influence of Mesopotamian society

• Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews 1. Early Hebrews are pastoral nomads between Mesopotamia and Egypt (second millennium B.C.E.)

- settle in cities - Abraham leads group to Palestine 1850 B.C.E.

- Descendents borrow law of

retribution and flood story from Mesopotamia

• Some migrate to Egypt in eighteenth

century B.C.E.

- 12 tribes become

Israelites - Mesopotamia style monarchs with Jerusalem as its capital - David (1000-970 B.C.E.) then Solomon (970-930 B.C.E.)

Moses and monotheism

Ten Commandments: moral and ethical standards for followers

Compilation of teachings into Torah (1000-400 B.C.E.)

- Deportees return to Judea; become known as Jews (586 B.C.E.)

- Prophets in this period increase devotion to people

- Build distinct Jewish community in Judea with strong group identity

The Phoenicians

- First settlers about 3000 B.C.E. ; develop

kingdoms of independent city states

Little agriculture, live on trade and communication networks

- Overland trade to Mesopotamia; influence on

culture

- Sea trade most important, get raw materials, trade for manufactured goods

• Have early alphabetical script (1500 B.C.E. )

- Linguists discover similarities between many languages; they must be related

- Originate in steppes of Central Asia: pastoral people, 4500-2500 B.C.E.

- Domesticate horses; learn to ride; use horses with carts, then chariots

IV- Indo-European migrations

•Indo-European origins

Indo-European expansion and its effects

• Indo-European society breaks up about 3000 B.C.E.; peoples gradually migrate

•Hittites settle in central Anatolia about 2000 B.C.E.

- build powerful kingdoms - conquer Babylonian empire

1595B.C.E.- dissolve by about 1200 B.C.E.

Technology:

• Light horse drawn chariots (spokes) and iron metallurgy

- Some migrate into central Asia by 2000 B.C.E.- Other migrations: Greece, Italy,

central Europe, western Europe, Britain - all pastoral agriculturalists - all speak related languages and worship similar deities

- later wave of migrations to Iran

and India (Aryan)

Egypt – northeastern Africa

A View of Egypt by Satellite

A View of Egypt by Satellite

The Fertile Nile Valley

The Fertile Nile Valley

The Annual Flooding of the Nile

The Annual Flooding of the Nile

Nile Irrigation-the Shaduf

Nile Irrigation-the Shaduf

Ancient Egyptian History

Ancient Egyptian HistoryPeriods Time Frame

Nile Culture Begins

3900 B. C. E.

Archaic 3100 – 2650 B. C. E.

Old Kingdom 2650 – 2134 B. C. E.

Middle Kingdom 2040 – 1640 B. C. E.

New Kingdom 1550 – 1070 B. C. E.

Late Period 750 – 332 B. C. E.

Greek Ptolemaic Era

332 – 30 B. C. E.

Roman Period 30 B. C. E. – 395 C. E.

Menes: Unifier of Upper & Lower Egypt

Menes: Unifier of Upper & Lower Egypt

c. 3050 B. C. E. ?c. 3050

B. C. E. ?

Ancient Egyptian Housing

Ancient Egyptian HousingMiddle Class

HomesMiddle Class Homes

Peasant Homes

Peasant Homes

Scenes of Ancient EgyptianDaily Life

Scenes of Ancient EgyptianDaily Life

Making Ancient Egyptian Beer

Making Ancient Egyptian Beer

Making Ancient Egyptian WineMaking Ancient Egyptian Wine

An Egyptian Woman’s “Must-Haves”

An Egyptian Woman’s “Must-Haves”

PerfumePerfume

WhigsWhigs

MirrorMirror

Egyptian Social Hierarchy

Egyptian Social Hierarchy

Some Famous Egyptian Pharaohs

Some Famous Egyptian Pharaohs

Thutmose III

1504-1450 B. C. E.

Thutmose III

1504-1450 B. C. E. Ramses II

1279-1212 B. C. E.

Ramses II1279-1212 B.

C. E.

Tutankhamon

1336-1327 B. C. E.

Tutankhamon

1336-1327 B. C. E.

Egyptian NobilityEgyptian Nobility

Egyptian Priestly ClassEgyptian Priestly Class

Egyptian ScribeEgyptian Scribe

Papyrus PaperPapyrus Paper

Papyrus PlantPapyrus Plant

Hieratic Scroll Piece

Hieratic Scroll Piece

Egyptian Math & Draftsmenship

Egyptian Math & Draftsmenship

11 1010 100100 10001000 10,00010,000 100,000100,000 1,000,0001,000,000

What number is this?

What number is this?

Champollion & the Rosetta Stone

Champollion & the Rosetta Stone

Hieroglyphic

“Cartouche”

Hieroglyphic

“Cartouche”

Hieroglyphics “Alphabet”Hieroglyphics “Alphabet” 24 “letters” + 700 phonetic

symbols 24 “letters” + 700 phonetic

symbols

Egyptian Creation Myth

Egyptian Creation Myth

The Goddess Nut The Goddess Nut

Egyptian Gods & Goddesses:

“The Sacred ‘Trinity’”

Egyptian Gods & Goddesses:

“The Sacred ‘Trinity’”

Osiris Isis Horus Osiris Isis Horus

Preparations for the Underworld

Preparations for the Underworld

Priests protected your KA, or soul-spirit

Priests protected your KA, or soul-spirit

ANUBIS weighs the dead person’s heart against a feather.

ANUBIS weighs the dead person’s heart against a feather.

Materials Used in Mummification

Materials Used in Mummification

1. Linen 6. Natron2. Sawdust 7. Onion3. Lichen 8. Nile Mud4. Beeswax 9. Linen Pads5. Resin

10.Frankinsense

1. Linen 6. Natron2. Sawdust 7. Onion3. Lichen 8. Nile Mud4. Beeswax 9. Linen Pads5. Resin

10.Frankinsense

Preparation for the Afterlife

Preparation for the Afterlife

Egyptian MummiesEgyptian Mummies

Seti I1291-1278 B.

C. E.

Seti I1291-1278 B.

C. E.Queen Tiye,

wife of Amenhotep II

1210-1200 B. C. E.

Queen Tiye, wife of

Amenhotep II1210-1200 B. C. E.

Ramses II1279-1212 B.

C. E.

Ramses II1279-1212 B.

C. E.

Journey to the Underworld

Journey to the Underworld

A boat for the journey is

provided for a dead pharaoh

in his tomb.

A boat for the journey is

provided for a dead pharaoh

in his tomb.

The dead travel on the “Solar Bark.”

The dead travel on the “Solar Bark.”

Egyptian Book of the Dead

Egyptian Book of the Dead

The Final JudgementThe Final Judgement

Anubis Horus Osiris Anubis Horus Osiris

Shabtis: The Pharaoh’s Servants

in the Afterlife

Shabtis: The Pharaoh’s Servants

in the Afterlife

Stepped Pyramid at Saqqara

Stepped Pyramid at Saqqara

“Bent” Pyramid of King Sneferu

“Bent” Pyramid of King Sneferu

Giza Pyramid ComplexGiza Pyramid Complex

Plan of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

Plan of the Great Pyramid of Khufu

The Valley of the KingsThe Valley of the Kings

Archaeologist, Howard Carter (1922)

Archaeologist, Howard Carter (1922)

Entrance to King “Tut’s” Tomb

Entrance to King “Tut’s” Tomb

King Tutankhamon’s Death Mask

King Tutankhamon’s Death Mask

1336-1327 B. C. E.

1336-1327 B. C. E.

King TutankhamonKing Tutankhamon

King Tutankhamun’s Tomb

King Tutankhamun’s Tomb

Treasures From Tut’s Tomb

Treasures From Tut’s Tomb

The Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

1473-1458 B. C. E.

1473-1458 B. C. E.

Ankhenaton: First Monotheist?

Ankhenaton: First Monotheist?

1352-1336 B. C. E.

1352-1336 B. C. E.

The Ankh – The “Cross” of LifeThe Ankh – The “Cross” of Life

QueenNefertitiQueen

Nefertiti

Abu Simbel:Monument to Ramses II

Abu Simbel:Monument to Ramses II

1279-1213 B.

C. E.

1279-1213 B.

C. E.

Who Are These Strange People?

Who Are These Strange People?

Routes of the “Sea Peoples”

Routes of the “Sea Peoples”

The end of the Bronze Age!The end of the Bronze Age!