Early Civilizations in the Middle East

MESOPOTAMIANS

• Located between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers/Fertile Crescent

• Era known as the Bronze Age• Irrigation System• 1st civilization• City-state was a theocracy• Sumer was first city-state• Sumerians developed cuneiforn

PHOENICIANS

• Important traders• Spreading ideas and culture• Used sun and stars to navigate• Most people located in Lebanon• Developed an alphabet

AKKADIANS & BABYLONIANS

• Akkad conquered Sumer to create the first empire

• Akkad became Babylon• Hammurabi’s Code• Developed number system based on 60

second/minute/hour• Clock controlled by water

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

• Nile longest river in the world• Delta formed at the Mediterranean Sea• 2 Kingdoms – Upper & Lower Egypt – united

under a pharoah• Polytheistic- many gods• Theocracy government• Embalmed the dead = mummy• Pharoahs buried in pyramids

ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

• Largest pyramid-Great Pyramid of Khufu• Heiroglyphics• Papyrus• Royal Officers = scribes• Used Rosetta Stone to read heiroglyphics