World History: Unit 1

The Foundations of CivilizaitonWorld History:Unit 1What is a civilization?A complex culture that has at least the following 3 MAIN characteristics:Being able to produce surplus (extra) food.People establish large towns or cities with some form of government.People perform specific jobs instead of each person doing some of everything.Other Characteristics of a CivilizationDeveloped a calendar helped the people know when to plant and harvest crops.They wanted to know when floods would stop and start.Their year was divided based on phases of the moon.Developed some form of written communication helped with keeping records and passing on information.What we now call writing began around 3000 B.C. Developing writing allowed people to record information on their culture and other societies the beginning of written history!!!

River Valley CivilizationsPeople in the valley of the Nile River and the Tigris-Euphrates river used copper to make tools and jewelry.Eventually learned to make bronze by mixing copper and tin.The development of bronze marked the end of the Stone Age and the beginning of the Bronze Age.Women managed the family cared for children, made clothing, and did much of the farming when it was originally developed.

Men became the primary food providers when the plow was developed and animals were used to pull it.People believed in many gods and goddesses POLYTHEISM!Prayed to gods and goddesses; offered sacrifices; gave thanks when they believed their prayers had been answered.ANCIENT EGYPT

Ancient EgyptCivilization in Ancient Egypt developed around the Nile River the longest river in the world (about 4,160 miles).The Nile River provided a source of transportation and provided water that supported life. Also surrounded by fertile soil that was great for farming.Its warm and sunny climate allowed many types of crops to be grown.

Ancient EgyptBy 3000 B.C. the people had developed hieroglyphics a form of writing made up of 600 signs, pictures, and symbols to represent words and sounds.Wrote on papyrus strips cut from the papyrus plant that were moistened and pressed together. Used soot, water and plant juice to make ink and wrote with a brush.In 1798 A.D. The Rosetta Stone was discovered. It was a stone that was carved on in several languages. It helped people read eyewitness accounts of Egyptian history.

An example of hieroglyphicsThe Rosetta StoneThe Egyptian KingdomsIn the beginning Egypt had developed into 2 kingdoms:Lower Egypt in the Nile River deltaUpper Egypt in the South away from the Mediterranean Sea

The Egyptian KingdomsAfter 3200 B.C., Menes, a king from Upper Egypt united both kingdoms and founded a dynasty.A dynasty is a family of rulers who pass down the right to rule is passed down from father to son or daughter.A dynasty ends when it is defeated, or when no one is left to become ruler.Founded the city of MemphisNOT in Tennessee Menes and future rulers gained new territory, improved irrigation and trade (making Egypt wealthier), and built temples and tombs to honor the dead.

The Egyptian KingdomsThese rulers later took the title of pharaoh.Pharaohs were religious and political leaders.Had absolute (unlimited) powerLed the governmentServed as judges, high priests, and generals of the armiesAlmost 30 dynasties ruled Egypt from the time of Menes to 300 B.C.Historians divide this time span into 3 kingdoms:The Old KingdomThe Middle KingdomThe New Kingdom

The Egyptian KingdomsThe Old Kingdom ( about 2680 B.C. to 2180 B.C.)Many great developments in the arts and science built the Great Sphinx and the largest pyramids.Society split into 2 classes:Lower class peasants & farmers. Served in armies & worked on building projects.Upper class pharaoh & royal family; priests, scribes and government officials. Over time this became a group of hereditary nobles.Toward the end of the Old Kingdom pharaohs grew weaker and nobles grew stronger.Civil wars divided Egypt as people battled for control of the land took almost 100 years for a new kingdom to be established.

The Egyptian KingdomsThe Middle Kingdom ( about 2050 B.C. to 1650 B.C.)A new line of pharaohs reunited Egypt.This was the golden age for Egypt because it was a time of enormous stability and prosperity.The Hyksos people arrived around 1780 B.C. introducing new tools like the chariot and compound bow.Stories say that the Hyksos brutalized the Egyptians and took over the land and ruled until about 1650 B.C.

A illustration showing a battle between the Hyksos and theEgyptians.The Egyptian KingdomsThe New Kingdom ( about 1570 B.C. to 1080 B.C.)It took Egyptians nearly 80 years to drive the Hyksos our of Egypt and regain control of the land.A new group of pharaohs reunited Egypt and made Thebes the capital city.These pharaohs created a strong army using the horse-drawn chariots of the Hyksos.Territory was extended by gaining land on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea and south of Nubia.

The Egyptian KingdomsDuring the New Kingdom the pharaohs built and empire a form of government where a single person rules over many other people and their territories.HatshepsutOne of the first known female rulers.Ruled from 1503 B.C. to 1482 B.C.Kept Egypts borders secure and built trade with other lands.Thutmose IIIHatshepsuts stepsonContinued trend of Hatshepsut until his death in 1450 B.C.Amenhotep IVRuled from 1380 B.C. to 1362 B.C.Pushed for a change from polytheism (worshiping many gods) to monotheism (worshiping one god; the sun).The sun was represented by a disk called Aton. To honor Aton, Amenhotep changed his name to Akhenaton.He was unsuccessful in changing the beliefs of his people. Egyptian priests did not want to give up their wealth and power.Priests regained power after his death and returned Egypt to polytheism.

The Decline of EgyptAfter the death of Akhenaton, only a few strong pharaohs ruled over Egypt.Ramses II ruled from about 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C.Kept the empire togetherOrdered the construction of many monuments and templesThe pharaohs after Ramses II were not successful.A series of invasions by groups called the Sea People weakened Egypt.Later several foreign empires like the Assyrians, Nubians, and Persians attacked Egypt.By the 300s B.C. Egypt was no longer ruled by Egyptians.

Egyptian Culture & LifeArchitecture & the ArtsBuilt the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx required great skill!Created small sculptures of their rulersDecorated building with paintings of everyday lifeScience, Math & MedicineInvented a calendar based on the movement of the moon realized that a bright star appeared before the Nile floods. The time between each rising of this star was 365 days. Their calendar had 12 months; each month had 30 days.Used a number system based on ten.Made important medical discoveries. Treated illness using herbal medicine and magic spells.Egyptian Culture & LifeEducationMostly focused on an elite group of scribes or clerks.Scribes learned to read and write so they could work for the government.Schools were usually attached to temples since religion was an important part of the Egyptian education.The godsIn the early days of the Egyptian civilization, many villages had their own local god or gods, usually represented by an animal symbol.Eventually these gods came to be worshiped by all Egyptians.The most important was Amon-Re considered the creator.Osiris judged people after death.Iris Osiriss wife goddess of the royal throne.

Egyptian Culture & LifeThe AfterlifeAt first, Egyptians believed that only pharaohs had an afterlife.Later believed that everyone, including animals, had an afterlife.Believed that a person was judged in the afterlife.A persons heart (which would reveal if the person had lied, murdered, or been too proud) was weighed on a scale against a sacred feather. If the scale balanced the person could go on to a place of eternal happiness. If the scale did not balance the heart was thrown to a monster called the Eater of the Dead.Believed the body had to be preserved to make life after death possible.Developed the process of mummification organs removed from the body, and then the body was treated with chemicals.The dead were placed in tombs full of clothing, food, tools, and weapons for use in the afterlife.The number of items in the tomb indicated the importance of the dead person.

Egyptian Society & EconomySocial ClassesStrictly divided!!! People from lower classes could improve their status, but usually didnt enter the upper class.Woman had many legal rights ranked equally with husbands in business and social life. Could own property on her own. Could leave that property to her daughter when she died.FarmingFarmland divided into large estates peasants did most farming, but could only keep part of the crops. The rest went to the pharaoh who owned the land.Wheat and barley were the main grains.Flax was grown and woven into linen.Cotton was grown and woven into cloth.

Egyptian Society & EconomyTradeTightly controlled by the government.Peasants grew more food than the country needed so the surplus was traded with other people.Growing trade led to the development of the merchant class.Caravans developed. These were groups of people who traveled together in large groups for safety when trading.Traded with western Asia and people deep in the heart of Africa.Egyptians were some of the first to develop seagoing ships. This allowed them to travel the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and on the African coast in order to trade.

Mesopotamian CivilizationThe Fertile Crescent is an extremely fertile strip of land that arcs up from just south of Jerusalem and extends over to the Persian Gulf.The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are the main physical feature of this area.Mesopotamia emerged as a center for the development of civilization because of the fertile land between the two rivers.

Mesopotamian CivilizationThe first people to settle in Mesopotamia were the Sumerians.The Sumerians were most likely a nomadic group of people who settled in Mesopotamia because it offered fertile soil for farming.By 3000 B.C. they were using metal tools and had developed a form of writing called pictographs one of the earliest forms of writing.Sumerians did not have papyrus like the Egyptians so they wrote by pressing marks into clay tablets.Today their writing is called cuneiform.Cuneiform was composed of about 600 symbols.

Mesopotamian CivilizationSumerian Architecture and ScienceCreated several important architectural designs including the arch combined several arches to created domed roofs for buildings.Built temples called ziggurats made of baked brick placed in layers.First society to develop the wheel.Number system based on 601 hour = 60 minutes1 minute = 60 secondsDeveloped a lunar calendarAdded a month every few years to keep it accurate.

Mesopotamian CivilizationSumerian SocietyDeveloped a form of community called the city-state included a town or city and the land controlled by it. Major city-states:UrErechKishPeople believed that the land in each city-state belonged to the gods so they were rarely under the rule of a single government.Class systemKings, high preists, noblesLower priests, merchants, scholarsPeasant farmers, slaves

Mesopotamian CivilizationSumerian GovernmentGovernment ran by a kingPriests very important because of their ties to the godsSumerian EconomyMost Sumerians farmed grew dates, grains, and vegetables.Raised domestic animals.Used sheep for wool and flax for linen.Grew enough food to be able to provide for the families and trade with people in Asia.Some Sumerians had agents who worked selling their goods in faraway places.Other Sumerians traveled by land or boat to sell their own goods.Mesopotamian CivilizationSumerian EducationConsidered VERY important!Only upper-class boys (NO GIRLS) were allowed to be educated.Learned to write and spell by copying religious books and songs.Also studied drawing and arithmetic.Sumerian ReligionPolytheisticGods associated with various forces of nature and heavenly bodies (sun, moon, etc.)Important godsAn (lord of heaven)Enlil (god of air & storms)Enki (god of water & wisdom)Buried food & tools with their dead, but did not imagine the afterlife in detail like the Egyptians.Did not believe in reward & punishment after death.BABYLON

Babylonian CivilizationIn 1792 B.C. a ruler named Hammurabi conquered the Sumerians and came to power in the city of Babylon between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.Outstanding military leaderGreat political leader and lawmaker.Hammurabi is most famous for developing the Code of Hammurabi 282 laws developed by Hammurabi. Some laws dealt with trade and industry.Some laws regulated wages.Some laws established property rights.Punishments were severe based on the idea of an eye for an eye.Many of the ideas from this law code are still founds in todays laws.

Babylonian CivilizationBabylonian CultureResembled Sumerian culture in some ways farming, keeping domestic animals, and weaving cotton and wool.Babylonians were very active traders.Women had some legal and economic rights, including the right to own property.Women could be merchants, traders, and priests.Couples could not divorce, but if a husband was cruel to his wife she could leave and take her property with her.

Babylonian CivilizationBabylonian ReligionAdopted many Sumerian religious beliefs.Made sacrifices to their gods in return for good harvests, or success in business.Believed that priests could see the future so priests were very wealthy and powerful in Babylon.Religious practices were directed at having a successful life on Earth since they did not believe in reward & punishment in the afterlife.

THE PERSIANSConquered Babylon in 539 B.C. under rule of Cyrus and Medes.Cyrus rebelled against Medes in 550 B.C., captured Babylon and took over the rest of the Fertile Crescent.Under rulers like Cyrus, Darius I and Xerxex I, the Persian Empire continued to expand.The Persian Empire eventually stretched from the Indus River to southeast Europe.

THE PERSIANSPersian GovernmentEarly Persian kings were effective rulers and great generals in their armies.Kings were all-powerful and showed a great concern for justice.Collected taxesAdministered the law fairlyAllowed conquered people to keep their own religions and laws.Secret agents called the Kings Eyes and Ears kept the king informed.Built roads to connect cities within their empire.Mainly built to allow armies and postal riders to travel quickly.The Royal Road stretched over 1,250 miles connected Sardis in western Asia Minor to Susa (the capital of the empire).Allowed for different cultures within the empire to exchange customs, goods, and ideas.THE PERSIANSPersian ReligionOriginally practiced polytheism.In 600 B.C. Zoroaster a great prophet began teaching the Persians a new religious outlook.Taught the Persians that people on Earth receive training for a future life.Said that the forces of good and evil battle each other on Earth, and that people must choose between the two people who chose good would receive eternal blessings people who chose evil would be punished.Said that in the future the forces of good would triumph over evil and the Earth would disappear.Became known as Zoroastrianism the most important contribution of the Persians.Supported an idea of good over evil, and a final judgement.Influenced Judaism and Christianity.

THE PHOENICIANSLocationSettled at the western end of the Fertile Crescent.GovernmentConsisted of a loose union of city-statesEach city state governed by a different king.

THE PHOENICIANSPhoenician EconomyDid not have fertile land that other civilizations in the Fertile Crescent so they depended on trade by sea.Used ships that were highly developed for their times. Sailors were highly skilled.Traded in ports across the Mediterranean Sea perhaps as far as Britain.Established colonies in many areas where they traded.Carthage in North AfricaIslands of Sicily, Sardinia, and MaltaColony in what is now Spain.Traded objects made of gold and silver, and used murex (a shellfish) to make purple dye.A favorite color of royalty (Royal Purple)Also exported fish, linen, olive oil, and wine.Made exquisite glass objects.THE PHOENICIANSPhoenician SocietyImitated the cultures of other civilizationsGovernment & customs resembled Egypt & BabylonPhoenician ReligionBelieved in an afterlifeFocused on winning the favor of one of their many godsWould sometimes sacrifice their own children if it pleased the godsPhoenician AlphabetMOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION!!!!!!!!This alphabet became the model for the alphabet we use today.Used writing in more advanced ways than other societiesWriting business contractsRecording billsGreeks adopted this alphabet and improved it by adding symbols for vowel sounds. Romans adopted it and turned it in to the alphabet we use now!THE HEBREWS

THE HEBREWSSettled in a small strip of land south of Phoenicia called Canaan.Modern-day JewsFounder was Abraham according to the Bible.Abraham once lived in Sumer.He left there and led his people through the desert to Canaan.Modern Jews trace their heritage to through Abrahams grandson Jacob, whose 12 sons each established a tribe The Twelve Tribes of Israel.The ExodusDescendants of Abraham left Canaan due to drought & famine and moved to Egypt.They were later made slaves in Egypt held for 400 years.The Hebrews were led out of slavery to the Sinai Peninsula by Moses in an event called The Exodus.

THE HEBREWSThe Ten CommandmentsWhile living on the Sinai Peninsula, Moses climbed to the top of Mount Sinai. When he returned in carried a tablet that listed the Ten Commandments.These were the moral laws that the Hebrew god, Yahweh, had revealed to Moses.The first 4 commandments established the Hebrews relationship with Yahweh.Thou shall have no other gods before me. (MONOTHEISM!!!!!!!)The other 6 commandments emphasize self-restraint and stress the importance of family and human life. Honor thy father and mother.Thou shall not kill.

THE HEBREWSHebrew Religion called Judaism.Early Hebrews worshiped Yahweh as their only god.Believed that Yahweh protected them from enemies and provided them with food and water.Believed those who sinned against Yahweh would suffer as would their children and succeeding generations.View Yahweh as a god to fear.Hebrews continued to worship Yahweh as their only god, but their view of him changed over time.Came to believe people had a choice between good and evil & Yahweh held them responsible for their choices.Began to think of Yahweh as a god who lived in the hearts of worshippers.People were to serve Yahweh out of lovenot fear.Hebrews viewed Yahweh as a spiritual force, not a glorified human or a force of nature.This religious system carried over to the founding of Christianity important contribution to Western civilization!!!!