1.

Ancient Eastern
Mediterranean Civilizations
Standard: Analyze the origins, structures,
and interactions of complex societies in
the ancient Eastern Mediterranean from
3500 BCE to 500 BCE.
Essential Question: What were the
origins, structures, and interactions of
complex societies in the ancient Eastern
Mediterranean from 3500 BCE to 500
BCE?

Egypt

Phoenicia

Persia

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Mesopotamia

Israel

Mesopotamia
Element: Describe the developments
of Mesopotamian societies including
the religious, cultural, economic, and
political facets of society.
Vocabulary: Mesopotamia, city-state,
polytheism, ziggurat, Fertile
Crescent, Hammurabi

Geography
Greek word meaning: between
the rivers
Fertile Crescent
Valley between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers
Extended from the Mediterranean
Sea to the Persian Gulf
Modern Day Iraq

Economics
based on agriculture
large-scale system of
water control, crops
could be grown on a
regular basis
traded for stone,
wood, and metal
from other societies
to build empires

INNOVATIONS
cities formed
invented wagon wheel, potters wheel,
the sun dial, the arch and bronze
created system of writing (cuneiform)
developed a number system based on
60
Geometry to measure fields
charted constellations

Culture
as societies became advanced, social
classes developed
broken into social classes
highest were rulers and priest
Middle class were merchants
Lower class were laborers and slaves

Religion
Polytheism
poly = many
theism = god belief
believed many gods controlled different
forces of nature

believed gods to do what humans do

Worship in ziggurats
Mesopotamian temple
pyramid-shaped monument

Religions
wealth devoted to building temples
houses for the priests and
priestesses
believed success of crops depended
on the gods
believed Priest to be representative
to the gods

City-States
city and the surrounding countryside
under one political and economic control
Sumerians created first city-states in
Mesopotamia
Power passed from religious leaders to
kings
Kings led armies and organized the water
control projects necessary to sustain
farming

City-States
Role of the city:
Religious center (ziggurat)
Political center (palace)
Trading center (market)
Storage for surplus food
Walls served as defense for citizens

Empire
a large political unit that controls
many peoples and territories
Several city-states brought together
the Akkadian Empire lead by Sargon
became the first in history

Hammurabi

Babylonian Empire
1792 B.C.
ruled for 43 years
a skilled warrior
a clever administrator and a
diplomat

Hammurabis Law Code

282 laws
inscribed on an 8foot-high stele
(stone slab)

Hammurabis Law Code

engraving of King Hammurabi receiving
the laws from Shamash
Babylonian Sun-God
believed to oversee justice in human affairs

based on the principle of retaliation

conditional sentence
if you do this, you will receive this punishment

Purpose for the Code

to promote the welfare of the
people, make justice visible in the
land, destroy the wicked person and
the evil, in order that the strong
might not injure the weak.
placed all groups in the empire under
one law

Purpose for the Code

deals with many aspects of daily life:
property rights, trade(business), family
issues, professional services, and
crime
contained consumer protection laws to
encourage the proper performance of
work
largest group of laws dealt with
marriage and the family

Marriage & Family Laws

Parents arranged marriages, and the two
parties signed a marriage contract
protected women and children
Women still had fewer privileges and
rights than men
expressed the patriarchal nature of
Mesopotamian society
enforced the obedience of children to
parents

Purpose for the Code

Penalties were severe
punished the rich and poor
differently
Main Idea = governments job to look
after its people

Ancient Egypt
Element: Describe the relationship of
religion and political authority in
Ancient Egypt.
Vocabulary: Ancient Egypt, pharaoh,
pyramid, theocracy, mummification

Geography

Geography
The Gift of the Nile
Nile is the longest river in the world
Lower Egypt or the Nile delta = the
area where the Nile splits in two,
before it empties into the
Mediterranean
Upper Egypt = the land upstream

Egypt Unified

began around 3100 B.C.

King Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt
created the first dynasty in Egypt
dynasty = a family of rulers whose right to
rule is passed on within the family

Ancient Egypt

Separated into 3 political periods

1. Old Kingdom
2. Middle Kingdom
3. New Kingdom

The Old Kingdom

27002200 B.C.
rulers became known as pharaohs
the political and religious leader of the
people
thought to be a god-king
Theocracy based on Pharaoh worship

The Old Kingdom

began to build
pyramids
began practicing
mummification
began using
papyrus and
hieroglyphics for
record keeping and
telling stories

Old Kingdom Vocabulary

theocracy - government in which the ruler is
considered to be a divine figure
pharaoh - Egyptian ruler thought of as a god
mummification - process by which a body is
preserved after death
ka - Pharaohs eternal life force
hieroglyphics - Egyptian writing system
(sacred carvings)
pyramid - resting place for Egyptian kings
after death

Society
organized like a pyramid
pharaoh at the top
surrounded by a ruling class of nobles and
priests who ran the government and
managed their own estates
below the upper class were merchants,
artisans, scribes, and tax collectors
largest number of people was peasants who
worked the land, paid taxes, and provided
military service and labor

Advancements
Pyramids, temples, and other
monuments exemplify the
architectural and artistic
achievements
advances in geometry, able to
calculate area and volume
hieroglyphics, or sacred carvings
practice of medicine

Ramses II: the great builder

The Valley of the Kings was a tomb for
the Great Ramses to buried.

The Rosetta Stone

A stone tablet found by French soldiers of
Napoleons army. It is the key to
translating Egyptian Hieroglyphics.

The Middle Kingdom

2180 BCE invaders end the Old Kingdom

20501652 B.C.
golden age of stability
pharaohs displayed a new concern for the
people
undertook public works such as draining
swampland to provide more farming land
the Hyksos invaded from western Asia
had horse-drawn chariots and superior bronze
weapons

The New Kingdom

1567-1085 B.C.
Hyksos driven out
a militaristic and powerful state
massive wealth was used to enhance the prestige
and power of the pharaohs
Hebrews come in
many new temples were constructed

invasions by a group known as the Sea Peoples

eventually caused the loss of the Egyptian Empire
Egypt dominated by Libyans, Nubians, Persians,
and Macedonians

Ancient Middle East

Element: Explain the development of
monotheism to include the concepts
developed by the ancient Hebrews
and Zoroastrianism.
Vocabulary: monotheism, ancient
Hebrews, Zoroastrianism

Israelites
Mesopotamian and Egyptian
civilizations declined
emerged between 12001000 B.C
Semitic people (language)
lived in Palestine

King Solomon
ruled from 970930 B.C.
expanded the government, army,
and trade
built a temple in Jerusalem
ancient Israel reached the height of
its power

Israel Divided

after Solomons death

into two kingdoms
northern kingdom = Israel
southern kingdom = Judah

Assyrians

an empire established by 700 B.C.

conquered Israel
iron weapons, and military conquest
used terror as an instrument of warfare
destroyed the land in which they were
fighting
605 B.C. collapse of empire because of
internal strife and resentment

Judaism
Founder: Abraham
Homeland: Ur (Mesopotamia)
God: Yahweh

Sacred Writings
The Hebrew Bible: Torah, Prophetic
writings and other writings
Talmud: Mishnah (oral laws of Jews)
and Gemara (interpretations of the
Mishnah)

Ceremonies

Passover
Pentecost
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Hanukkah

Key Beliefs
monotheism
Star of David(shield of David) is their
symbol
temple = synagogue
covenant - agreement between God
and his people, could be fulfilled by
obedience to the law of God

Key Beliefs
Prophets - sent by God to serve as
his voice to the people
expressed concern for all humanity
hoped that all people would someday
follow the God of Israel
concerned for social justice
called Jews to act justly, share with
neighbors, care for the poor and
unfortunate, and act with compassion

Zoroastrianism

Founder: Zoroaster
Homeland: Persia (Iran)
God: Ahura Mazda
Sacred Writings: Avesta
Ceremonies: Fire-worship ritual

Key Beliefs
concept of Satan (Angra Mainyu)
belief of Angels
the final judgment and people have a
free will to choose good or evil

Key Beliefs
Humata: Good Thoughts, the
intention or moral resolution to abide
by Asha, the right order of things
Hukhata: Good Words, the
communication of that intention
Havarashta: Good Deeds, the
realization in action of that intention

Persian History
nomadic
Indo-European people

Cyrus

ruled from 559530 B.C.

from Asia Minor to western India
captured Babylon
treated his subjects with wisdom and
restraint
allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem
Cyruss successors extended the empire
Cambyses invaded Egypt

Darius
ruled from 521486 B.C.
extended into India and Europe
created the largest empire the world
had yet seen
Royal Road created to link the empire stretching from Lydia to Susa
set up way stations providing rest,
shelter, and fresh horses for the kings
messengers

After Darius
Persian kings became more isolated
in their luxurious courts
Struggles over power weakened the
empire until it was conquered by
Alexander the Great during the 330s
B.C.

Phoenicians
Element: Describe early trading networks
in the Eastern Mediterranean to include
the impact Phoenicians had on the
Mediterranean World.
Vocabulary: Phoenicians

Phoenicians
Location: City States along
Mediterranean Coast
Accomplishments:
city-states
trade network
writing system
PURPLE DYE (FROM SNAIL GOO)

City-States
never unified politically but wealthy
people were connected by culture
(common language, writing, and
trade practices)
ports 30 miles apart (the length you
could sail in a day)
had to conquer every Phoenician
city-state because they were
independent

City-States
colonies along North Africa, Spain, Sicily &
Sardinia
Carthage:
greatest colony
set-up by the people of Tyre about 814 BCE

Important trade centers:

Byblos traded papyrus
Tyre produced and traded red-purple dye
Sidon produced and traded red-purple dye

Trade Networks
known for ship building and seafarers
controlled trade throughout the Mediterranean
Sea and into the Atlantic Ocean
first Mediterranean people to go out past the
Straight of Gibraltar
connected cultures throughout the region
traded what they retrieved from other lands

wine
weapons
precious metals
ivory
slaves

Writing
Element: Explain the development and
importance of writing to include
cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and the
Phoenician alphabet.
Vocabulary: Cuneiform, hieroglyphics,
Phoenician alphabet, papyrus

Cuneiform: Development
created by Sumerians
wedge-shaped
form of pictograph = the use of
pictures that represent a word or
phrase
used a reed stylus to make wedgeshaped marks on clay tablets, which
were then baked in the sun

Cuneiform: Importance
used to keep records and to pass on
knowledge
allowed people to communicate in
new ways
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an
important Mesopotamian epic poem

Hieroglyphics: Development
created by Egypt around 3000 B.C.
sacred carvings
form of pictograph =used pictures
and abstract forms
written on temple walls and tombs
hieratic script - a simplified version,
written on papyrus

Hieroglyphics: Importance
used for:
business transactions
the general needs of everyday life

Phoenician Alphabet:
Development
developed by the Phoenicians
form of phonetics = used symbols to
represent sounds

Phoenician Alphabet:
Importance
introduced writing systems to trade
partners
influenced the Greeks to use this
system of writing as well