History 1 History of World Civilizations Part 1 Week 2: Structure of the State, Part 1 Statuary of a Sumerian harpist

Looking Back T/F – Paleolithic people practiced horticulture while Neolithic people practiced agriculture T/F You can find downloadable study aids for this course at websites.rcc.edu/Borses T/F You need an appointment to see me during office hours Which is a better word to describe Paleolithic homo sapiens: hunter-gatherers or foragers? Why? T/F Paleolithic people survived mainly by hunting megafauna

Recap Last time we discussed how to study “prehistory,” the years before the invention of writing. We also explored the differences between human societies during the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. Today we will examine the creation of the state as a method to bring organization some of the earliest human civilizations, starting in Mesopotamia, and ancient Egypt before moving on to other civilizations in Southwest Asia.

Big Questions of the Day What does the term civilization mean? Who does the phrase include? Who does it exclude? What was it about early, complex civilizations that required the creation of state structures? What similarities existed across these early complex civilizations? [Hint: Think about the structure of the state that governed these societies]

The Advent of Civilizations Changing Social Relationships Bands: a few dozen people Tribes: several hundred people, a leader Chiefdoms: thousands, hereditary leader, increased food production, trade economy, government

What does the term “Mesopotamia” mean? Geography terms: the fertile crescent The Tigris and the Euphrates

The Stele of Ushumgal Vocabulary: stele Writing was a key innovation in Early Complex Societies Vocabulary: stele

Term: cuneiform (wedge shaped)

Advice to Ambitious Young Egyptians from a Royal Scribe (ca Advice to Ambitious Young Egyptians from a Royal Scribe (ca. 1350-1200 B.C.E.) Love writing, shun dancing; then you become a worthy official. Do not long for the marsh ticket. Turn your back on stick and chase. By day write with your fingers; recite by night. Befriend the scroll, the palette. It pleases more than wine. Writing for him who knows it is better than all other professions. It please more than bread and beer, more than clothing and ointment. It is worth more than an inheritance in Egypt…

Considering the Power of the State Term: state 1) What does it take for a state to develop? 2) What powers do states have and how can they exercise that power? 3) What roles do people play in allowing a state to exercise its power? 4) How can a state shape culture? 11

Pyramid-Shaped Societies Top: Ruler (The King, Pharaoh, etc…)  Second tier: religious leaders, scribes, bureaucrats, etc. Below: everyone else, Often divided by class or caste. Often captives and slaves at the very bottom. In a pyramid-shaped society, sovereignty rests at the top. Where does sovereignty rest in the United States?

Trappings of Power Standing before the Assyrian King

Irrigation and Power in Sumer Ancient Sumerian irrigation channels Who gets credit for making irrigation work?

The City of Ur The first “city”? Temple of Ur Ziggurat

Ordinary Sumerians No one knows where they came from Language different than the other languages around them Started small

A Knack for Invention potter’s wheel Wheel (used on chariots) The razor The sailboat Not pictured: Sexidecimal system

The Epic of Gilgamesh This is a decorative panel unearthed by archeologists in Ur.

Conquerors and Cultural Transmission

Geography terms: the fertile crescent The Tigris and the Euphrates

The Law Code of Hammurabi

Ancient Egypt Three Eras: 1) The Old Kingdom 2) The Middle Kingdom 3) The New Kingdom Each period was followed by a break-down in order called the First, Second and Third Intermediate Periods, respectively Terms: Ma’at, Pharaoh

Egyptian Writing Egyptians wrote on papyrus, created by drying reeds from the Nile River. Egyptian pictographs are known as Hieroglyphics, though there was a simpler script as well known as hieratic (priest writing)

Egyptian Religion Egyptians were polytheistic Pantheon of gods shifted as Egyptian history progressed Book of the Dead

Pyramid of the Pharaoh Khufu at Giza What type of labor force would be needed to construct this? What type of bureaucratic organization would be needed to organize its construction? Statue of the Pharoah Khufu, from the 4th dynasty, Egypt’s Old Kingdom

The Lives of Ordinary Egyptians

Excerpt from Egypt’s Golden Empire Terms: *Hatshepsut obelisks The New Kingdom Thutmosis III Ma’at Senemut Deir el Bahri Punt Watch 15 minutes from approximately 20 minutes in to 35 minutes in, when the story switches to Thutmosis III Granite statue of Hatshepsut

Next Up: “Mesopotamia and the Ancient Egyptians” Next time we will continue our examination of the creation of the state as a method to bring organization some of the earliest human civilizations looking specifically and the Hebrews, Assyrians and Persians. BRING YOUR SOURCE OF WORLD SOCIETIES We will break into groups and discuss the Law Code of Hammurabi and the assigned excerpt from the Book of Exodus.