Mesopotamia
Geography Tigres and Euphrates, Fertile Crescent Land between two rivers, trade on water Asia Minor/Middle East Surrounded by desert one side, mountains Mediterranean Sea to Persian Gulf Floods and deposits of silt, sporadic=irrigation systems Roads influence geography barriers Migration of Indo-Europeans from steppes
Politics Develop city-states, independent: Sumer, Ur, Babylon, Uruk, Akkad Compete for resources, fighting Ziggurat center of city, walled Military leaders-war heroes, become kings, dynasties Big government projects, keep government documents Sargon- first Empire, standing army Hammurabi- Code 282 laws, first written set of laws, posted=consistency, tax collection, roads-trade Strict governments formed to deter rebellion, Assyrians: use terrorism as policy tool, seige warfare Some empires develop almost feudal system: Persians have satraps-local governors
Politics Chaldeans: Nebuchadnezzar II, captures Jerusalem Persians: Cyrus, Darius (Ten Thousand Immortals), Xerxes
Economics Farming-irrigation, bronze plowing tools Textile trades Regional trading, use waterways Sewer Roads lead to permanent trading routes, shipping by water develops also: Royal Road, move trade, messages, 1500 miles Barley, cattle Phoenicians first coins
Religion Polytheistic-many gods Have patron gods for each city-states Priests/priestess powerful Human qualities Good v evil-dualism-Zoroastrianism, founder Zoroaster, Ahura Mazda v. Ahriman Book: Avesta Ziggurats temples, pyramid structure Gods explain nature
Society Woman status as priestess, some scribes, some are educated Hierarchy: king, priests, agents Landowners, wealthy merchants Artisans, farmers, laborers Slaves: Chaldeans use Jewish pop as slaves Assyrians fierce warfare society
Intellect Cuneiform- writing using sharp tools on clay tablets Permanent records, post laws, written culture- literature Cylinder seals Role scribe Epic of Gilgamesh- story legendary king Math based on 60, time 60 minutes, 360 degrees Basic surgery Assyrian library:Nineveh Astronomy-calendar based on phases of the moon Phoenician alphabet
Arts EPIC, songs, poems Textiles Sculpture Architecture Ivory, bronze Pottery Phoenicians glass blowing Babylon Hanging Gardens Persians: Persepolis, arches, lots of animals Purple dye Hittites ironworking developments
Decline Sargon, Akkadian Empire, last 140 years Babylon, Amorite, Hammurabi, about 200 years Hittites Kassites Assyrians Chaldeans Phoenicians Persians Alexander the Great of Greece