SOUTHWEST ASIA AND EGYPT The Ancient and Classical Period

CYCLE OF CIVILIZATION Nomadic group overruns sedentary area Nomadic group settles down Nomadic group adopts sedentary culture New culture rises to greater heights Culture weakens Culture overrun by new nomadic group Common civilization preserved Typical for all river valley civilizations

1st STATE STRUCTURES Sumerian City-states Akkadian Empire Small, independent but not totally autonomous Local differences but much similarity Run originally by priests, then warrior-kings Aristocratic nobles assisted kings Akkadian Empire Conquest state Tribute state Cuneiform culture of Sumer but Semitic

2nd STATE STRUCTURES Ever larger conquest empires Egypt Three periods called Kingdoms First two periods, Old and Middle are ancient New Kingdom is an empire Pharaoh became increasingly “human” Priests had enormous power in government Babylonian and Assyrian Empires Conquest, tribute empires Old Babylonian Empire: Hammurabi’s Code Assyrian Empire used terror, regular army

SOCIAL STRUCTURES Ruling Classes Other Classes Aristocracy Royalty Nobility Priestly and Military Other Classes “Free” classes Merchants Artisans Intellectuals Peasants and slaves

GENDER STRUCTURES Patriarchal Patrilocal Polygamous Male Roles Female Roles: Public vs. Private

CULTURAL Religious Intellectual Arts and Architecture Polytheist, anthropomorphism of nature Priests hold great power, own land, temples Divine Right vs. Theocracy Intellectual Cuneiform and Hieroglyphics: Scribes Literatures: Gilgamesh, Book of the Dead Arts and Architecture Public Architecture, public art Art Conventions very rigid

TECHNOLOGY Man is a tool maker and user The ability to make and use tools Man innovates to meet needs, deficiencies Sumer is major source of first inventions Metallurgy: Iron Age Maths and Sciences Tools

DEMOGRAPHY/ENVIRONMENT Man alters his environment More pronounced in Mesopotamia Environment is unpredictable, harsher Irrigation, dikes, dams, sluices Agriculture alters environment All societies were overwhelmingly agrarian Heavy agriculture increases human population Some crops really deplete soil Cities are artificial and alter environment Extreme concentration of humans in small space Wastes, diseases concentrated

INTERACTIONS Movement War Exchanges such as Trade, Diseases Human migration: pastoralists, mass migration Semites: Arabs, Jews, Hyksos, Nubians, Phoenicians Indo-Europeans, Indo-Iranians: Hittites, Medes/Persians Culture, social blending Disruptions War Interaction increases as resources become rare As technology improves, so does war Diplomacy arises as conflicts increase Exchanges such as Trade, Diseases Goods and skills exchanged Ideas, diseases exchanged

TWO EXCEPTIONS Hebrews Phoenicians Abraham: Origins – nomadic pastorialist Ethical Monotheism Yahweh, Moses, Covenant, Commandments Phoenicians Traders throughout Mediterranean Artisans: Cloth, Dye, Metallurgy Alphabet: Aleph and Beth