PREHISTORY

Main themes First people in Africa Old Stone Age- (Paleolithic) hunter gathers New Stone Age- (Neolithic) people began to farm and domesticate animals. History- the written/recorded events. Prehistory-before writing.

Farming communities spread to villages…then to towns…then to cities because of food surplus. SCARCITY: the opposite of surplus, meaning to not have enough. Fire allowed them to move to colder climates. (great discovery) INVENTION Iceman lived 3000BC. 4 components of civilization: have cities, Central government, Job specialization & Social classes

MESOPOTAMIA

Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers Called the Fertile Crescent Sumerian religious temples called ziggurats. Babylonia conquered Sumer, Assyria conquered Babylonia, Chaldeans conquered Assyria.

Civilizations shared: language culture gods BUT had different rulers. 1st writing: cuneiform first used to keep records Writing on flat clay tablets

Important People Hammurabi -Babylonian King -1st written law code (282) -how they settle in their life/time. Nebuchadnezzar -Rebuilt city of Babylon after Assyrians destroyed it. -Built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Phoenicia A major sea power for TRADE!!! Created a newer simpler type of writing. Had purple dye created from snails.

ISRAELITES The Hebrew Holy text is the Torah. Abraham- leader of the Israelites taught his people monotheism. Went from Mesopotamia to Canaan to Egypt where they were slaves. God gave a covenant (holy promise) to Abraham that his people would be kings.

Moses led his people out of Egypt in an Exodus. Set up kingdom of Israel. Taken over by the Assyrians and then later Rome. Ten Commandments supposedly given by Moses.