River Valley Civilizations Egypt Mesopotamia

Egypt

Favorable Geography  Benefits of Nile  Rich soil  Water  Transportation  Natural Boundaries

Egyptian History  Early gov’ts to control Nile  Eventually combined:  Lower Egypt (north)  Upper Egypt (south)  Old Kingdom  3,100-2,200 BC  Pyramids built as tombs

Egyptian History  Middle Kingdom  2,200-1,730 BC  Age of Nobles  Canal from Nile to Red Sea  Ended by Hyksos with horses/chariots

Egyptian History  New Kingdom  1, BC  The Empire  Ramses II  Tutankhamen

Egyptian Life  Pharaoh=absolute monarch  Privileged aristocracy  Pharaoh & his family  Nobles  Priests  Unprivileged masses  Peasants  Slaves

Egyptian Life  Economic activities  Depended chiefly on agriculture  Glassblowing  Imported timber and copper  Religious beliefs  Polytheistic  Mummification

Egyptian Contributions  Math  Surveyed land  Art  Huge stone statues  Carved/painted various scenes  Architecture & engineering  Pyramids and temples  Dams and irrigation canals

Egyptian Contributions  Hieroglyphs on papyrus  History  Scientific/Math knowledge  Government/Business records  Science  Solar-year calendar (365 days)  Prepared mummies  Recognized/Treated diseases

Mesopotamia

Fertile Crescent  Divided into:  East  Tigris and Euphrates river valleys (Mesopotamia)  West  Eastern Mediterranean coast

Influence of Geography  Rivers/Coastline  Seaports/trade developed  Lack of stone  Clay for construction & writing  Low, level plains  No natural barriers to invasion

Peoples  Sumerians  Babylonians  Hebrews  Phoenicians  Lydians  Hittites  Assyrians  Chaldeans  Persians

Sumerians  4,000 BC -Independent city-states  Contributions  Cuneiform on clay tablets  System of numbers based on 60  Basis of time and rotation units  Architecture  Invented arch  Built ziggurats

Babylonians  1750 BC led by Hammurabi  Conquered other city- states  Contributions  Code of Hammurabi  Astronomy  Led to astrology

Hebrews  BC -moved from SE tip of Fertile Crescent to SW  Conquered by various Mesopotamian peoples  Contributions  Monotheism  Old Testament  Emphasis on high moral principles

Phoenicians  BC-north of Palestine on Mediterranean coast  Traded throughout Mediterranean  Established colonies  Specialized in purple (royal color)  Contributions  Missionaries of civilization  Alphabet

Lydians  After 1000 BC lived in Asia Minor  Contribution  Coinage of money

Hittites  About 2000 BC appeared in northern Asia Minor (area rich in iron)  Contribution  Iron

Assyrians  After 800 BC built an empire  Learned about iron from Hittites  Conquered Fertile Crescent/Egypt  Terrorized enemies and subjects  Contributions  Government  Divided empire into provinces  Built military roads  Library  Art

Chaldeans  612 BC overthrew Assyrians  Gained control of Fertile Crescent  Established 2nd Babylonian Empire  Contributions  Architecture  Nebuchadnezzar-Hanging Gardens of Babylon  Astronomy

Persians  6th century BC expanded from Plateau of Iran  Largest empire yet seen  Contributions  Government  Provinces ruled by satrap  Eyes and Ears of the King  Roads for military and trade  Coined money

Persians (cont’d.)  Contributions  Spread of culture  Treated subject peoples humanely  Adopted ideas and practices from their conquered peoples  Stimulated interchange among peoples  Religion  Good and evil

River Valley Civilizations Egypt Mesopotamia