Everyone is gifted….but some people never open the package.
How did humans advance during the Paleolithic era?
Neanderthal Man: 250,000-30,000 years Cooperated through language Advanced stone tools Used fire for cooking and protection Wore clothing Buried dead Lived in caves [cave art ? 2012]
CroMagnon / modern Man: 35,000- present time Sewing needles, buttons Snug boots; hooded parkas, pants w/ leggings Fish hooks & harpoons Bows and arrows Flint tools and weapons Lamps / animal fat
Why are the discoveries of Jarmo, Jericho and Catal Huyuk of interest to historians?
Ancient Jericho
What makes “a way of life” a civilization? Writing system Organized economy Specialization of labor Social classes Legal code Advanced art Central government Several cities with monumental architecture ***Religion – the central force in primary civilizations
Marshland and swamps…
Mesopotamia: the rise of civilization
The Assyrian capital at Nineveh
Ashurbanipal King of Assyria ( BCE)
Cuneiform tablet – symbol writing on clay tablets with a reed stylus
Sir Henry Rawlinson
The Behistun Rock
Cuneiform tablets
How did Mesopotamia get its name
How was Mesopotamia transformed around 3000 BC?
Each city was the property of a specific deity. Temple priests interpreted the will of the gods and acted as stewards of a city's deity. The ruler of the city – a priest- king often was visited and instructed by the community's god.
Religion was the central force: Explained the workings of nature Eased the fear of death Justified rules and morality United people in a common view Bolstered the authority of rulers Promoted creativity in art, literature and science
How did Mesopotamians define the purpose of man’s existence?
Why did a mood of uncertainty and anxiety pervade the Mesopotamian psyche? Frequent floods and droughts Windstorms Invasions The gods were unpredictable
The Standard of Ur
King Gudea of Lagash C bc The inscription describes a temple dedicated to the goddess Geshtin- anna
How did King Sargon earn a place in our history books?
Third Dynasty of Ur… Ur-Nammu, BC
The ancient Sumerians were very smart people: Cuneiform Law codes Literature Schools Numbering system Kiln-dried bricks & pottery Lunar calendar Potter’s wheel The wheel The wheelbarrow Sailboats Bronze tools and weapons The plow Frying pans Razors Cosmetic sets Shepherd’s pipes harps
Why were King Hammurabi’s law codes obeyed?