1. The Early Societies in Southwest Asia and The Indo-European Migrations
Sami Noble, Kaimi Hoopii &
Jashlee Tellez

2. What is a civilization & what are defining characteristics of a civilization? How did the civilizations develop & grow more complex before 600 BCE? What were the effects of this increasing complexity?
Civilization- a civilization is a society with its own advanced ways of survival and culture, religion, government, and economy. These characteristics define what each civilization is, and in each one these characteristics are different, which is what makes them unique.
How did this civilization grow more complex before 600 B.C?- a diverse economy and culture emerged, as did patriarchy, social classes, and many advancements. They learned bronze and iron metallurgy, and how to build wheels, and ships, and formed a system of trade.

3. Where did these early civilizations develop, and why did they develop there?
All of these early civilizations developed near a source of water. This is because water is essential to life, for themselves, and for crops.

4. What is a state. Who rules the early states
What is a state? Who rules the early states? Which segments of society usually supported the ruler?
States- formal governmental institutions that wielded authority throughout their territories.
The rulers of these states were most likely prominent men who made decisions on behalf of their whole community. This gradually led to them establishing themselves as monarchs, and later rose to kings.
The nobles usually supported the ruler. The nobles were usually military leaders.

5. Was your state able to expand & conquer neighboring states
Was your state able to expand & conquer neighboring states? Why/ Why not?
This state was able to expand, as they had problems with other city states. This caused an army to be recruited. They went through other city states, which were defenseless, and gained control of their trade routes and natural resources.

6. What role did pastoral civilizations play in regards to building empires?
Migrants from other regions were attracted into cities. They spoke a variety of other languages, and brought immense diversity to these emerging empires.

7. How did culture play a role in unifying populations?
One of the sophisticated cultural traditions that formed was writing. The same style of writing spread all over Mesopotamia. It became the foundation of literature, education, science and religious beliefs. The writing being the same also meant having the same foundation. All of Mesopotamia is connected to the same roots. As their productivity improved, more trading networks were needed, and with writing they are able to trade, record and communicate so much better and efficiently. It created a consistent interaction between all the populations in Mesopotamia.

8. What architectural forms did your early civilization produce?
Temples were built and in them lived priest and priestess. Most of the priest/ priestess were younger relatives of the rulers. In the temple communities, they would receive offerings (food, drink, clothing etc.) to give to their gods. Temple communities also made income depending on the labor they specialized in. their wealth allowed them to take in inhabitants and orphans and serve the needs of larger communities. They also served as a bank, where people could store their wealth.

9. Which social class encouraged the development of art in your civilization?
The ruling class, kings and nobles, often ordered the construction of lavish buildings and decorations that reflected their high status. These orders will eventually spark the creativity in several people and soon lead to many more art styles. Though now commoners are doing art and architecture because they’ve been commanded to, later they’ll develop it into their culture to reflect feelings and interests.

10. What forms of writing developed in your ancient civilization?
In Mesopotamia, they first experimented with pictographs to represent trading items, agricultural products and/or animals, but by 3100 BCE, they had switch to a more conventional system. Instead, they had signs representing specific words. Cuneiform became the new and improved writing style around 2900 BCE. They made a stylus from a reed and used it to write into the wet clay. Once the clay would dry, the message would be permanently be engraved. This idea widely spread and was used for many years.
By 1500 BCE, early Phoenicians had developed a new systematic alphabetic script. Rather than having to learn hundred signs for cuneiform, the only had to learn twenty-two letters and build them into words. This made people more literate than ever before and it spread quickly to almost all of the world.

11. What was the relationship between literature & culture in your ancient civilization?
The cuneiform writing was the way Sumerians kept track of commercial transactions and tax collections. It relates with their culture because it explains what they did, how they communicated and what their beliefs were.

12. What pre-600 BCE religions strongly influenced later eras?
Judaism, Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism, Legalism and Guardianism

13. What trade routes and outside peoples did your early civilization utilize?
The Nile, through Mesopotamia (point between Mediterranean, Egypt and the Indus Valley, and throughout the Mediterranean via the Phoenicians)

14. How did social and gender identities develop pre-600 BCE in your early civilization?
Everyday freedom, legal rights, property ownership. There were a fair amount of expectations still