1. Favorable Geography Benefits of Nile Natural Boundaries Rich soil
Water
Transportation
Natural Boundaries

2. 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

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

4. Egyptian History New Kingdom 1,570-1100 BC The Empire Ramses II
Tutankhamen

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

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

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

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

10. Mesopotamia

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

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

13. Peoples Sumerians Hittites Babylonians Assyrians Hebrews Chaldeans
Phoenicians
Lydians
Hittites
Assyrians
Chaldeans
Persians

14. Sumerians 4,000BC-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

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

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

17. Phoenicians
BC-north of Palestine on Mediterranean coast (modern Lebanon)
Traded throughout Mediterranean
Established colonies
Specialized in purple (royal color)
Contributions
Alphabet

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

19. Hittites About 2000 BC Northern Asia Minor (area rich in iron)
Warriors
Skilled in ironworking

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

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

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

23. Persians (cont’d.) Contributions Spread of culture Religion
Treated subject peoples humanely
Adopted ideas and practices from their conquered peoples
Stimulated interchange among peoples
Religion
Struggle between good and evil
Zoroastrianism

24. FIRST
EMPIRES