1. “Land Between the Rivers”
Mesopotamia
“Land Between the Rivers”

2. The Phoenicians
Occupy area between Mediterranean Sea and Lebanon Mountains
Semitic
AKA Canaanites from the land of Canaan
Early Phoenicians
3000 BCE Migrate to Canaan
Independent city-states and local kings-> Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, Byblos
Interested in commercial opportunities

3. The Phoenicians Phoenician Trade Networks
Maritime trade and communication networks
Lands unfit for agriculture-> focus on industry and trade (2600 BCE)
Provide cedar timber, furnishings, and decorative items to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem
Trade by land with Mesopotamians et. Al
Trade by sea with Rhodes, Cyprus, Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, North Africa
Import food and raw materials
Export metal goods, textiles, pottery, glass, art, cedar logs

4. The Phoenicians Dominated Mediterranean trade 1200-800 BCE
Sought copper and tin to make bronze, ivory, semiprecious stones
Beyond Mediterranean
Canary Islands
Portugal
France
British Isles
African West Coast
Worship Mesopotamian gods
Associate gods with natural phenomena
Each city built own temples to honor favored gods

5. The Phoenicians Alphabetic Writing
Phoenician collections of religious, historical, and literary writings
1500 BCE, Phoenicians develop 22 symbols representing consonants
More people able to become literate
Greeks modify Phoenician alphabet-> Romans modify Greeks
Alphabetic writing spread to Asia

6. Indo-European Migrations
Indo-European Languages
Similarities between languages of Europe, Southwest Asia, and India
Ancestors of common tongue migrated from original homeland
Languages evolve but retain grammatical structure and vocabulary
Indo-European Homeland
Modern day Ukraine and Southern Russia near Black Sea and Caspian Sea ( BCE)
Herd cattle, sheep, goats
Grow barley and millet
Hunt horses

7. Indo-European Migrations
Horses
Domesticate horses by 4000 BCE
Food
Transportation
3000 BCE, hitch horses to carts, wagons, and chariots (from Sumer)
Rely on horses and wheeled vehicles for transport
Provided faster, more efficient transportation technologies and military advantages
Indo-Europeans see themselves as superior to others (Aryans, Iran, Eire from Aryo= nobleman or lord

8. Indo-European Migrations
Indo-European Expansion
Population explosion in southern Russia
Horses allow IE speakers to expand beyond homeland
IE society breaks up around 3000 BCE
Migrations continue through 1000 CE-> spread language and ethnic communities

9. Indo-European Migrations
The Hittites
IE migrate to Anatolia 1900 BCE
BCE, built powerful kingdoms, establish relations with Mesopotamia
Traded with Assyrians and Babylonians
Adapt cuneiform to IE language and deities
Take over Babylonian Empire 1595 BCE-> became dominant power in southwest Asia
BCE, Eastern Anatolia, Northern Mesopotamia, Syria, Phoenicia
1200 BCE Hittite state dissolves

10. Indo-European Migrations
War Chariots
Hittites invent lightweight, horse-drawn war chariots
Refine iron metallurgy
Greatly strengthened society and influence on other peoples
Sumerians used chariots but they were slow and heavy
Babylonians and Assyrians add chariots to armies
Charioteers as elite strike forces

11. Indo-European Migrations
Iron Metallurgy
1300 BCE Hittites refine iron metallurgy-> produce effective weapons in large quantities
1200 BCE Hittite kingdoms collapse
Iron craftsmen disperse and spread iron production methods

12. Indo-European Migrations
To the East
Migrants go to central/western China (2000 BCE)
To the West
2200 BCE, to Greece, then Italy (1000 BCE)
2300 BCE southern Russia to central Europe (Germany/Austria)
1200 BCE to Western Europe (France), then to British Isles, Baltic Region, Iberian Peninsula
Migrants depended on pastoral and agricultural economies- no cities or states set up

13. Indo-European Migrations
To the West
1000 BCE, Celtic peoples dominate Europe north of Mediterranean
Similar languages and deities
Social groups: military ruling elite, priests, commoners
Tend herds, cultivate crops, miners, craftsmen, metal workers
Traded copper, tin, handicrafts throughout Europe

14. Indo-European Migrations
To the South
1500 BCE, Medes and Persians migrate to Iranian Plateau, Aryans to Northern India
Herd animals, cultivate grains, divide into classes-> rulers, priests, commoners
Build powerful states based on horses and iron weapons