1. Early Societies in Southwest Asia
Chapter 2

2. The Quest for Order
Population increase required political and social organization
Mesopotamia: between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Very dry with unpredictable flooding -> irrigation

3. Sumer
C BCE: first cities (pol and mil authority, regional control, cult. and econ. centers)
Some became city-states, ruled by assemblies, then absolute monarchs
citizens participated in public works projects: walls, ziggurats, irrigation systems, military

4. The Course of Empire War between city-states -> regional empires
Sargon of Akkad: conquered Sumerian city-states, forming empire
Declined due to rebellion and invasion

5. The Course of Empire (cont.)
Hammurabi: ruled Babylonian Empire with bureaucratic rule and taxes, laws (“an eye for an eye”)
Declined due to Hittite invasion

6. The Later Mesopotamian Empires
Assyrians: powerful military (infantry and cavalry with chariots, plus iron weapons)
Used Babylonian gov. techniques and laws
Decline due to rebellion and invasion

7. The Later Mesopotamian Empires (cont.)
New Babylonian Empire: aka Chaldeans
Nebuchadnezzar, lavish capital, hanging gardens
Decline due to invasion

8. Economic Specialization and Trade
Bronze metallurgy: copper and tin, weapons, tools
Iron metallurgy: cheaper
The wheel: carts, wagons to move grain, bricks, ore
Shipbuilding: trade as far as India
Trade Networks: trading colonies

9. Social Structure Social classes, due to wealth
Ruling elites, plus priests and priestesses (temples owned land and workshops)
Free commoners – peasants and city workers, owned land
Dependent clients – laborers, no property
Slaves – POWs, convicts, debtors; worked as laborers or servants

10. Gender Roles Patriarchal: adult males ruled households, in public
Early, some women had power (in court, temples)
Later, male control of women increased (virginity, veiling)

11. Written Cultural Traditions
Earliest: c BCE for econ purposes (pictographs)
C BCE – symbols = cuneiform
Adopted by others
Schools, astronomy, mathematics, literature

12. Hebrews
Pastoral nomads – some settled in Mesopotamia (e.g., Abraham of Ur) and later Palestine
Some migrated to Egypt, led back by Moses
Formed 12 tribes of Israel, then unified as monarchy (David, Solomon) with capital at Jerusalem

13. Hebrews (cont.) Early, polytheistic (Mesopotamian gods)
Later, monotheistic – Yahweh (10 Commandments, Torah)
Palestine divided into Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah (conquered by various empires)
Maintained strong sense of identity

14. The Phoenicians = Canaanites Early: indep. city-states
More interested in commerce than expansion
Overland and maritime trade
Set up trade colonies; traded along Atlantic coast
Created alphabet from cuneiform

15. Indo-European Migrations
Language family found throughout Eurasia
BCE: W. Asia steppes – pastoral/agriculturalists
Domesticated horses, with carts, chariots
Allowed military and transportation advantage, and means of expansion
Population increase ->
gradual migrations

16. Indo-European Migrations
West: Hittites – Anatolia, kingdom, trade with Mesop.
2 important innovations: war chariots and refined iron metallurgy
East: central Asia (burials in China)
West: Greece, central and western Europe
Pastoral/agriculturalists, no cities or states
Social structure: military ruling elite, priests, commoners
South: Iran and India; same, but did form states