1. Early Societies in Southwest Asia and the Indo-European Migration
Chapter 2

2. A Note of Caution
Because this is a fast paced course, and the first 6 chapters of the textbook are only 5% of what is covered on the AP World History exam, this presentation is condensed.
In order to be fully prepared for the quiz, students should make sure they are reading the textbook!
This will be true throughout the course!

3. Pre-history Pre-history is before the written record.
How do we know what happened during Pre-history?
Artifacts are a key tool to discovering both Pre and Historical events.
Artifacts reveal information about the lives of early peoples.
These are discovered by Archeologists and Anthropologists.

4. Chapter 1-2
Evolution of Mankind
Human beings clearly stand out as the most distinctive of the primate species.
Whereas other animal species adapted physically and genetically to their natural environment, human beings altered the natural environment to suit their needs and desires.
Anthropologists call humans and other human-like creatures hominids.
Some notable types of hominids include Australopithecus ( the southern ape), Homo erectus (upright-walking human), and Homo sapiens (consciously thinking human)
Homo-Sapiens differed from other hominids because they buried their dead, had high intelligence, and spoke several languages.
This time period is referred to as the Paleolithic Era
Period 1

5. Global Migrations of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens

6. Early Humans
Lucy
Discovered by Donald Johanson in 1974 in Ethiopia. She was an Australopithecus or “southern ape”.
Neanderthal
Scientists think Neanderthals had religious beliefs because they buried meat and tools with their dead
Cro-Magnon
One thing that made the Cro-Magnon’s different from other hominids was that they painted pictures on cave walls

8. Chapter 1-2
Period 1

9. Neolithic Revolution
Early humans were nomadic, meaning they traveled many different places in search of food.
The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution was a slow process that shifted people from food gathering to food producing and revolutionized early human life.
Nomads & Foragers start farming which allowed them to have a reliable source of food.
As a result, the population exploded.

10. Early Agricultural Society
Historians estimate that before agriculture, about 10,000 BCE, the earth’s human population was 4 million.
By 5000 BCE, when agriculture had appeared in a few world regions, human population had risen to about 5 million
Year
Human Population
3000 BCE
14 million
2000 BCE
27 million
1000 BCE
50 million
500 BCE
100 million

11. Origins and early spread of agriculture

12. Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia comes from two Greek words and means “the land between the rivers”.
This refers to the refers to the fertile valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which are in modern-day Iraq.
People in these areas soon realized that by tapping into these rivers, building reservoirs, and digging canals, they could irrigate fields of barley, wheat, and peas.

13. River Valley
The valley is known by many names, Tigris-Euphrates River Valley, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, The Fertile Crescent and Sumer.
Unlike the Nile, the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates could not be predicted.
Early people of the valley viewed nature and the gods as harsh and unpredictable

14. Sumerians
These pastoral nomads settled in Mesopotamia about 5000 BCE creating the civilization of Sumer
Ur and Uruk were the largest cities with close to 50,000 people
This organization of people led to massive development of Mesopotamia
Canals, dams; which needed a centralized government
Sumerian government developed into city states
Competing city states would go to war over resources

16. Life in Sumer Temples were known as ziggurats.
The Sumerians also invented the arch.
The Sumerian gods were identified with forces of nature and heavenly bodies, such as the sun and moon.
Polytheistic
Made sacrifices to please the gods
They buried their dead with some possessions, but did not believe in a vivid afterlife
Upper class women enjoyed some freedom
Owned property, have income
Marriages were arranged and only boys were educated

19. Ziggurats

20. Sumer Economy and Trade
As farming increased food surplus, specialization of labor allowed for craftspeople to create goods
Sumerians traded extensively by land and sea
Egypt, Persia, Southeastern Africa, India (Harappa)
Pottery, cloth, utensils in bronze
The introduction of specialized labor would change the social structure of Sumerian life
New class of wealthy, nobles and land owners
40% of people were slaves

21. Sumerian Contributions
Cuneiform as invented as a writing system for record keeping
Inventions: cart, metal plow, sun dial, 12 month calendar, and Sumerian numbering system based on 60
Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest piece of literature
This is how historians know so much about Sumer

22. Writing
Sumerian pictographs are one of the earliest known forms of writing
Most signs were wedged shaped
They formed a system called cuneiform meaning wedge shaped

23. Decline of Sumer
Mesopotamia was an attractive location to live with plenty of water and fertile land
This attracted other groups who wanted to control the region
There were no natural barriers to stop invaders and Sumerians were not warriors at heart
Sumer fell to invaders circa 2300 BCE
Babylonians would form the next early civilization empire

24. The Akkadians
In 2330 BCE, the Akkadians attacked and conquered the Sumerians.
Their great ruler was Sargon. He ruled from BCE. He was the most powerful Akkadian king.
The Akkadian Empire lasted 150 years and they founded a new city called Babylon.

25. The Babylonians
Hammurabi is their great ruler. He comes to power in 1792 BCE.
He is most famous for the Code of Hammurabi.
The Code of Hammurabi used the principle of lextalionis or “law of retaliation”.
Women had some legal and economic rights
The Babylonians believed in many of the Sumerian gods.

26. Code of Hammurabi

27. The Assyrians Came to power between 900-650 BCE
Known for being fierce warriors; First to use cavalry in battle
The Assyrian Empire included Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and the Nile River Valley
Their capital was called Nineveh. This is the same Nineveh mentioned in the Bible
Nineveh had a great library. In its many texts was the Epic of Gilgamesh.

28. The Chaldeans
Peak of power is during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, BCE
Known for their skills in math and science
Created one of the great wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

29. Mesopotamian Empires, 1800-600 B.C.E.
Chapter 1-2
Mesopotamian Empires, B.C.E.
Period 1

30. Social Classes in Mesopotamian Societies
Chapter 1-2
Social Classes in Mesopotamian Societies
Ruling classes based often on military prowess
Perceived as offspring of gods
Religious classes
Role: intervention with gods to ensure good fortune for community
Considerable landholdings, other economic activities
Free commoners
Peasant cultivators
Some urban professionals
Slaves
Prisoners of war, convicted criminals, debtors
Period 1

31. Patriarchal Society Men as landowners, relationship to status
Chapter 1-2
Patriarchal Society
Men as landowners, relationship to status
Patriarchy: “rule of the father”
Right to sell wives, children
Double standard of sexual morality
Women drowned for adultery
Relaxed sexual morals for men
Yet some possibilities of social mobility for women
Court advisers, temple priestesses, economic activity
Introduction of the veil at least ca B.C.E.
Period 1

32. The Hittites Settled in Mesopotamia sometime around 1600 BCE
First people to smelt iron
The Hittites had an advanced law system, different from the Code of Hammurabi, similar to our own.

33. Phoenicians The Phoenicians appeared around 1200 BCE
Their main industry was trade
Phoenicia only had one, main natural resource, lumber!
The Lebanon Mountains in Phoenicia had beautiful cedar forests and many other types of trees.
Lumber was rare in many places in Asia Minor and Africa, so it was considered an important and valuable resource.

34. Trade
Phoenicia’s main exports were lumber, metals such as gold and silver, and hand-blown glass.
Another export was a shellfish called murex that would be used to make a purple dye.
This dye was very expensive to make, and it became the symbol of royalty throughout the ancient world.
Through their trading, the Phoenicians’ founded many cities including Carthage in North Africa.

35. The Phoenician World

36. Early Phoenician Ship

37. Phoenician Trading Ship

38. Phoenician Alphabet

39. The Hebrews
Most of the historical information we have on the Hebrews comes from the Bible
Modern Jews trace their heritage through the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Key Hebrew Figures:
Abraham
Joseph
Moses –Monotheism
David
Solomon-Builder of The Temple

40. The Founding of Israel
After spending 40 years in the Sinai desert, the Hebrews entered a time where Judges and Prophets were the government.
Around 900 BCE, the tribes created one nation, Israel, and united under one king, Saul.
Saul was succeeded by David who founded a powerful dynasty.
David made Jerusalem the capital city & religious center for Israel.

41. Peak of Power
The Peak of Israeli power came during the reign of King Solomon.
Solomon made Israel a wealthy and respected nation.
He was known for his wise decisions and respected the law, such as the Torah
His great achievement was building the first Temple.

42. The Temple

43. The Fall
After Solomon’s death, the tribes split with the 10 northern tribes remaining Israel with their capital at Samaria.
The two southern tribes formed Judah with Jerusalem as its capital
The Assyrians and the Chaldeans both conquered Israel, and the Chaldeans destroyed Solomon’s Temple.
The Persian king, Cyrus allowed the Hebrews to return to Israel and rebuild the Temple.