1. CHAPTER 1
STONE AGE SOCIETIES AND THE EARLIEST CIVILIZATIONS OF THE NEAR EAST

2. The Development of Humankind
Most of human existence is prehistory.
Apes to humans: hominids, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens.

3. Preliterate Cultures
Practical intelligence makes up for physical limitations
Paleolithic Culture: making and using tools
The Neolithic Revolution and Advent of Agriculture.

4. Preliterate Society and Religion
Social Organization: elementary and extended families.
Customs, laws, and democracy organize early societies.
All of these advances occurred in different places on earth at different times.

5. Mesopotamia: The First Civilization
Historians argue about how to define a civilization.
A stable community, agriculture, architecture and writing
6,000 B.C.E. The southern part of Mesopotamia, in Sumer.
Man vs. The Environment.

6. The Emergence of Civilization in Sumer
c B.C.E.
Development of language, pottery wheel, wheeled vehicle.

7. The Old Sumerian Period
B.C.E.
Constant warfare erupts between cities.
Theocracy
Political upheaval arises as the result of despotic abuse of power.
Slavery

8. The Akkadian Period C. 2300-2150 B.C.E.
Sargon I, ruler of Akkadian empire that stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

9. The Neo-Sumerian Period
c B.C.E.
Characterized by the restoration of order by the Third Dynasty of Ur.
Religion as “arm of the state.”

10. The Old Babylonian Period
c B.C.E.
Hammurabi and his code.
Mathematics and Society
Literature and Religion
The End of an Era

11. Egypt: Gift of the Nile One of Africa’s earliest civilizations.
Attachment to the Nile River.
Predynastic Egypt

12. The Old Kingdom
c B.C.E.
All power becomes central: the pharaoh.
Pyramids

13. The Middle Kingdom 2050-1800 B.C.E.
The Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties restore order.
Hyksos of western Asia rule much of Egypt.

14. The New Kingdom or Empire
c B.C.E.
The “aggressive state” and Thutmose II

15. Third Intermediate Period
c B.C.E.
Amon priesthood ruled Upper Egypt
Libyans from the west ruled central Egypt.
Dynasty of merchant princes in the the Delta.

16. Nubia and the Kingdom of Kush
1600 B.C.E.
Kingdom of Kush developed, relying mostly on the Nile and agriculture.
Also united Egypt with African societies to the south and east.
Eventually absorbed by the Ethiopian kingdom c. 400 C.E.

17. Egyptian Society and Economy
Social organization
Economy
Religion
Mathematics and Science
Monumentalism in Architecture
Sculpture and Painting
Writing and Literary Texts

18. The Hittites
c B.C.E.
Probably entered Asia Minor from the northeast.
Aggressive and tenuous monarchies.
The Hittite Empire
Hittite Civilization

19. The Era of Small States C. 1200-700 B.C.E. The Phoenicians
The Hebrew Kingdoms
Questionable accuracy of biblical accounts
Hebrew religion
The Aramaeans

20. Later Empires of Western Asia
C B.C.E.
The Assyrian Empire
Assyrian Culture
Downfall of the Assyrian Empire
The Lydians and the Medes
The Chaldean Empire

21. The Persian Empire
Persian Government
Persian Religion and Art

22. Conclusion What do we know?
What were the major factors that allowed for the development of civilizations?
Why did certain civilizations develop where they did?
Make a prediction: how are these civilizations going to affect those that follow them?