Beginnings of Civilization in Mesopotamia and Egypt

 

  1. Prehistory
    1. Paleolithic Age (c. 3 million – 10,000 BC)                                      
    2. Mesolithic Age (10,000 – 5,000 BC)
    3. Neolithic Age (5,000 BC a)                                                             
  2. History
    1. Ancient History (3,000 BC – 500 AD)
    2. Middle Ages (500 – 1500 AD)
    3. Modern World (1500 AD – Present)
  3. Western Civilization – Europe and Western Hemisphere c. 3500 BC (From civitas – city, civilis – citizen)
    1. Political institutions
    2. Social distinctions
    3. Economic specialization
    4. Intellectual and cultural developments
  4. Mesopotamia (land between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers)
    1. Sumer – c. 3500 BC

                                                               i.      City-states

                                                             ii.      Lugal – priest, army commander, irrigation superintendent

                                                            iii.      Cuneiform

                                                           iv.      Religion – polytheistic, anthropomorphic; temple complexes

1.      Account of Flood

2.      Epic of Gilgamesh

    1. Akkadians – c. 2300 BC           First empire under Sargon
    2. Babylon – 2nd millennium BC

                                                               i.      Amorites

                                                             ii.      Ruler: Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC)

                                                            iii.      Lex Talionis (law codes) – 3 social grades

1.      Amelu (awilu)

2.      Mushkinu

3.      Slaves/serfs

    1. Assyria – 7th Century BC (Fell 612 BC)
    2. Babylon – 612-539 BC

                                                               i.      Chaldeans

                                                             ii.      Astral faith


5.   Egypt: Gift of the Nile

    1. Menes – c. 3000 BC    Ruler of Upper Egypt, founder of first dynasty of pharaohs; Pharaoh considered a god; was chief priest “Ma’ at”
    2. Old Kingdom – 2700-2200 BC                                                          

                                                               i.      Third – sixth dynasties

                                                             ii.      Centered in Memphis

                                                            iii.      Vizier – chief official

                                                           iv.      Administrative units – nomes

                                                             v.      Environment less hostile that in Mesopotamia

1.      Optimistic outlook

2.      Deities benevolent

3.      Belief in afterlife

a.       Ka – soul

b.      Mummification

c.       Mastabas/pyramids

    1. First Intermediate Period – 2200-2040 BC
    2. Middle Kingdom – 2040-1800 BC

                                                               i.      Mentuhotep IV

1.      Thebes

2.      Amon-Ra

3.      Construction aimed at the “middle class”

4.      Civil servants (scribes)

                                                             ii.      Religion more egalitarian (Story of Osiris and Isis)

    1. Second Intermediate Period – 1800-1600 BC
    2. New Kingdom or Empire – 1600-1090 BC

                                                               i.      Ahmose I expelled Hyksos, unified Egypt again

                                                             ii.      Superstition

                                                            iii.      14th Century BC religious upheaval

1.      Amenhotep IV – Akhenaton

2.      Worship of sun disk – Aton

3.      Capital moved to Amarna

4.      Monotheism?

                                                           iv.      12th Century BC

1.      Invasions of Libyans

2.      Nubians erode independence

    1. 7th Century BC - Conquered by Assyrians
    2. 6th Century BC - Conquered by Persians
    3. 30 AD – Antony and Cleopatra VII defeated by Caesar