What does it mean to be civilized?

Are Humans confused????

EARLY RIVER CIV’S3500B.C.- 450 B.C.

Chapters 2&3

THE 5 TRAITS THAT DEFINE A CIVILIZATION

• Growth of cities- by 3000b.c. Sumerians built a dozen fairly functional cities (Uruk, Lagash, and Umma-most pop.)

• Specialized workers- Artisans, Scribes, Priests, Potters, Metalworkers, and Weavers were most prominent

• Writing- Cuneiform (Q-NAY-I-FORM) originally used by priests to keep track of merchandise that was later adopted amidst the region.

• Advanced Technology- The Wheel, Plow, & Sailboat all propelled Sumerian civilization. (oldest wheel carbon dated at 5500 years) Metal working- copper and bronze used for tools and weaponry.

• Complex Institutions- Government and religion (1st to set up formal Government with officials and laws

THE FERTILE CRESCENT

• Best farming land in S.W. Asia

• Fed by-Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

• Created great flood plain

Mesopotamia

• “Land between two rivers” (Greek origin)

• Sumerians were those who actually lived in the region.

• Not 1st settlement but 1st where 5 traits together….

WHAT COULD BE SOME POSSIBLE PROBLEMS IN THIS REGION?

Quick review

• The two major rivers that fed Mesopotamia were….

• Tigris & Euphrates

• The name “Mesopotamia” is Greek in origin, meaning…

• Land between two rivers…

Class Structure/Downfall

• Kings and Priests= highest

• Wealthy merchants• Workshop and field

hands• Slaves=lowest

• Many cities having inner battles

• Lack of unification of major cities created a weakened region

• Outsiders use Sumer’s inner battles against them and attacked most cities leaving them in ruins!

Religion of the region

• Poly-theistic (belief in many gods) – Sumerians viewed gods as “life like” and

imitating human life.

“Peculiar” monotheism

• Monotheism= belief in one god• Zoroastrianism- one of first monotheistic belief systems

(Persia)• Jews (Hebrews) “Yahweh” was their god of protection

– drought drove migrations to Egypt for Nile• Egyptians originally temperate of the newcomers but

began resenting them (RELIGION) and later enslavement.

• Moses led Jews out of Egypt around 1300b.c.– 10 Commandments on Mt Sinai is code of Moral Conduct for

the Faith.

Quick review

• Was it more common for people of this time period to believe in one or many gods?

• Many Gods– POLYTHEISM

Phoenicians

• Neighbors of the Sumerians– Known as “Carriers of the Culture”…

• Byblos, Sidon and *Tyre were in great competition for the trading of the region– * The Alpha city….

• Cedar- used/traded for shipbuilding • Snails were crushed for their purple dye…Murex

snails= Tyrian Purple 10,000 snails to dye a robe

Writing

• Phoenicians needed simple way to keep records

• Cuneiform symbols reached 600….to many

• Phoenicians simplified into 22 working symbols

• ?connection?• Greeks & Romans (+ 4)

symbols creating modern day alphabet…– ABCDEF……Z – Also known as “Phonetic

Alphabet”

• Simplified writing made understanding easier for masses

Quick review

• Phoenicians were known as…

– “Carriers of the culture”

• Our modern day alphabet is known as the _____________ alphabet derived from the Phoenicians…

– Phonetic Alphabet

Iron Age

• 2800-1200b.c.- Bronze widely used• ~1200b.c. Hittites (Anatolia)

– iron into its purest form for weaponry (smelting).

• Iron harder than Bronze/more common/Cheaper

• This use of iron paved the way for “Age of Empires”

Transitional

• Monday we will begin on the other river valley civilizations….

• What are the 5 traits to define a civilization?

• The Fertile Crescent can be named by other names. _________ & _________

• Since todays focus was writing and communication, take an opportunity to write your name in the Glyphs of Egypt.