Other Ancient CivilizationsOther Ancient Civilizations

Mesopotamia and Egypt: examples of impressive River Valley Civilizations… Impressive civilizations also developed along the Mesopotamia and Egypt: examples of impressive River Valley Civilizations… Impressive civilizations also developed along the Indus and Huange He, and in Meso and South America... But tIndus and Huange He, and in Meso and South America... But these were not the ONLY chese were not the ONLY civilizations at the time. ivilizations at the time.

Here are a few examples of other complex societies that certainly deserve the term “Civilization” on their own merits. To Here are a few examples of other complex societies that certainly deserve the term “Civilization” on their own merits. To what extent were they “stand-alone” civilizations, and to what extent were they affected by their interactions with other what extent were they “stand-alone” civilizations, and to what extent were they affected by their interactions with other civilizations? civilizations?

A. Nubia/ A. Nubia/ KushKush

• Along the Nile, above 4th cataract

• 2300 BCE- first 2300 BCE- first mention of Nubia in mention of Nubia in Egyptian recordsEgyptian records

• Peaceful cultural interchange and marriages

• Urban centers- Meroë

What do we Know about Relations Between the Two societies?

How do we Know it?

Why is it significant to World history?What “lesson” Does it show?

ThesisThesisSupport Support ConclusionConclusion

• Trade was the gateway Trade was the gateway between Egypt (to between Egypt (to Mesopotamia, Crete, Mesopotamia, Crete, and Phoenicia) and all and Phoenicia) and all of Sub-saharan Africa. of Sub-saharan Africa.

Nubian Exports: Nubian Exports: •Gold Gold •IvoryIvory•EbonyEbony•Incense Incense •SpicesSpices•Giraffe tails, ostrich Giraffe tails, ostrich feathers, antelope & feathers, antelope & zebra skins, Rhino zebra skins, Rhino horns, monkeys, horns, monkeys, lions…lions…•Mercenaries, Slaves.Mercenaries, Slaves.

Early Nubian ArchitectureEarly Nubian Architecture• Nubian speosspeos – carved from solid rock

– 3700 – 3250 BCE

• Ramses II used this style at Abu Simbel.

“Medjay:” Elite Paramilitary Police

- Pharaoh’s Guards- Guarded Trade

Routes, Royal & Religious Centers

Nubians settled, married Egyptian women, had Egyptian children, were buried in the Egyptian manner… but still proudly maintained their Nubian identities. 1212thth Dynasty: 1991–1786 B.C.E Dynasty: 1991–1786 B.C.E

Various Pharaohs of Nubian originVarious Pharaohs of Nubian origin

Murals from the tomb of

HaremhebHaremheb

Last Nubian-Egyptian Pharaoh,

25th Dynasty

1306 BCE (most likely) or 1319 BCE until 1292 BC (18th Dynasty)

New Kingdom - Kushite PeriodNew Kingdom - Kushite Period

“The two cultures melded together; so much so, that Nubians evaporated from the archeological record as a separate people…”

Kushite Kushite Pharaohs… Pharaohs…

of Egyptof Egypt

Meroitic Meroitic WritingWriting

• By 5By 5thth C. BCE C. BCE

• Alphabetic or Alphabetic or hieroglyphic script? hieroglyphic script?

• Still not Still not deciphered.deciphered.

Nubian CitiesNubian Cities

Pyramids at Meroe: Kushite

• Modern-day Modern-day Southern Egypt, Southern Egypt, Northern SudanNorthern Sudan

• Traded with Traded with each other, each other, Mesopotamia, Mesopotamia, and ? and ?

B. Western AfricaB. Western Africa

Oldest Oldest urban center urban center in sub-in sub-Saharan AfricaSaharan Africa

• 3rd Century BCE • Earliest mud brick architecture• Terra cotta figures• Iron

1. Djenne1. Djenne DjenoDjeno

2. Nok Culture2. Nok Culture

• 500 BCE-200 CE• Pottery figures• Earliest Iron Earliest Iron artisans in Africaartisans in Africa

AksumAksum• 1000 BCE1000 BCE• ArabianArabian traders traders mixed with Kushitesmixed with Kushites• Mudbrick buildingsMudbrick buildings• From 300’s on – spoke From 300’s on – spoke GreekGreek

Salt, emeralds, brass, copper, gold, cloth, olive oil, wine…

3. Eastern Africa:3. Eastern Africa:

Modern EthiopiaModern Ethiopia

““Ethiopian”Ethiopian”Greeks called Nubians the Greeks called Nubians the ““burnt faced ones”…burnt faced ones”…

– ““Tallest, handsomest people on Tallest, handsomest people on earth”earth”

– Piety so great that the gods preferred Piety so great that the gods preferred them to all menthem to all men

– Memnon, Nubian king who fought in Memnon, Nubian king who fought in the Trojan Warthe Trojan War

– Greeks knew the Nubians conquered Greeks knew the Nubians conquered Egypt & ruled as the 25Egypt & ruled as the 25thth dynasty dynasty

2. Ancient Mediterranean

Civilizations

A. PhoeniciansPhoenicians• GeographyGeography

– Lebanon / Syria– 1200 – 800 BCE - settled on Coast– Main cities: Tyre & Sidon

• Seafaring Trading Seafaring Trading societysociety– Not much arable land– Elaborate trading contracts with

major civilizations of the time– Advanced cloth dying technologies:

Secret: Tyrian Purple made from sea snails color of Royalty

– Glass

Phoenician ColoniesPhoenician Colonies

Example:Example:

CARTHAGE:CARTHAGE: – major trading city on North coast of Africa– Hannibal, Punic Wars with Rome… Sewing salt.

• “Missionaries of Civilization” - spread basically Mesopotamian culture all over the Mediterranean – early reed ships, later made of cedar

• Invented a simplified alphabet – based on Mesopotamian 22-letters – Used papyrus from Egypt to make scrolls for books. – The words “Bible” and “bibliography” come from the Phoenician

city of Byblos.

• 6th Century BCE- collapsed: Assyrian invasions.

B. Minoans of Crete

During the BRONZE AGE: During the BRONZE AGE: •800 years before Homer; 1000 years before classical 800 years before Homer; 1000 years before classical GreeceGreece..•No evidence of military; their navy was a merchant marine.No evidence of military; their navy was a merchant marine.

City Dwellers & TradersCity Dwellers & Traders

MinoansMinoans • Thera – more elite? Artistic? Affluent?• Crete - trade & government hub;

business

• Egypt’s colossal architecture• Phoenician trade• Mesopotamian bureaucracy• “Seed society” for Ancient Greece:

Mycenae

TradeTrade

• Minoans exported:Minoans exported:– Wine, Wine, – Oil, Oil, – Saffron & other Saffron & other

medicinal herbsmedicinal herbs– Jewelry, and Jewelry, and – Highly crafted Highly crafted

worksworks– Apes (no tails) Apes (no tails)

• Minoans Imported:– Raw Materials– Some food– Monkeys

Minoan Social Minoan Social HierarchyHierarchy

• Wealth was spread Wealth was spread liberally. liberally.

• Even in "poor" parts of Even in "poor" parts of town - people lived in town - people lived in four, five, and six room four, five, and six room houses— would be houses— would be veritable mansions in the veritable mansions in the

Middle East or Middle East or Egypt at the time! Egypt at the time!

Wealth & Secular Art

• PotteryPottery – Visual pleasure, not utility, politics,

or religion.

• Nature Nature waswas religion? religion?– Holy/scarce Saffron…

Saffron Gatherers Saffron Gatherers (Thera)(Thera)

Collection of Saffron

• Crocus flower• Color, scent,

medicine, aphrodisiac

• Blue Monkey??

SaffronSaffron

Minoan Writing

• Minoans – Linear A• Accounts of transactions? • Maybe derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs.

• Mycenaeans- Linear B– An early form of Greek – has been translated

Signature Seals… Signature Seals…

• “…they spoke a language we don't understand and they wrote in a script which we can't read. So the voices of the Minoans, their stories, their history as they understood it, is lost to us.”

Decline of Minoans: Decline of Minoans: After 5 centuries of prosperity…After 5 centuries of prosperity…

• Palace centers weakened by fire, 1500 BCE…rebuilt on top.– Left trash & rebuilt on top, so we found

early artifacts in tact, incl. Linear A & B

• Crete, Thera volcanic eruption, & tidal wave: 1450 to 1500 BCE- destroyed Minoan cities including Knossos.

• Attack of Myceneans.

So… What? • Do you think most civilizations are off-shoots of

another, or did they develop independently?

• HOW do you think ideas spread in the ancient world?

• What kinds of ideas were probably the mozt popular or EASIEST to spread?