Early Ancient Civilizations Flashcards
Mesopotamia & ancient civilizations.. what helped them become what they were… what as their ideal living conditions?
Located in the middle east (Iraq)
Not a civilization but a region.
*Because of it’s flat, open geography it was subject to invasions. Easy to invade.
Where some of the earliest civilizations on earth existed.
-These civilizations emerge along fertile river valleys- Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (known as the fertile crescent.) -Fertile river valleys
-likewise in Egypt how it rose along the Nile river.
Or China along yellow river.
Farming+Water= ideal living conditions
What did Early ancient civilizations mean for people?
Farming+Water= ideal AND
- meant people stayed in one location.
- built more
- allowed for specializations- blacksmiths, farms, politicians.
What is the Neolithic Revolution?
Birth of civilization. Transition from hunting & gathering –> to farming.
-happened in Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, etc.
Who invaded Mesopotamia?
Sumer, Babylon, Prebabylon, Persians, Hittites, and more
Sumer
(3500-2000B.C.)
One of the first civilizations on Earth. Sumerians invented the wheel (wood), First system of math, one of the earies writing systems (cuneiform-wedge writing) highly influential complex systems of irrigation.
-polythestic
-city states that worshiped their own god.
Who conquered the Sumerians and when?
conquered by Semites in 2000BC.
Babylon. Who was an important ruler? What did they contribute?
(2000-1500BC) a great city which served as the capital of Babylonia.
Hammurabi- Babylonian ruler built a great empire, which lasted around 1800-1500 B.C. and which unified the region under a more centralized government system.
Important Contributions:
-Hammurabi Code- Babylonian culture recorded on scribes. Clay tablets.
-Important math contributions-
(360 degree circle, 60 mins in an hour)
-Ziggurat-the centers of babylonian and sumerian cultural and religious life.
What is a Ziggurat?
Temple Towers.
Center of Babylonian and Sumerian cultural and religious life- tremendous architectural achievement.
Served as temples, storehouses, and meeting places.
Hittites
(2000-700B.C.)
- conquered much of Northern Mesopotamia and Asia
- Conflicts and alliances with Egypt
- Known for Iron smelting and Chariots
- Existing during the Bronze Age (metals used for weapons-shields, spears, weapons and building)
- Migrated WEST which led to downfall- closer to Greeks.
Phoenicians
(2900B.C.-600A.D.)
“The Land of Purple” traded purple dye.
sea-faring culture which dominated Mediterranean trade and importing and exporting a variety of goods. (Strong navy too)
-dominated trade- glass. rare and expensive trades= purple=royalty.
Sea creature mythology
-development of one of the first alphabets.
22 constants Greeks later added vowels.
-collapsed and conquered by Persians
Assyria
(2000B.C.-600B.C.)
-used intimidation tactics
-WARLIKE people who conquered much of Mesopotamia, ruling by terror and intimidation Harsh laws, strict,
think Assyria= assholes
-called “the Romans” of Asia
-formations, good weapons.
Contributions- 1. massive highway systems
2. built extensive libraries
3. postal system
Son of Assyrian ruler built a new Babylon.
The New Babylon
(700-500 B.C.)
The “Chaldeans” (new group-famous for their study of stars and telling the future)
King Nebuchanezzer- created bureaucracy. (different departments of different bureaus) In the new babylon, the government utilized an advanced system of bureaucracy.
-HANGING GARDENS of babylon- created by king for his wife.
Persian Empire
ranked among one of the world’s greatest empires.
-largest empire, massive land area
-tried to unify the near east.
Ex: movie 300, Persia versus Spartans. Persia was never able to conquer Greece, unlike Alexander the Great.
Persians practived Zorastrianism- ethics based religion. Supreme god “wise spirit”- how we live our lives, how we be a good person.
Alexander conquered when it was down.
What is Zoroastrianism?
Ethics based religion. Supreme god was a “wise spirit.”
how to be a good person, how we should live our lives.
Strong ETHICS component.
Where was Egypt?
In Africa.
Where was Mesopotamia?
Asia/Iraq
Places/Regions/People in Asia
Mesopotamia, Sumer, Babylon, Hittites, Phoenicians, Assyrians, The New Babylon, Persians.
Egyptian Civilization- When did arise? What was the Nile River used for? Why did it last for such a long time?
3100-500 B.C.
arose around the fertile NILE RIVER valley. (which had annual floods!)
-Nile River- allowed for transportation
***Geographically isolated- why it was able to last for such a long length of time. Well protected. Defensible boarders.
Surrounded by Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Desert. The only way you could attack it was by SEA.
Who was the Pharoah?
In Egypt, life was centered around serving the Pharoah who was regarded as a living god.
His staff he holds was called an Onk or Onch and represented “eternal life”
Other staff meant he was a ruler.
-He was the Living version of Phorous (or Horis?) God with the Falcon body and human head or vise versa.
Besides the Pharaoh, what other gods did Egypt worship?
Rah- sun god/chariot (specific details of the god)
Anubis- god of the dead.
What was Mummification?
driven by their belief in afterlife, they mummified the dead and built mammoth pyramids to house them. (The Pharaoh needed his body in the afterlife apparently).
Besides the scientific practice of embalming, what other achievements/advances did the Egyptians make?
- mathematics
- medicine
- early writing system- HIEROGLYPHICS
- major architectura achievements like the pyramids
Where was Kush? When did they uprise? Who were the people? What were they known for? Who did they adopt their religion from? What did their god look like?
2000B.C.-350A.D. (in Africa) A region south of Egypt, conquered and incorporated into Egypt, but later conquered Egypt.
-It was important as a place for cultural exchange amongst people of Mediterranean Near East, and Africa.
-people came from isolated places of Kush to exchange.
-Their religion was adopted from Egypt. Adopted much from Egypt until they gained own independence.
-Lionheaded god, but also polytheistic.
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China
-what were different periods called?
It alternated between periods of unity(meaning ruled by one family) which were called DYNASTIES
and periods of disunity.
Over time invaders entering China were assimilated into their culture.
Who were some mongols who ruled China?
- Genghis Kahn, united Nomadic people and conquered China
2. Kublai Khan, emperor of China
Why is the Shang Dynasty important? More info on Shang Dynasty
1500-1050 BC it was the first single entity of China, creating a UNITY. (First Dynasty) -forest dwellers -prayed through oracle bones -isolated, created walls
What happened During the Chou/Zhou Dynasty?
1100-221 BC
- bronze making
- silk
- writing in script
- they began the great wall of china
- came from the west, allowing semi-independence from the east. lost of fighting w. east and west between regional rulers. No control over the East.
What happened during the Chin (Qin) Dynasty?
- 221-206BC
- created Great Wall of China- 4000miles
- Where “China” gets it’s name (root word)
- Introduces philosophy of LEGALISM (strict set of laws and abilities one has to the society)
- strong central government
- created Great Wall of China over 4,000 milies.
What is Legalism?
Laid groundwork for cultural ideas- Strict laws and abilities one had to the society.
What happened during the Han Dynasty?
- 202BC-9AD (Western)
- 25BC-220AD (Eastern)
- Folden Age
- strong centralized government with bureaucracy
- political and cultural centralization and expansion.
- brush paper and ink- first dictionary
- Trade high
- coming of Buddhism & Confusionism/Time of great prosperity
- Farming technology
What happened in the Sui Dynasty?
- Grand Canal was built (connected yanzi river to the north)
- politics and military connecting North and Soth
What happened in the Tang Dynasty?
618-907
- period of prosperity, art, and culture
- famous arts and poets like Lee Po and Tu Fue? (sp?)
- Own Buddhism schools
- First female emperor in history (Wu Zhao)
What happened in the Sung Dynasty?
- Greater food supply, 3 different planting cycles a year.
- Lots of rice product (early ripening)
- important inventions- Gun powder, magnetic compass, typeset for printing. (Influential in the East & West world today.)
What was the Silk Road?
series of trade routes from China to Western World.
Europe to China (through Arabia, Persia, India) Later came a sea trail
-brought lots of wealth to China.
What is Buddism?
Emphasized the “middle path” and the release of all cares as a route to Nirvana. “Middle path” self denying, living a simple life, not being greedy.
Siddartha Guatama- sheltered when he traveled outside the walls he saw suffering
-Sat under a tree and spoke to Buda- symbol of wealth and great prosperity (why hes big and fat)
About Taoism
- natural way of living
- connection to the Universe
- Everything in the universe is connected, we need to live in connection.
- book of poems, created by Loi Su
Confucianism (taught by Confucius)
dealt with the importance of peoples roles in society and coupled with the Doctorine of Legalism, largely formed the foundation of Chinese culture and politics.
-father to son.
-ruler to ruled etc.
*one caring for another
*if the ruler is not caring for his people, then the people have a right to overthrow him.
Resoprocity- do one to another how they would do onto you= Golden rule.
