Exam 1 Flashcards
Where was Mesopotamia located?
An alluvial plain between Tigris and the Euphrates rivers
What is significant about the Fertile Crescent?
It is the first region where farming emerged
What kind of domesticates were grown on the Fertile Crescent?
Wheat, barley, lentils, dates etc.
Between the Northern and Southern plains of Greater Mesopotamia, which one required irrigation? And why?
The SOuthern plains required irrigation as the religion received very little rainfall
What is alluvium and used for?
A collection of rich silts and clay used to fertilize crops
Who came up with the Hydraulic state model?
Wittfogel and Steward
What is the Hydraulic State?
Irrigation led to the development of Mesopotamian city states by people willingly submitting themselves to a central authority
What is the Chalcolithic?
The Bronze Age
What are the four periods or phases of development?
Halas, Hassan, Samaria, and Ubaid
What are some traits of the Halafian phase?
Painted pottery and art, mud brick tholoi (Key-shaped) architecture, rain-fed agriculture
Notable events of the Hassan’s phase?
First farmers of the Northern plain. Moved from mountains to foothills, then to Mesopotamian river plains, utilized some irrigation
Notable events of the Samaria phase?
Chocolate Miami site had the earliest evidence of irrigation, and the Tell sea-Sawwan was a multi room Kubrick budiling with fortified walls — suspected to have been used for grain storage and rich burials
What was special about the Ubaid period?
Laid the foundation for Mesopotamian civilization, beginning of temple institution and expansion of agriculture and irrigation technologies
Where was the earliest village located? What was it called?
Tell el’Oueili in the southern plain
Which Phase does Ubaid 0 overlap?
Samaria phase
What was the first settlement according to the Sumerian creation story?
Eridu
What occurred during Ubaid 1?
Rapid development of urbanization, irrigation and plough farming + Sailing
Did Ubaid 1 settlements have walls?
No
Where did Ubaid culture spread?
From Eridu to the Northern plain, around the Persian gold to Oman
What was notable about Oman?
Known as a copper source
Who was Eirdu’s patron god?
Ea (Enki)
What was the focus of Ebaid society?
Temples and Religion
Why was the temple so important to Ubaid society?
Houses patron gods, organized and allocated water and trade, landholders and employers
What period came after Ubaid?
Uruk
Why was Uruk known as the first true city?
It had social hierarchies, specialized occupations, political structures, writing etc
Where was the earliest evidence for cuneiform writing found?
At Eanna precinct
Who was the white temple dedicated to?
Anu (God of the sky), temples was built on a ziggurat
Why were temples built so big?
Visible over long distances, possibly representing mountains or stairs dedicated to gods, where deities lived
What new authority arrived with the Uruk period?
Secular rulers
What was the relationship between priests and secular rulers?
Priests kept secular rulers in check
What other authorities appeared in Uruk?
Local kin groups (clans). Clan leaders also sold and bought land
What is the significance of Abu Salabikh?
Showed that people lived in extended family units
What was the difference between Ubaid and Uruk cities?
Uruk period cities are surrounded by walls, demonstrating their wealth in comparison to Ubaid
What were some Uruk Innovations?
The potter’s wheel and utilitarian wares
How was taxes paid in Uruk?
By labour
What was cuneiform originally used for?
Economic documentation and for trade
How did writing evolve?
Stage 1: Tokens
Stage 2: Bullae
Stage 3: Tablets
What were cylinder seals used for?
Much like modern day credit cards, seals were used to witness trade transactions
What was the role of kings in Mesopotamian society?
Mediated between deities and people
What are some factors which caused the end of the Uruk period?
Abandonment
When was writing used beyond economic administration?
The early dynastic period of Sumerian civilization
What was the nature of Sumerian civilization?
Multi-ethnic with different languages, all groups shared a common culture, writing system and gods
Were temples still important in Sumer?
Yes
Why was Nippur so important to Sumerians?
The most important religious centre, essential for political control as it was home to Enlil (God of gods)
What were the two largest industries in Sumer?
Agriculture and textiles (Agricultural settlements were founded by the state)
What did the Bronze Age introduce?
Metallurgy, bronze tools (more durable), improved agriculture and warfare
What is the King’s list?
SHows the concept of unified kingships: one city ruling over other cities in a hierarchy (Power constantly shifted)
What was the great flood?
Sumerian version of Noah’s arc
How did old kingdom kings portray themselves as?
Claimed that they were god-kings, sons of Ra-Horakhty
Who built the first pyramids? (and Vizier)
Pharaoh Djoser and Imhotep
Who built the first true pyramid? (Red pyramid)
Sneferu
What did Sneferu’s pyramid symbolize?
The rays of the sun, and the mound Ra stood on
Who built the Great pyramid of Giza?
Khufu
Who built the sphinx, and the smaller pyramid?
Khafre, and Menkaure
Who worked on the pyramids?
5000 full-time workers, and 20,000 temporary workers
What is an intermediate?
The period between kingdoms
What was said to have caused the downfall of the old kingdom?
Weak rulers, widespread drought, Pepi II
What is pyramid text and where was it first seen?
In Unas (1st intermediate) – it was the earliest form of religious text used to guide kings to the afterlife
What marked the beginning of the middle kingdom?
Mentuhotep II reuniting upper and lower Egypt
Why was the middle period called the classical age?
It was economically stable which led to the production of literature and fine arts
What change to religion occurred in the middle kingdom?
Democratization of religious practices
In the middle kingdom, what was Amun-Ra seen as?
Mire approachable and as a shepherd to the people
Where did Mentuhotep II move the capital of Egypt?
Thebes
What occurred when religion was democratized?
Everyone had a shot at the afterlife, resulting is mass production of funerary goods
Who was the god and judge of the dead?
Osiris
Which group rose to power during the second intermediate?
The Hyksos
What caused the decline of the middle period?
It is unknown
What marked the second intermediate?
The rise of the Hyksos in lower, and the Theban rulers in upper Egypt
Where was the Hyksos capital located?
Avaris
What did Hyksos do to Egyptian culture?
Followed and took on the traditions of pharaohs
What improvements did the Hyksos bring?
Bronze age technology, improved weaponry, horse-drawn chariots
What was the new kingdom?
A period of imperial period
Who drove the Hyksos back to Syria?
Kamose, and his son Ahmose I
What was Ahmose I known for?
Founds the 18th century, is a skilled general who turns Egypt into and empire
What modern day countries did Ahmose I expand to?
Parts of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Nubia
What were the status of kings in the new kingdom?
Quasi-divine, intermediaries between people and the divine
What was the Estate of Amun
The home of Ra in Thebes
Which pharaoh was the first to be buried in the Valley of Kings?
Amenhotep
What was Akhenaten known for?
Marrying Nefertiti, dismantling the old gods and replacing them with the cult of Aten Aten, declared himself and his queen to be gods
Which pharaoh tried to restore Egypt to its former glory?
Ramesses the great
What was the village of Deir-el-Medina known for?
Generations and community of artisans living within a community
How did Hatshepsut solidify her authority?
Presented herself in royal regalia often depicting herself as a man, replacing officials with those she truste d
Who succeeded Hatshepsut?
Thutmose III
What was Thutmose III known for?
He was the Napoleon of ancient Egypt
What kind of state was ancient Egypt?
A territorial state, the first state of its size
What are Kemet and Deshret?
The black (Fertile) and red (Dessert) land
What occurred during pre-dynastic Egypt?
Simple farming based on cattle an cereal farming develops around the Nile
Where did the Maadian culture appear?
In Lower pre-dynastic Egypt
What was the earliest Upper Egypt society?
The Badarian culture
Where was the earliest evidence for mummification found?
4300 BC (Pre-dynastic Upper egypt)
What were the Badarian known for?
Their burials
What is faience?
Crushed quartz mixed with other compounds to create gems which produce a blue, green colour
What was the purpose of Egyptian faience?
The reflection of pieces was considered as the light of immortality
What was Nekhen known for?
The cradle of Egyptian Kingship
What was the city of the Falcon deity?
Early form of Horus (Nekhen), and earliest known temple in Egypt
Why were animals considered powerful in ancient Egypt?
Gods often took the form of animals
What was the purpose of animal sacrifices?
To symbolize the ruler’s control over nature
What was significant about the Nekhen tomb?
It was the first mud-brick tomb with painted walls
When was the earliest form of hieroglyphics found?
The tomb of King scorpion
What was King Narmer (Menes) known for?
The unification of upper and lower Egypt
What was the role of kings in ancient Egypt?
Responsible for mediating the forces between order and chaos (Ma’at vs Isfet)
What happened to kings after they passed?
They returned to the creator god after death
Where were dynastic kings buried?
Abydos
When did human sacrifices occur?
The early dynastic period
What were the purpose of kings creating cult centres?
To link themselves to local deities
Which deities did kings link themselves to?
Horus and Ra
What is Ba and Ka?
Ba (The spirit) and Ka (Nourishment life force)
What happened to mummification in early dynastic period?
Grew complex (Removal of organs, drive salt bodies)
What did political organization look like during the dynastic period?
States were divided into nomes
What was the capital of the Early Dynasty?
Memphis
What are the two Egyptian scripts?
Hieroglyphics (Sacred writing) and Hieratic (Everyday script)
Who deciphered Egyptian script? What was used?
Champollion using the Rosetta Stone
What is the difference city states and territorial states?
City states were hubs of people with different status, while territorial states were political centres where the elite and specialists live
