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Western Asia > Introduction > Flashcards

Introduction Flashcards

1
Q

Geography of WE

A
  • Land between Tigris and Euphrates
  • 3rd to 1st mil.
  • Divided into:
    • So. Mesopotamia (Sumer & Akkad)
    • N. Mesopotamia (Assyria)
    • N. Upper Mesopotamia (Hurri/Mittani)
    • Syria (the Levant/ Canaan)
    • Anatolia
    • Egypt and Al Amarna
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2
Q

Sumer

A

Time: 3rd mill.

Language: Sumerian -not related to any other languages and only spoken

Organization: City-states until the end of the 3rd mil.
- Bigger states at the end- Dynasty of Ur

Description:

  • around during urbanisation
  • invented cuneiform writing (clay tablets) but also used Phoenician
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3
Q

Akkad

A

Time: started in 2500 BC

Languages: Akkadian- 2 dialects, Babylonian and Assyrian; Semitic language

Organization: Cities become de-centralised provincial centres of a politically unified land and need to become territorial states
ex: under Hamurabi (an Amorite) it becomes Babylonia

  • Sumer and Akkad become Babylonia and Assyria
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4
Q

Types of States

A

o City-state = made up of urban centre & surrounding area (common in 3rd mill.)
o Territorial state = includes several urban centres, connected & has greater area (developed in 2nd mill.)
 In written records become the “Land of …”
o Regional state = had ruler of a great area called “Great King”, ruled over kings of smaller states (~1500 BCE)
o Empire = when regional states have political ideology of universalistic control of territory

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5
Q

Assyria

A
  • Land of Assur (formerly Akkad)
  • 3rd-2nd mil: City of Assur
  • 2000- 1500 BC: incorporated into major state formations
  • 1500-1000 BC: Middle Kingdom of Assyria founded “Land of Assyria”

***Important trade center- tin from east, textiles from south, silver/gold from Anatolia

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6
Q

Babylonia

A
  • 2nd mil, Land of Sumer becomes Babylonia
  • Cultural center which spread all over
    • literary and religious tradition of Akkad and Sumer
    • Cuneiform adopted across Meso.
    • Babylonian becomes lingua franca for literature and politics
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7
Q

Anatolia

A
  • 2nd mil- appearance of Hittites
    • Land of the Hatti- indigenous non indo european
    • Hittites and Luwians arrive 2400-2000 BC - indo-European
    • culture a mix of other mesopotamian areas
    • LOTS of docs written in Hittite
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8
Q

Hittite phases- Old Kingdom

A

Old Kingdom - 1650-1450
 Hittites dominated whole of Anatolian peninsula & most of Syria (west of Euphrates)
 Challenged the Assyrians & Pharaonic Egypt.
 Hattušili I expanded towards Syria
 Muršili I victory over Alepo & Babylon

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9
Q

Hittite phases- Middle Kingdom

A

Middle Kingdom/ Early Empire- 1450-1350
 Hittites were one of the great regional powers (an EMPIRE)
 Tuthaliya I/II’s conquest of Aleppo & Kizzuwatna

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10
Q

Hittite phases- New Kingdom

A

New Kingdom/ Empire- 1350-1190
 The empire = lots of internal conflict
• internal struggles & power issues  main reason for fall in 12th cent.
 STILL they continued to have important international role in NE
• Hittites were part of the “Club of the Great Powers” – w/ Egypt, Mittani, Babylonia, Assyria
 Šuppiluliuma I destroyed Mittani / 1275 BCE clash at Qadeš, 1259 BCE peace w/ Egypt

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11
Q

Hattusa

A

o One of biggest cities in ancient world
o Discovered in 1906 – by a German archaeology expedition
o Residence of Hit. kings, many temples
 many Hit. texts found (annals, political treaties, religious texts) = understanding that they were on the other side of the cultural spectrum in the NE

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12
Q

Syria

A
  • Most of the SW= Canaan and Levant
    -No real political unity
    • 3rd mil- before Amorites, area dominated by city-
      states
      ex. most powerful were Ebla and Mari
    • 2000-1500- Some kingdoms (territorial sates)
      formed under Amorite Dynasties
      ex. Aleppo capital of Yamhad Kingdom
    • After fall of Yamhad by Hittites, area divided into
      territories ruled by Hittites, Mittani and Egyptians
    • After fall of Hittites, Neo-Hittites kingdoms established in Syria, then Luwians and then Arameans
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13
Q

Amorites

A 
West Semitic semi-nomadic tribe
-	From the deserts of Syria
-	3rd mill. = Occupied Syria & Meso
-	MAIN AMORITE STATES (in Syria):
o	Reign of Mari
o	Reign of Aleppo/Yamhad
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14
Q

Arameans

A

another group Semitic-nomadic tribe

  • Spoke Aramaic (western Semitic lang.)
  • ~1500 = in Syria & N Meso

How they got widespread power :
- their language / alphabet system
 major influence in NE

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15
Q

Ebla

A

• Ebla = oldest major city-state of 3rd mill.

o Rich archives found

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16
Q

Mari

A

• Mari = important & rival of Ebla
o Rich archives  from the “Mari Age” = 1810-1759 BCE
 this period known b/c its reconstructed from these texts

17
Q

Aleppo

A 
•	Aleppo = capital of Yamhad
o	Conquered by king Muršili I (Hittite)
            	v. important king 
             destroyed Babylon
o	For a time under Mittanian control, then conquered by Tuthaliya I & Suppiluliuma I (Hitt.) put son to rule
18
Q

Alalah

A

• Alalah = a small kingdom under control of bigger kingdom of Yamhad in 17th c.
o Under control of Mittani kingdom in 15th c.
o Also had important archive of texts

19
Q

Qatna

A 
•	Qatna = 3rd m. commercial centre
o	2nd mill = ruled by Amorite dynasty
o	In LBA under Mittani kingdom
           	Later fought over b/w Egyptians & Hittites
o	Important archive of texts
20
Q

Karkemis

A

• Karkemiš = important political centre for the Mittani / then for Hittites (seat of Hittite viceroy)
o Became one of the main Neo-Hitt. states

21
Q

Ugarit

A

• Ugarit = important harbour
o First under Egypt / then under Hittites
o V. important archives

22
Q

Upper NW Mesopotamia and the Hurrians

A 
•	b/w upper Tigris & Euphrates
          area called : 
o	Subartu in S Meso. written sources  
o	Hanigalbat in Assyrian sources  
o	Land of Mittani OR Hurri in Hittite sources
23
Q

Hurri

A
  • Indigenous pop are the Hurrians
    • But we have less info about them
     there are fewer textual & arch. sources
    • Their language gives us problems
    • The spread of their kingdom (2250-1250 BCE):
    • Hurrians probably originated from the most North
    East part / mountainy region (today’s Armenia)

Oldest historical evidence of Hurrians :
• ~ 2500 BCE evidence = from Urkeš (OMI centres of Hurrians)
o Epigraphic evidences  show Sumerian /
Akkadian influences mixed w/ original Hurrian
elements
 Hurrians = an intermediary for Meso
traditions
 passing them to the Western side
• ~ 2000-1500 = evi. for solid Hurrian element in population west of Euphrates
o The Hurrians encountered NW Semitic cultural
& religious trads
 big part in influencing
Hurrian culture

24
Q

Mittani/ Hanigalbat

A

• When Mittani fell, (by Hittite king & Assyrians)
o Hanigalbat was known as whatever was left
• Hurrian language = unknown origin (not Semitic or
Indo-Euro)

25
Q

Egypt and El Amarna

A

• Akhenaten (El Amarna, modern name) = founded by Amehotep IV (1355-1377 BCE) to be new capital of Egypt
• Egypt NOT part of NE
o BUT since the 3rd mill. = had relations w/ NE
states
 Especially in LBA
 Egyptian Pharaohs (18th/19th dynasty) really
interact w/ main states of NE at that time
(these pharaohs belonged to the “club of
powers”)
• Akhenaten had v. important archive of cuneiform
text (in Babylonian)
o Letters = correspondence of the pharaohs w/
Syrian vassals (small kingdoms under Egypt) &
other great powers (Baby, Mitt, Hatt, Ass)
 V. important in understanding the
diplomatic relations of LBA (14th/13th c.) =
“Age of El Amarna”
o Letters went from pharaohs to Mittani BUT
 Very few texts actually came from Mittani
 So Mittani kingdom of this era had to be
reconstructed from those external
sources (especially from Hittite & El
Amarna sources)

Western Asia (6 decks)

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