Pre-AP World History Test #2 Flashcards
Civilization
a complex society
Code of Hammurabi (laws, purposes, origins)
282 laws
Purpose:
- Ruling over different tribal groups in an empire
- Discourage tribal or family customs
- Unify an empire of different groups and ethnicities with separate customs and traditions
Serving as the foundation of modern law code, it has an origin of strong centralized gov’t and hierarchy
Sumer
the first civilization in the world
City-State
Sumerian cities had emerged as city-states - independent states that included a city and its surrounding territory. Each city-state had its surrounding territory.
They had better agricultural techniques, causing population growth.
Irrigation
supplying water to (the Sumerians used technology to irrigate their crops)
Cuneiform
Earliest writing system (script) in the Sumerian language). Involved wedge shapes pressed into clay tablets with a stylus. Mainly used for accounting purposes - yet myths and stories were also recorded. Sumerians needed a system to keep record of their gods.
Ur and Uruk
the first/strongest Sumerian cities
Royal burials of Ur
Hierarchical system
Complex brief system
Sophisticated craftsmanship
Valued material items (gold, silver)
Ziggurat
Religious centers (pyramid shaped Sumerian temples)
Sinai Peninsula
Links Egypt with Asia, it’s the weak point of Egypt
Characteristics of a Civilization
Social and political hierarchy
Written language
Urbanization
State level of government
Intense agricultural land use
Controversy around the term, “civilization”
- Civilization implies superiority, and uncivilized implies inferiority - as barbarians or savages
- It serves to define broad cultural patterns in an area although those living there might have greater differences than commonalities.
Hammurabi’s Code- Types of law and penalties:
Criminal law - dealt with offenses against others
Civil law - dealt with private rights and matters
Law #196: “If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.”
Geography Between Mesopotamia and Egypt
Both Egypt and Mesopotamian societies were dependent on rivers to produce agriculture. Yet, it allowed Egyptians to have rich agriculture, while flooding Mesopotamian societies at certain times. Not only this, but Mesopotamia was much more vulnerable to invasion or attacks than Egypt - which was surrounded by mountains, deserts, seas, and more. All this being said, Mesapotamians had a pessimistic view of gods while Egyptians had a more cheerful outlook. In short, the environment plays a huge part in cultural outlooks.
Patriarchy and Status of Women
