Chapter 2 Early Civilizations

Chapter 2

Western Asia & Egypt

Ancient Mesopotamia Egypt Early India Early China

Where did Ancient Civ occur?

Starting with Ruins… video.

What is a Ziggurat?

• Zi gg ur at – a massive

stepped tower on which was built a temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of a Sumerian city (p.39)

Appears in the center of the city

Ziggurat in UR

Who was Hammurabi? (in Ancient Mesopotamia)

• Hammu rabi , Babylonian king known for his laws code, a collection of 282 laws • Also built temples, & irrigation canals, encouraged trade & brought economic revival

Gate s of B abyl on

Page 44: The Code of Hammurabi • Cod e of H ammu rabi , was based on a system of strict justice • The principle of retaliation • “An Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth”

Hammurabi’s Code If any one steals the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.

Mesopotamia & EgyptEpic of Gilgamesh: Written on clay tablets. Carved and left in the sun to bake.

Civilization Begins in Mesopotamia

What current country is it in?

Secti on Two : Egypt ian Ci vi lization “Th e Gi ft of th e Ni le”

The Impact of Geography

• Running over 4,000 miles, the Nile is the longest river in the world. ⇓ • It begins in the heart of Africa and runs north to the Mediterranean. ⇓ • The most important fact about the Nile is that it floods each year, enriching the soil around it. ⇓ • The surplus of food Egyptian farmers could grow in this fertile soil made Egypt prosperous.

(pages 45–46)

Th e Cou rse of E gyp tia n His tor y

Moder n Hi stori an s hav e divi ded E gy pt ian hi story into 3 majo r per iods • 1. Old Kingdom • 2. Middle Kingdom • 3. New Kingdom

The Py ra mi ds • The building of the pyramids occurred in the time of the Old Kingdom • dedicated to the dead • two bodies - a physical one & a spiritual one, which they called the ka

The Sphinx: Video 2:47

Origins of the Sphinx: The Old Kingdom

The Sphinx: a mythological recumbent lion with a human head.

Role of the Sphinx: Temple Guardian

Th e Pyr amids

• Pyramids were tombs for the mummified bodies of pharaohs • King Khufu constructed at Giza around 2540 B.C., the famous Great Pyramid

Ka and Ra: Video 2:52

Th e Pyr amids

• Mummi fi cati on – a process of slowly drying a dead body to prevent it from decaying (p.48) • process took about 70 days

Soc iety in An cient Eg ypt Simple structure, organized like a pyramid • 1. God-king at the top • 2. Upper class of nobles & priests • 3. Merchants, artisans, scribes

Writi ng & Educa ti on • Hier ogl yph ics – “priestcarvings” or “sacred writings”, • a complex system of writing that used both pictures & more abstract forms; used by the ancient Egyptians & Mayans (p.52)

Writi ng & Educa ti on • First carved in stone • later, written on papyrus, a paper made from the papyrus reed that grew along the Nile • Egyptian scribes

Role o f Wo men

• Wives were very well respected • A wife was in charge of the household & the education of the children • Arranged marriages

The N ew Ki ngd om • Hat shepsu t : the first women to become pharaoh • daughter of pharaoh Thutmose I

Queen Nefer titi Name Translates to: "the beautiful (or perfect) woman has come"

Nefe rti ti worsh ipi ng the su n go d