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ANCIENT WEAPONS & TECHNOLOGY

ANCIENT WEAPONS & TECHNOLOGY. MESOPOTAMIA – EGYPT – INDUS VALLEY SHANG – OLMEC- CHAVIN - AEGEAN. Important Concepts. River valley civilizations depended on irrigation to survive Construction required engineering with stone and mud bricks

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ANCIENT WEAPONS & TECHNOLOGY

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  1. ANCIENT WEAPONS& TECHNOLOGY MESOPOTAMIA – EGYPT – INDUS VALLEY SHANG – OLMEC- CHAVIN - AEGEAN

  2. Important Concepts • River valley civilizations depended on irrigation to survive • Construction required engineering with stone and mud bricks • Metallurgy gave advantages to civilizations that had it over those who didn’t • Stone Age – stone tools inferior to metal tools emerging! • Bronze Age – began c.3300 in the Near East & Europe, then South Asia, and then China by 2000BCE. • Also differed in development of first writing during this time • Late Bronze Age civilizations collapsed around 1200BCE • Iron Age – began after Bronze Age • Encouraged different agricultural practices, religious beliefs, and artistic styles • Includes earliest texts preserved in manuscript tradition • Sanskrit literature & Chinese literature flourished; also Hebrew Bible • Introduction of alphabetic characters • Metal weapons allowed one army to defeat another with inferior weapons • Increased agricultural & craftsmen capabilities

  3. Mesopotamia • Irrigation • Dependent on irrigation for agriculture • Natural spring floods were sudden & violent = unreliable • Cuneiform writing • Artwork – Pottery, carved figurines, jewelry • Clay used for everyday dishes • Mud bricks were primary building material • Agriculture – wheeled carts, sled-like platforms dragged by cattle • Boats & Barges • Metallurgy – used copper alloyed with tin or arsenic to make bronze – sharper edge than stone & easier to repair • Metal tools • Copper working • Glass & lamp making • Textile weaving • Flood control & water storage • Weapons • Daggers, swords, spears, maces • Chariots c.2000BCE • Siege machinery

  4. Egypt • Papyrus & hieroglyphics • Used precious metals & stones in decoration • Buildings required great engineering • Pyramids & elaborate tombs • Construction projects of Ramesses II • Navigation • Sails • Variety of ships • Stern-mounted rudders • Irrigation used Nile flooding to maximize crop output • Mummification – also taught human anatomy • Developed mathematics to measure fields to calculate produce owed to the state • Astronomy  calendar • Weapons • Slings, clubs, throwing sticks, stone maces, stone tripped spears • Horn & wooden bows with stone-tipped arrows • Used obsidian by 4000BCE • Bronze weapons by 3150BCE - spearheads, axes, maces • Composite bow • Standardized weapons & stockpiled arsenals • Chariots – light, fast chariots to shower enemies with arrows 7 retreat before counter attack launched

  5. IndusValley • Grid-like cities • Consistent sizes of mud bricks • Sewage systems • Pottery • Agriculture & warfare incentive for technology • Material culture prominent • Advanced metallurgy • Artifacts include precursors to modern machinery: needles, saws, drill with twisted grooves

  6. Shang Dynasty • Writing on oracle bones • Spun on potters’ wheels & fired pottery in kilns • Produced silk cloth • Metallurgy • Bronze objects a symbol of status & authority • Unlike other cultures, bronze reserved for use of majestic vessels for the state or ancestor worship (not weapons) • Axes, cauldrons, cups, bowls, vases, jars • Some amazingly heavy artifacts – 181lb food cauldron at Met Museum! • Chariots & Bronze Weapons in War • Military advantage over enemies • Completely changed warfare • Used bronze-tipped halberd & spear, compound bow, & horse-drawn chariots • Chariots allowed commanders to supervise troops across great distances • Mobility in battle

  7. Olmec & Chavin • Olmec – limited technological & agricultural capacity, but did spread cultural influence across Mesoamerica • Jaguar-god across Central America • Chavin – metallurgy developed c.500BCE • Silver, gold, and gold alloy ornaments unearthed • Superior-quality textiles, gold crowns, and jewelry found in tombs • Abundant pottery • Monumental architecture

  8. Minoan Civilization • Pottery found across the Mediterranean • System of writing (still undeciphered) • Palaces & fortifications • Weapons • Originally thought to be very peaceful civilization • Daggers & swords have been excavated from sanctuaries, graves, & residences • Archery popular • Hunting scenes depict shields & helmets • Hieroglyphs include bows, arrows, spears, & daggers

  9. Mycenaean Civilization • Linear B writing system • Palaces • Shaft graves • Navigation • Commercial vessels used sails to navigate by wind • Light wooden vessels • Only elite owned metal goods • Bronze weapons

  10. Resources • http://apworldhistory-rochester-k12-mi-us.wikispaces.com/1C.+Basic+features+of+early+civilizations-+Mesopotamia,+Indus+Valley,+%26+Egypt • http://www.indiaheritage.org/science/metal.htm • http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_4000bce_bronze.htm • http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/117 • http://faculty.eas.ualberta.ca/wolfe/eprints/cooke_encyclopedia_chp.pdf • http://www.livescience.com/26275-peaceful-minoans-surprisingly-warlike.html

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