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Venus of Willendorf, c. 25,000-20,000 BCE limestone(originally covered with

Venus of Willendorf, c. 25,000-20,000 BCE limestone(originally covered with red ocher) from Austria, early stone age (Paleolithic – 2,500,000-10,000 BCE) fertility figure. Black bull at Lascaux cave c. 15,000-10,000 BCE, Dordogne, France (Neanderthal). Mesolithic era

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Venus of Willendorf, c. 25,000-20,000 BCE limestone(originally covered with

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  1. Venus of Willendorf, c. 25,000-20,000 BCE limestone(originally covered with red ocher) from Austria, early stone age (Paleolithic – 2,500,000-10,000 BCE) fertility figure.

  2. Black bull at Lascaux cave c. 15,000-10,000 BCE, Dordogne, France (Neanderthal). Mesolithic era (Middle Stone Age 10,000-7,000 BCE)

  3. Dwelling at Skara Brae, 4000 BCE Orkney Islands (Scotland)Neolithic (10,000-4,000 BCE) [NOTE: “corbel vaulting”/”post and lintel” construction]

  4. What is civilization? -- urban revolution: cities become focal points for political, economic, social, cultural and religious development -- development of religious structure -- political and military structure -- social structure based on economic power -- class system with kings and rulers at top, slaves at bottom -- development of writing for record keeping -- artistic and intellectual activity such as monumental architecture -- accumulation of capital

  5. Ancient Mesopotamia c. 3,000 BCE

  6. Mesopotamia Mesopotamia (Greek = “between the rivers" referring to the river valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Inhabitants of Mesopotamia were the Sumerians and Akkadians (Semites) Sumerian origins unclear, but were non-Semitic people who may have come from the Indus Valley, 1500 miles away. Probably existed by 3,000 B.C. in independent city states with walled cities, e.g. Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Umma and Lagash Political power probably initially in the hands of a priest-ruler or king. Once the kingship was institutionalized, Sumerians would think of kings as divine (note same would happen in England by early middle ages) Fighting between city states was common and mainly over land and water rights.

  7. Around 2300 B.C. Sargon, leader of the Akkadians defeats his Sumerian neighbors and became the ruler of Sumer. Empire lasts over 200 years and includes the prosperous state of Ebla, discovered by archeologists in the 1960s. Over 20,000 cuneiform (wedge-shaped writing) clay tablets found describing a Semitic civilization in which religion plays a crucial role and each city state dedicated to a god or goddess. Empire made up of walled city states with inner section of residences, outer section of fields and unfortified villages and harbor area where merchants lived and commerce existed. Although mainly agricultural (perhaps 90%); not clear how much land was public and how much private, but perhaps enough was private to be taxed.

  8. Sumerian Religion Creating gods: An, the god of heaven Ki, the goddess of earth Enlil, the god of air Enki, the god of water. Sky deities: Nanna, the god of the moon; Utu, the sun god Inanna, the queen of heaven (also the goddess of love, procreation, and war) Nanna was also the father of Utu and I nanna. Ninurta, the deity in charge of the violent and destructive south wind. Dumuzi, a beloved god who is also in the Bible as Tammuz, who was originally a mortal, but whose marriage to Inanna ensured the fertility of both humans and the land.

  9. Ziggurat at Ur (Iraq) c. 2100 BCE

  10. Votive Statute, Tell Asmar c. 2750 BCE, Baghdad

  11. Seated Gudea: Lagash, 2100 BCE (modern Telloh, Iraq)

  12. Praise of Gudea I had debts remitted and "washed all hands." For seven days no grain was ground. The slave-woman was allowed to be equal to her mistress, the slave was allowed to walk side by side with his master. In my city the one unclean to someone was permitted to sleep outside. I had anything disharmonious turned right back to where it belongs. I paid attention to the justice ordained by Nanse and Ningirsu; I did not expose the orphan to the wealthy person nor did I expose the widow to the influential one. In a house having no male child I let the daughter become its heir.

  13. Cylinder seal (Gilgamesh and Enkidu killing the Bull of Heaven) Assyrian, c. 600 BCE

  14. Tablet in envelope, c. 2044 BCE (Ur)

  15. Stele of Code of Hammurabi (1792-50 BCE) (Hammurabi receiving law code from Sun God Shamash)

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