The Mediterranean and Middle East, 2000-500 BCE

1. The Mediterranean and Middle East, 2000-500 BCE Ch. 3

2. The Cosmopolitan Middle East (1700-1100 BCE) • Why “Cosmopolitan”? • A time of widely shared cultures and lifestyles

3. The New Mesopotamia and Egypt (p.62-65) • Who was involved in this? • What did they specialize in? • How did these lands change under their rule?

4. Commerce and Communication • Use of horses, chariots, and camels • Need for metal resources • Copper (Anatolia and Cyprus) • Tin (Afghanistan and Cornwall) • Silver (Anatolia) • Gold (Egypt) • Map on P.63 in textbook

5. The Aegean World, 2000-1100 BCE • Minoan Crete • First European civilization to mimic the political, social, and technological structures of W. Asia and N.E. Africa • Centralized Government, monumental building, bronze metallurgy, form of writing, and record keeping • Failure attributed to Mycenaean Greeks or a pattern of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis

6. The Aegean World, 2000-1100 BCE • Mycenaean Greece • Descendents of Indo-European invaders (nomads) • Trade and piracy helps Mycenaeans rise to power • Characteristics of Mycenaean Civilization • Hilltop citadels • Thick fortification walls enclosed palaces and administrative buildings • Linear B Writing (early form of Greek) • Writing reflects little about daily life (used for record keeping)

7. Hilltop Citadel

8. Assyrian / Phoenicia and the Mediterranean • In Pairs: • Compare the Assyrian and the Phoenician/ Carthaginian empires and explain the differences in their institutions , goals, and values. • Assyrian Empire (911-612 BCE), p. 71-74 • Phoenicia and the Mediterranean, 1200-500 BCE, p.80-84

9. Recap: Minoan and Mycenaeans • Minoans utilize West Asian aspects of civilization • Mycenaeans migrate south to Greek peninsula • Cultural blending develops a complex society • Palace complex, massive walls, shaft graves, centralized economy, administrative bureaucracy, Minoan writing, long distance (seaborne) trade

11. Fall of the Bronze Age Civilizations • Unknown invaders destroy Hittites, Syria, Nubia, Mycenae • Mycenaeans face political and economic collapse • Destruction of palaces • Loss of Linear B (written language)

12. The Assyrian Empire, 911-612 BCE • Empire built in Northern Mesopotamia • Extensive trade routes

13. Goals of Assyrian Empire • Conquest • ½ million troops—served in return for land • iron weapons, cavalry, couriers, signal fires, spy networks • Secure trade routes along Mediterranean • Control • Mass deportation • Destroy morale, move labor to center of empire • Terror tactics • Burning and skinning alive

14. Institutions of Assyrian Empire • King • Center of the universe • Military leadership • Supervision of state religion • Performance of public and private rituals • Gaining approval of the gods • Territory divided into Central Government and Provincial governors • Assyrian officials collected tribute and taxes, • maintain law and order • raise troops • public works

15. Purpose of Art in Assyria • “Relief sculptures depicting hunts, battles, sieges, executions, and deportations covered the walls of the royal palaces at Kalhu and Nineveh. Looming over most scenes was the king, larger than anyone else, muscular and fierce, with the appearance of a god. Few visitors to the Assyrian court could fail to be awed—and intimidated.”

16. Values of Assyrian Empire • Social Class • Similar to Mesopotamia • Free, land owning citizens • Farmers and artisans attached to the state • Slaves • Economy based on Agriculture • Preservation of knowledge • Libraries (Library of Ashurbanipal)

17. Summarize Assyrian Empire Notes from Yesterday!

18. Phoenicia and the Mediterranean, 1200-500 BCE • Small city-states involved in Commerce

19. Goals of Phoenicia • Expansion into the Mediterranean • Assyrian invasions force Phoenicians to expand to Cyprus, Africa, Spain, Sicily… • Opportunities for trade and resources • Expansion brought conflict with Greeks (conflict over Sicily) • Enforce a commercial monopoly in the Mediterranean • Expansion of trade

20. Institutions of Phoenicia • City of Carthage • Walled city • Governed by two judges and Senate • Navy was strongest power • Citizens serve in Navy as rowers and navigators • Mercenaries • No attempt to build a territorial empire • Empire consisted of trade routes and ports

21. Values of Phoenicia • Little emphasis on empire building • Governed by unpredictable Gods • Need to appease using Sacrifice (child)

22. Israel, 2000-500 BCE • Nomadic Herders • Caravan Drivers 1. Development of an agricultural civilization • Transformation of the desert god into a single, all-powerful, all knowing deity

23. Israel, 2000-500 BCE • Hebrew Bible provides the best source of information about the Israelite people • Based on a compilation of oral traditions from numerous people • Israelites relocate to Egypt due to severe drought • forced into slavery • Monotheism develops during the period of nomadism in the Sinai region • Followers were known as the “Cult of Yahweh”

24. Rise of Monarchy • In pairs, chart the rise to formal power in Israel in flow chart format. • Rise to Monarchy Fragmentation and Dispersal