Early Mesopotamia: Rise of City-States and Empires

1. Chapter 2 Early Societies in Southwest Asia And the Indo-European Migrations

2. What makes up a civilization? • Urban • Political & Military system • Social stratification • Economic Specialization • Religion • Communications • “Higher Culture”

3. Importance of Agriculture (as if we have not gone over this enough) • Essential element: concentration of wealth • Agriculture • Control over natural resources • Development of ancient civilization – not hunter/gatherer

4. Mesopotamia • Between the Rivers (Tigris & Euphrates) • Due to small amount of rain, life was dependent on these rivers • Modern day Iraq and Iran • “fertile crescent” • Irrigation projects date back 8,000 years • Population growth due to increased food supply and migration of people

5. Sumer • Ancient city state in southern Mesopotamia • Complex irrigation projects by 5000 BCE • Huge city-state (100,000 +) • Many Semitic immigrants – usually absorbed by Sumerian culture

6. Why City-States? • Needed to maintain order throughout a territory • Ensure that cooperative projects were worked on • Keep members from fighting amongst each other • Growing populations demanded increasing and stable food supplies • Public works and temple building required huge and organized work forces • Organize a military force – few geographic barriers in the Fertile Crescent

7. Sumerian Government • Thought to originally be based on a council system • Individuals gained greater power in times of crisis • Eventually individuals held onto power and became monarchs • By 3000 BCE all Sumerian kings were absolute rulers of their city state • Kings ruled with the help of nobles/warlords

8. Empire Building in Mesopotamia • By 2800 BCE city-states were going to war against each other • Northern Mesopotamia began to overshadow Sumerian city-states • Something larger was needed to keep order

9. Sargon of Akkad • Created first Mesopotamia empire c. 2334 BCE • Conquered city-states 1x1 • Controlled and taxed trade • Arbitrary and aggressive taxation • Eventually fell due to chronic rebellions/invasions c. 2150 BCE

10. Hammurabi (r.1792-1750 BCE) • Created Babylonian empire (-1600 BCE) • Bureaucratic rule, systematic taxation • Ruled from Babylon • Deputies governed territories

11. Code of Hammurabi • Borrowed from Sumerian law • High standards/strict punishments • Civil and criminal law • Social standing determined punishments • Women as property, but some rights

12. Mesopotamian Empires after 1595 BCE • Babylon fell to the Hittite’s (Anatolia/Turkey) • Long turbulent period without unity

13. Assyrian Empire • Originated in northern Mesopotamia • Built up a large organized professional army • Based on merit • Cavalry • Chariots • Iron weapons • Empire by 1300 BCE included much of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Anatolia • Borrowed Babylonian administration, law code • Unpopular rulers • Empire too large to manage – fell 612 BCE

14. Resurgence of Babylon (600 – 550 BCE) • King Nebuchnezzer (r. 605 – 550 BCE) • Built up Babylon into a legendary city • Built Hanging Gardens – Seven Ancient Wonders • Foreign invaders came to dominate Mesopotamia

15. Mesopotamia: Increasing Complexity • Expanding human skills • Metallurgical advances – alloys – bronze 4000BCE and iron 2000 BCE • Wheel/ wheeled vehicles • Shipbuilders/sailors

16. Stratified Society • Settled life allows for the accumulation of wealth • Royalty/nobility become hereditary • Importance of religion – high status of priests and priestesses

17. Male Dominated Society • Fathers had great control over family • Private & public affairs controlled by men • Some women acted as government advisors/officials, priestesses, scribes, business owners • Control over women increased by 1000’s BCE/2nd Mil.

18. Mesopotamian Writing (cuneiform – lat. + wedge writing) • Invented by 4th mil. BCE – Sumerians • Originally pictographic • Later become more phonetic

19. Education/Accomplishments • Basically job training – vocational • Formal schools developed – scribes, priests, professionals • Literacy was a rare accomplishment • Astronomy – dev. a calendar – agriculture • Math – survey • Time – 60 sec., 60 min., 12 months • Literature – Epic of Gilgamesh

20. The Semitic Cultures • Hebrews – speakers of the Hebrew language • Israelites – Hebrews that migrated to Israel • Jews – descendents of Israel that lived in the kingdom of Judah • Two millennia of interaction w/each other and Mesopotamian culture • Most knowledge of Hebrew culture comes from the Scriptures

21. Unity • Originally 12 main tribes • Unified under David (r. 1000- 970 BCE) & Solomon (r. 970-930) • Built Jerusalem into an impressive city • Adopted government style and technology of Mesopotamia

22. Religion • Monotheism became more apparent and around the time of Moses • One omnipotent god – Yahweh • High moral standards • Law codes became very elaborate • Between 1000 and 400 BCE – Torah developed • Followers rewarded/punished as group

23. Loss of Unity • Return to tribal divisions after death of Solomon • Creation of two kingdoms • Israel • 722 BCE conq. by Assyrians • Jews absorbed into local culture • Judah • 586 BCE – conq. by Babylonians • Jews retained independent identity • Hope for independent state not realized until 1948

24. The Phoenicians • Semitic speaking group • Series of independent city-states • Commerce based “empire” – post 2500 BCE – dominated trade 1200-800 BCE • Adopted much of Mesopotamian culture/religion • Created an alphabet

25. Indo-European Migrations • Origins • Large language group • Homeland was probably near Ukraine • Domesticated horses around 4000 BCE • Greatly propelled I-E cultures • Food, transport, war, beast of burden

26. Expansions • Population explosion • Gradual migration – not mass exodus • Huge amounts of cultural diffusion