OCR Unit 2 (9) Early Civilisations PDF

UNIT 2 (9): EARLY CIVILISATIONS The birth or writing  River valley civilisations From cities to empires - The first monarchies appeared in Metal Ages cities; some of them began to conquer other cities a created the first empires and the first civilisations. - The first civil...

UNIT 2 (9): EARLY CIVILISATIONS The birth or writing  River valley civilisations From cities to empires - The first monarchies appeared in Metal Ages cities; some of them began to conquer other cities a created the first empires and the first civilisations. - The first civilizations were born near rivers in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China around 5 000 years ago. - As these monarchies had to rule over a growing population, it was more difficult to control people, collect taxes, etc. - As a result, writing was invented in Mesopotamia and Egypt. - Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. In Africa and Asia. - Egypt: Nile river ; Mesopotamia: Tigris and Euphrates rivers ; India: Indus River ; China: Huang-He and Yangtze rivers - Fresh water/a fertile soil/a means of communication The first writings MESOPOTAMIA Writing was first invented in Sumer (southern part of Mesopotamia) ca. 3200 BC First they did pictograms (drawings) on clay tablets using a reed. The pictograms became more abstract until they became wedge-shaped symbols. This is why this writing is called cuneiform (from cuneus, wedge in Latin) The first writings EGYPT More or less at the same time that in Mesopotamia, Egyptians invented their own writing system, the hieroglyphs. Firstly, each hieroglyph represented a concept (word) although over time they began to represent sounds. Egyptians made hieroglyphs carving them over stone or writing them on papyrus Main features of river valley civilisations - Monarchs with great political power: - The king made laws, led the army (a powerful one) and had religious power. - They had a lot of civil servants to help him to rule, creating a public administration. - A hierarchical society: - A privileged minority (royal family, civil servants, priests) owned the land, so they were very rich. - The rest of the population were workers (peasants, craftsmen, slaves). - Great buildings and pieces of art: - The kings ordered the construction of huge buildings (palaces, temples, tombs) and the creation of art (statues, stelas) to show their power. Mesopotamian civilisation Why was Mesopotamia the first civilisation? - Mesopotamian civilisation appeared about 3 500 BC - Mesopotamia means (in Greek) “land between the rivers”, because it was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. - This civilisation could develop thanks to some factors: - Although is an arid region, Mesopotamian people could build canals to irrigate the crops using the water of the rivers. - Its location between Asia Minor, Persian Gulf, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea made it a key region for trade. - Mesopotamian history is divided into several stages Sumerian period - The first city-states appeared in Sumer (the southern region of Mesopotamia). - Sumerians invented irrigation and cuneiform writing. - Each Sumerian city had its own king and administration, so they were independent and they frequently fought each other. - The most important cities were Ur, Uruk, and Lagash Akkad, the first empire - Around 2.300 BC, Sargon, king of Akkad (a city to the north of Sumer), conquered the Sumerian cities and created the first empire in history. - The Akkadian empire dominated for one hundred years the central and southern parts of Mesopotamia Babylonian empire - About 1800 BC, a new empire established in Mesopotamia, centred in the city of Babylon (in the centre of Mesopotamia). - Its most important king was Hammurabi, who made one of the oldest legal codes in history. Classroom activity Hammurabi code and nowadays laws, a comparison (from textbook) Assyrian empire - The Assyrians (a people that lived in northern Mesopotamia) created a great empire from 900 BC on. - They dominated whole Mesopotamia, Syria and even were able to conquer Egypt. Neo-babylonian empire - The last great Mesopotamian empire was centred again in Babylon, during 7th century BC - Its most famous king was Nebuchadnezzar II. - In the 6th century BC, the Persians conquered Babylon and Mesopotamia disappeared as an independent country. Mesopotamian society and religion - The social organisation of Mesopotamia can be drawn as a pyramid, with the most important people at the top: - The king, ruler of the country, chosen by the gods. - The aristocracy, owner of large areas of land. - The priests, that performed religious rites and controlled lands and workshops. - The officials, especially the scribes, the only people who could write and read. - The rest of the population worked for the elite: - Most Mesopotamian people were peasants, who worked in the fields of the kings or the temples in exchange for a share of the harvest. - Artisans worked in workshops to produce textiles, perfumes, jewels, etc. - Merchants traded with grain and special products (copper, tin, wood, lapis lazuli…). - There were also a lot of slaves - Mesopotamians were polytheistic and believed in several gods (Anu, god of the sky, Ishtar, goddess of war and love, or Enlil, god of the wind). They were supposed to live in their temples, where they were worshipped. ANU ISHTAR ENLIL Mesopotamian art and architecture - Architecture: - Materials: they used adobe and bricks (there was little stone in Mesopotamia). They are fragile materials, so few remains have survived. - Buildings were constructed on platforms to protect them from floods. They also used arches and vaults. - The most important buildings were the ziggurats, large, stepped towers used as astronomical observatories and temples. There were also big palaces. - Sculpture: - Mesopotamians imported stone to make statues and reliefs - Statues represented kings, gods, priests, and high officers. - Reliefs represented historical events (e.g., wars), worshipping to gods or hunting scenes. Ancient Egypt Egypt, a gift from the Nile - Egyptian civilization began more than 5,000 years ago, along Nile river. - Although most of Egypt is a desert, Nile river provides water and a means of communication. - In summer, torrential rains on the upper course of the river caused a flood in Egypt. When the water receded, it left dark silt (mud) on the banks that fertilised the soil and allowed up to two crops a year. - The riverbanks were the black lands, while the desert was called the red lands. The periods of Egyptian history - During the Metal Ages, two kingdoms formed around the Nile: - Lower Egypt (the river delta, in the North). - Upper Egypt (the river valley, in the South) - By 3 100 BC, king Narmer (ruler of Upper Egypt) conquered the delta and unified the country, becoming the first pharaoh. - From then on, 31 dynasties ruled Egypt in three stages: - Old Kingdom - Middle Kingdom - New Kingdom The absolute power of the pharaohs - Ancient Egypt was ruled by pharaohs, who had absolute power: - Pharaohs were considered gods and acted as a link between people and the gods to maintain harmony, prosperity and justice (maat). People also believed that if the pharaoh behaved properly the Nile’s flood would be the best one. - As pharaohs were normally succeeded by their sons, they formed dynasties. A total of 31 dynasties ruled Egypt until 31 BC. - Some women were pharaohs (Hatshepsut, Cleopatra) and some queens had a lot influence on the government (Nefertari, Nefertiti) Symbols of the pharaoh’s power it is called nemes The double crown (formed by the red crown of Lower Egypt and the white crown of Upper Egypt) Egyptian society: ruler groups Below the pharaoh, there were some people who helped him to rule the country: - Nobles had lands and wealth and ruled the provinces. - Priests “talked” to the gods and conducted religious rites in the temples, which were very rich. - Scribes wrote official documents and they were very important. - High commanders of the army were very wealthy, too. They were princes or nobles. Egyptian society: normal people Normal Egyptian people were divided into some parts because of their dedication: - Most of them were peasants who worked the lands of the pharaoh, the nobles and the temples. They grew flax (lino), wheat, barley and vegetables and raised livestock (cows, donkeys, geese). - Artisans made pottery, clothes, papyrus… and also were artists that worked for rich people. - Merchants traded with spices, wood, perfumes… - Finally, there were slaves, normally prisoners of war.