Things You need to Know

Upfront…

so that everything else will

make sense.
History or Prehistory?
•History is the recorded
events of the past.
•
•Prehistory is the period of
time before writing
•
•Archaeology is the scientific
study of the physical evidence of
past human societies recovered
through excavation which helps
us understand prehistory as well
as documented events.
Fact or Myth?
•A fact is an event known to
have happened or something
known to have existed

•A myth is a traditional story

accepted as history; serves
to explain the world view of a
people
•
•Proof???
 Civilization or
Stone Age?
•The Old and New Stone
Ages cover the earliest
periods of human prehistory.

•Civilization is a society in
an advanced state of
development with writing,
government, religion, jobs
and social classes, arts and
architecture, and public
works
22-43 Paleolithic Neolithic Civilization

Living Nomadic Settled in villages and smallCities, trade, transportation,

Small groups in the tens communities (100s) 1000s
Arrange-
ments

Tools and Stone, wood, bone, Stone, wood, bone, animal Stone, wood, bone, animal
animal parts, used for parts, used for weapons parts, used for weapons and
Tech weapons and tools and tools tools, metals like bronze,
AND METALS LIKE AND IRON,
BRONZE

Food and Hunting and Gathering, Hunting and gathering, Hunt, gather, farm, animals,
limited communication FARMING AND increased trade, war and
Commun- covering small region DOMESTICATION OF conquest
ication ANIMALS, trade begins
which improves
communication

Role of Men Equal: both contribute Farming led to male As cities grew men gained
equally to meeting their domination: men work more and more power in
and Women needs away from home and hunt most societies. The were
while women take care of often the warriors and rulers
the household, children, of the land
and food prep
Rise of Cities
City-States or Empire?
•A city-state is an
independent, self-governing
city that incorporated its
surrounding territory,
including smaller towns and
villages
•
•An empire is a state that
extends dominion over
populations distinct culturally
and ethnically from the
culture/ethnicity at the center
of power
Continents/Regions and Oceans
 Egypt and Mesopotamia Map
Egypt
Mesopotamia
Nile River
Tigris River
Euphrates River
Mediterranean Sea
Red Sea
Persian Gulf
Africa
Asia
Jerusalem
Sumer
Giza
Upper Egypt
Lower Egypt

Sumerian Achievements
 Egyptian Civilization
Periods and Dates Characteristics
Old divine kings had mostly free farmers
Kingdom:2700BC- and some slaves to build pyramids
2200BC (tombs) to provide hope for their
afterlife
Middle Kingdom: pharaohs were concerned for their
2050BC-1650BC people; period of expansion: CHAOS

New Kingdom: militaristic; massive wealth; religious

1567BC-1085BC revolution; Famous Pharaohs like
Hatshepsut, Ramses, Akhenaton, Tut
 New Centers of Civilization
Civilization Lasting Achievements
Hittites Used iron
Phoenicians Developed an _alphabet _ that was passed onto the Greeks.
Israelites __Roman
The religion of _the
alphabet thatbecame
Israelites we useatoday
majorisworld
derived from
religion.
this known today as Judaism and it influenced the religions
It is alphabet.
of Christianity and Islam. The Ten Commandments and the
words of the prophets became the basis for modern laws and
ideas of social justice. It was different from other religions in
western Asia and Egypt because it was __monotheistic __.
 New Empires
How did the Assyrians communicate
throughout their empire?
Assyrians used relays of horses to carry messages along a
network of roads to communicate throughout their empire
Who helped Persia become the largest
empire in the world and how far did it stretch
Cyrus “the Great” ruled with great wisdom and
compassion and helped make Persia the Largest
Empire in the World, but he respected other cultures.
– He allowed the Jews, who had been brought to
Babylon in the sixth century B.C., to return to
Jerusalem.
– Darius divided the empire into satrapies, or
provinces, each with its own satrap or
governor to collect taxes, provide justice, and
recruit soldiers
–
 Features of Civilization in Egypt and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Feature Mesopotamia
Feature EgyptEgypt
Ur, Babylon Cities Giza, Cairo, Thebes,
Cities
Gods rule the cities- theocracy- Government Dynasties=ruling families,
kings with divine right to rule,
Government Pharaohs=Egyptian monarchs,
Code of Hammurabi= written viewed as gods with absolute
code of law power
Polytheistic: negative view of the Religion Polytheistic: provided security
Religion
gods and afterlife linked to nature
Patriarchal, Nobles-Commoners- Jobs/Social Pharaoh-Nobles and Priests-
Slaves, 90%Classes
Jobs/Social farmers Classes merchants artisans scribes-
peasant farmers, women had
more rights
Ziggurats, Wheel, Potter’s Arts/ Pyramids=Old Kingdom, Temples,
Wheel,
Arts/ Bronze, 60 # system, Achievements Mummification,
Geometry,
Cuneiform, Arch,
Achievements Dome,
The Epic of Writing Hieroglyphics, The Rosetta Stone
Gilgamesh
Writing
 Egypt and Mesopotamia Chart
1.Of the vocabulary words that we have
already discussed, which ones apply to
both Egypt and Mesopotamia?
2.What stands out about Mesopotamia that
makes it unique?
3.What stands out about Egypt that makes it
unique?
4.Which one would you rather live in and
why?
 New Centers of Civilization

Copy the timeline.

Use Pages 54-64 to write three details for
each event.