Week of September 5-9

[5Kara]

Monday- no school

Tuesday-

Phoenicians

• Political
  • Came to power in 2750 B.C.
  • Carthage was founded in 813 B.C. (main city state)
  • Lost power in 146 B.C. due to the fall of Carthage
  • Greeks or Romans destroyed the area
  • Government:
    • Kingship
    • Had limited power because of the powerful merchant families
    • There was also a council of elders
  • Law:
    • Most advanced code of law
    • Destroyed when taken over
    • They started admiralty law (sea law)
  • War:
    • Punic Wars with Carthage (Rome v. Carthage)
    • Series of 3 wars (Rome won the first, Carthage the second, and Rome the third)
• Economy
  • Very diversified and complex economy
  • Relied heavily on trade
  • Made a living by trading and merchandising 
  • Traded with Turkey mainly 
  • Social Classes:
    • King
    • Social Class
    • Middle Class
      • Farmers
      • Fishermen
      • Craftsmen
      • Merchants
    • Working Class
      • Servants 
      • Slaves
• Geography
  • The base area is where Syria, Lebanon, and Israel are today
  • Their control went all across the Mediterranean Sea
  • Live on the east end of the Mediterranean
  • Called "The Sea People"
  • Around a lot of forests and woods
  • Lebanon mountains
  • Natural Barriers
    • Lived on a strip of fertile land between the Mediterranean and Lebanon mountains
    • Divided into city-states
    • Cities were usually built on islands off the coast (easier to defend)
• Social
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Played the harp
  • Religion
    • Very important
    • Many gods that had temples built in their name. Offerings and sacrifices were regularly made
    • The Phoenician Priest was Sanchuniathon from Berytus
    • Main God was Astarte
    • Main Cities were Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre 
    • Sidon
      • Baal was the most important God at Sidon, only had one temple, God of fertility
      • Astarta was the second most important god at Sidon, had many temples, called the moon God
      • Eshmun was the third most important god at Sidon, had many temples, God of healing
    • Byblos
      • El was an important God
      • Baalat was a female diety and was associated with Earth and fertility, altars and monuments were made for her

Wednesday-

Phoenicians (continued)

• • Tryes
    • Melquart was the focus of a festival of resurrection each year, represented the monarchy, sea, hunting, and colonization
  • Other Gods
    • Reshef- god of fire and lightning
    • Dagon- god of what
    • Shadrapa- snakes and healing
    • Chusor- inventor of iron and metalwork
    • Sydyk and Misor- represented justice, righteousness, and respect 
  • Worship
    • Worshiped at temples or natural sights
    • Prayed, burned incense, poured libations, made offerings of animals, foods, or precious gods, women would prostitute themselves in the honor of Astarte (God), at times of human sacrifices (often children) were made (usually killed by fire)
    • Funerals included embalming or public ceremonies and feasts
    • Some inscriptions in tombs called for the dead not to be disturbed 
    • There was an underworld for the ones who did not live a religious life 
• Language
  • Semitic Language (Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic)
  • Canaanite language
  • Byblos spoke some Giblite 
  • Not much of their text survived except fragments
  • Drew signs/pictographs with a wedge-shaped stylus 
  • Alphabet
    • Was very close to Egyptian proto-canaanite inscriptions
    • Had 25 signs
    • Used a mixture of Egyptian and Phoenician letters 
• Art
  • Best known for small, decorative items
• Gender Roles
  • Women had more freedom than most of the empires
    • Could divorce but still get their things back
    • Many prostitutes
    • Low jobs such as weaving, textiles and were covered by many fabrics
    • They had little to no say in the government

Sumerians

• Economy
  • Reliant on agriculture
  • Majorly influenced by technological advances in Mesopotamian history
  • Lots of trading goods involved 
  • Making A Living/Jobs
    • Pottery makers, stone cutters, bricklayers, metal smiths, farmers, fishermen
    • Jobs were scaled with the social classes
    • Women had less important jobs (similar to peasant jobs)
  • Social Classes
    • The king is at the top, he owns all the land and gives it to his people as a trade for their loyalty and protection
    • In the middle are merchants, skilled workers, and traders
    • At the very bottom are slaves and peasants 
• Social
  • Religion
    • Sumerian religion was created around nature and its aspects
    • At first, nature was worshiped in its original forms but later they became associated with human forms
    • This turned from nature being gods to gods being in control of nature
    • This eventually turned to city-states being associated with gods 
  • Education
    • Most Sumerian education took place in a temple with the teacher being a priest
    • Most of the children in school came from wealthy families and were almost all male
    • School days lasted from sun up to sun down
    • Children were praised if their work was done well and accurate, but if it was done wrong, they would be punished by being hit with a stick or cane
    • Education was based around writing
  • Art
    • Most of Sumerian art was made of clay because it was a common resource in Western Asia
    • They created many statues of their gods and their relationships with nature and animals
    • People also began to carve cylinder seals. They would use a piece of rock or clay and carve unique marks into it so it would be very difficult to copy
  • Entertainment
    • Sumerian entertainment consisted of music festivals, sports like boxing and wrestling, board games, and toys like jump ropes and tops
    • Sumerians also began writing poetry and creating art 
  • Gender Roles of Women
    • Women's role in society depended on their social class level
    • Women in the lower class took care of children and their household
    • Women of the middle class could sell goods like clothes that they made or even own a tavern with their husband's permission
    • Women in the high class, like priestesses and members of the royal family, were given some authority and could own property and attend legal matters without their husbands
  • Gender Roles of Men
    • Men's role in Sumerian society was also dependent on the social class he was in
    • Wealthy men were rulers, lawmakers, and priests that had a lot of authority
    • Men in the middle class were mostly farmers and traders
    • The lowest class of men were slaves and had no say in any orders 
• Political
  • Rulers
    • Sumeria had 18 major cities which kind of functioned as independent states, but were often unified civilization under one king
    • Sumeria was ruled as one starting in the early dynastic period from 2900-2800 BC
    • The earliest king authenticated with archaeology is Emmebaragesi of Kish who ruled in the 26th century BC
  • Politics
    • Organized by city-states (each city-state had a king)
    • Ruled by a king
    • More formal political structure
    • Government regulated religion, the court system, and the class system 
  • Rulers (continued)
    • Then there was the second early dynastic period from 2800-2600 BC and included the king Gilgamesh, this period was associated with lots of war
    • Next was the early dynastic period 3a from 2600-2500 BC
    • Next was the early dynastic period 3b from 2500-2334 BC
    • After this time, the Sumerian Empire was taken over by the Akkadian Empire
    • Lugal-Zage-Si was the last ethnically Sumerian king of Sumeria 
  • City-States
    • Sumeria was a combination of 18 major city-states
    • Before 3000 BC, they were separate with their own rulers
    • It was most likely theocratic
    • After 3000 BC, wars between the city-states became more common, with kings fighting all the time for control of Sumeria
    • It was ruled by many successive religious leaders or priest-kings who would have to unite the city-states when they came to power after the old king died
    • This weakened Sumeria and they weren't able to defend themselves from the Akkadians, who took them over in 2334 BC

Thursday-

Sumerians (continued)

• Geography 
  • Location
    • Sumer is located in the most southern part of Mesopotamia. It is located directly between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The area of Sumer was located in what is now southern Iraq
  • Natural Barries
    • The Sumerians lacked natural barriers. Without these barriers, the people of Sumer were very vulnerable and could not protect themselves or their village from other civilizations, natural disasters, or animals
    • The few natural barriers they had were the Arabian Desert to the west and the Zagros Mountains to the east, but these mountains were not very close
  • Land Type
    • Sumer is located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and the land next to these rivers is very fertile and excellent for agriculture
    • Land away from the river is a dry desert. This caused people to move as close to the river as possible
• Advancements
  • Credited with inventing the wheel
  • Their cuneiform writing system was the first writings there is evidence of
  • Concept of diving the hour into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds
  • Thought to have invented military formations
  • Among the first formal astronomers
  • First to mix tin and copper and make bronze

Assyria

• Geography
  • Assyria was located in the northern part of Mesopotamia, also known as modern Iraq
  • Two important rivers ran through Assyria called the Tigris and the Euphrates
  • In the Northern and Eastern parts of Assyria were the Taurus and Zagros Mountains
  • The Assyrian soil was very rich and fertile. Since the soil was very rich they were able to feed a large population 
• Economy
  • They were mainly farmers and herders that tried to keep to themselves even though they were situated on a major trade route
  • They were not remembered for trading because they believe in self reliance
  • They would only trade with surrounding villages if absolutely necessary for survival
  • They had established a tax for states and provinces around them that helped them a lot
  • They even had a tax on Egypt for a few years
  • They were mainly on the Tigris river in small villages that had a great irrigation system to help the agriculture
  • A lot of immigrants from unknown places would flood in, causing the boundaries to group which allowed for more forestry and mining
• Political
  • 4500-2400 BC- complex societies began to form throughout Mesopotamia
  • First society to make militarism a central policy
    • Battering rams/Tunnel digging
    • Ladders
    • Archers
  • They traded with Karum Kanesh, generated wealth and stability
  • Hurrians and Hatti hold dominance in Anatolia, Ashur, and North Mesopotamia
  • Shamashi Adad I drives out Amorites and takes over
    • Controls major trade routes
  • Assure, Nineveh, and Arbel unite
  • Government:
    • Monarchy led by a king
    • Had independent states with their own rulers who also obeyed the king
    • Had a tax system, if cities wouldn't pay their taxes, they would be destroyed
  • The Fall: Over-expansion
    • In 612 BC, Medes and Chaldeans join together to overthrow Assyrian rule
  • 2nd Rise:
    • 33 AD- after the crucifixion, Assyrians converted to Christianity
    • Religious Empire
      • Translations from Greek
      • Science, Philosophy, Medicine
      • Had the first university ever (The School of Nisibis)
    • 630 AD- Arabs sweep the middle east
      • Assyrians convert from Christianity to Islam
    • Timurlane the Mongol ends Assyrian Empire
• Education
  • Education was aimed towards the upper class
  • Priests and scribes were the teachers
  • Mainly wealthy boys who went
• Religion
  • Ashurism
  • Christianity 
• Art 
  • Wall drawings of war and hunting
  • Made sculptures of their leaders 
• Entertainment
  • Music- lyres and drums
  • Sports- boxing and wrestling
  • Games- board games with rocks
• Gender Roles
  • Women
    • Stay at home
    • Take care of kids
    • Provide food for husband
  • Men
    • Work: farm, leather maker, brick maker, carpentry 

India Harappans (Around 3000-1500 BC)

• Economy
  • Very wealthy civilization
  • They used gold instruments studded with jewels
  • Thy got copper, tin, silver, and gold from Nilgiri region
  • Trade link with western Asia 
  • Social Class
    • Originated by the Varna system
    • 1. Brahmin- kings and priest
    • 2. Kshatriyas- warriors and aristocrats
    • 3. Vaishya- cultivators, artisans, merchants
    • 4. Shudra- peasants and servants 
• Geography
  • Province of Pakistan
  • Indus valley civilization was a Bronze age of civilization
  • One of the three early civilizations of the old world 
  • Nature Barriers:
    • Surrounded by high mountains
    • Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra Rivers 
    • Thar Desert
    • Ocean
    • Dense forests and swamps to the east 
    • Hindu Kush and Himalayan Mountains
    • Arabian Sea 
  • Farming
    • Farmers made good use of water from the rivers, first farmers to take water from underground wells
    • Farmers grew wheat and grains
    • Animals were cows, goats, and sheep
  • Nature Resources
    • Fresh water, timber, gold, silver, semi-precious stones, marine resources 
  • Granary
    • The "Granary" of Harappa is found on mound F
    • It is a brick structure that was built on a massive brick foundation over 45 meters north-south and 45 meters east-west
    • Two rows of six rooms, each room about 15.2 by 6.1 meters
    • Used as homes 
  • Burial
    • Placed inside a wooden coffin (decayed later)
    • Wore jewelry around their neck and wrists
    • Grave robbing was common
    • If an infant dies, they are buried underneath their mother
• Education
  • All the education was oral, and all the writing was on bark or leaves
  • The wife would usually teach in the house, they would also teach about religion
  • They had their own writing
  • There is a stone found with their language on it, but it cannot be deciphered 
• Language
  • They used a pictographic script
  • Carved into stone
  • Some writings were made on the bottom of pottery 

Friday-

Indian Harappans (continued)

• Political System
  • It existed around 3000-1500 BC and was primarily an agricultural and mercantile community, focusing on farm and trade
• Advanced technology of their time:
  • Architecture
  • Gender equality
  • Religion
  • Burials
  • Relative peace 
• Rapid Downfall
  • The Harappans were believed to have been steady, then fell off instantly once being taken or by a civilization of "Pantheistic Indo-Europeans" known as Aryans (not the 1944 German version, but the 3000 BC Indus valley)
• Largest city was thought to be the capital, Mohenjo-Daro is the 2nd largest city
• They lacked social borders
• They believe religion ran the civilization
• Religion
  • Buddhism
  • Hinduism
    • The oldest religion
    • Hindus believe in one person
    • Temple rituals and ritual bathing in the "great bath"
      • The "Great Bath"
        • Called the earliest public water tank of the ancient world
        • Measures up to 11.88 meters by 7.01 meters, and a depth of 2.43 meters
        • Had two wide staircases 
    • Believed in karma
    • Female Gods:
      • Maother Goddess (Sakti), meaning magic
      • Siva, had three faces with horned head-dress, sitting cross-legged, with many animals around her
• Art
  • Pottery working
  • Weaving
  • Jewelry
  • Metal work
    • Statues of girls are believed to be gods
  • They played many instruments like the Tambora 
• Entertainment
  • Children:
    • Small whistles shaped like animals or birds
    • Small carts
    • A monkey that could slide down a string
  • Adults:
    • Dancing
    • Swimming/pool (The Great Bath)
• Clothing
  • They wore colorful robes
  • Women wore jewelry and lipstick
• Gender Roles
  • Men: superior, went and worked
  • Women: cleaned, cooked, took care of kids, she was to please her husband and care about him more than anything else she loved
  • Children: obey and respect parents 

Babylonians

• Geography
  • Babylon is the city in which the Babylonians lived. It is 59 miles from Baghdad, Iraq
  • Babylon means "Gate of the Gods"
  • Rivers: Tigris and Euphrates River
  • There are no mountain ranges near Babylon, but the Zagros mountains run towards the top of Iraq 
  • In the fertile crescent in Mesopotamia 
  • The land had natural barriers of the 2 rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)
  • The land was very rich with nutrients causing more food that could be grown and sold
• Avances/Creations
  • They started documenting medical history of people to help diagnose them for the future
  • The Zodiac
  • Glazed bricks (used to decorate temples)
  • The Seeder Plow (allowed farmers to plant crops and plow their field at the same time)
  • Architectural designs (made the dome, column, and arc)
  • Transportation (used wind for sailing)
• Social Class
  • Kings
  • Nobles (had birthright and political status)
  • Priests (performed sacred rituals and could contact the gods)
  • Soldiers
  • Slaves, serfs (serfs were attached to the land, slaves belonged to private families)
• Jobs of the Economy
  • Brickmaker- made bricks of clay and shale
  • Smith- heating, hammering, forging (goldsmith/silversmith)
  • Carpenter- woodworker
  • Wheelwright- wheel-maker, wagons
  • Exorcist- healer (doctor), kind of like a priest
• Currency and Trade
  • Barley preceded silver
  • Legal ratio: one shekel of silver=180 grains of barley
  • Soon switched to gold
  • Exports: grain, oils, textiles
  • Imports: timber, wine, precious metals from Assyria and Syria 
• The Hanging Gardens
  • One of the seven wonders of the Ancient World
  • 605 BC
  • Required 8200 gallons of water per day because of waterfalls
• Hammurabi
  • Hammurabi's code 
  • An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
• Religion
  • Greatly influenced by their Sumerian counterparts
  • Gods represented different elements or aspects of the world
  • Ashur: god of wind, heaven, and the Assyrian
  • Anu: god of heaven and the sky, lord, and constellations
  • Enki: god of crafts, water, intelligence
  • Marduk: god of water, judgement, magic, vegetation
  • Ziggurat:
    • Temple
• Education
  • Most education consisted of becoming a scribe
  • Education started at 8 or 9
  • Boys were more widely accepted, you had to be a rich girl to go to school
• Gender Roles
  • Women: wives, mothers, housekeepers, making clothes
  • Men: kings, rule-makers, farmers, fathers, warriors, architects (built Ziggurat) 
• Art
  • Grand, sophisticated, elaborate
  • Tablets, stone, clay
  • Drew pictures of their gods
• Entertainment
  • Ancient kings loved big-game hunting
  • Banquets were also held
  • They were entertained by musicians
  • Boxing was a popular sport, as was wrestling
  • They also enjoyed board games