Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia-Egypt

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Ancient CivilizationsMesopotamia-Egypt

• Themes Notes
• AP World History

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Political Trade, War, Diplomacy, Nation Building

• Egypt
• Unified Egypt lead by the God-King Pharaoh
  (Menes, 3100 BC, Old Kingdom)
• Hyksos people from near east settled in Nile
  Delta. Ousted by New kingdom Pharaohs after
  bringing bronze working (farming tools and
  weapons).
• New Kingdom invaded parts of Syria and
  Palestine
• Hittite Rise People of central Turkey brought
  new languages and Iron technology as major
  advancement
• Rameses II last great Egyptian pharaoh
  (1290-1224 BC)

• Mesopotamia
• Isolated city cities function as isolated
  political units or City-State
• Political structure Kings ruled city-states as
  monarchy (Sargon, Hammurabi)
• Trade with outlying territories Egypt, Syria,
  Near East out-posts, Turkey
• Babylonians united Mes. (Hammurabi, 1792-1750 BC)
• ? Code of Hammurabi First codified system of
  laws

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Change and Continuity
Mesopotamia Change Writing systemPictograph, Ideogram, Phonetic sign Political unificationbegan as sovereign city-states, become unified under Hammurabi. Egypt Change Political instability Old, middle, and new kingdoms experienced periods of collapse, chaos, and invasion. Territorial growth and change Metal working technologyCopper to Bronze in Second Intermediary Period (1640s).
Continuity Religionanimistic, polytheism Continuity Society Egyptian society and social structure remained though 1200years (ex. Pharaoh)
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Technology, Inventions, and Demography

• Mesopotamia
• WritingPictograph to Ideograms
• Schools
• Literature

• Egypt
• Stone working technologiesPyramids
• Bronze working brought by the Hyksos
• Written LanguagePictograph
• Demography Spread to Palestine and Syria in New
  Kingdom

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Social Structure

• Mesopotamia
• Kings and nobles King and royal family, priests,
  and high officials
• Free clients Workers who relied on royal family.
  Worked noble lands in return for an independent
  plot of land.
• Commoners Free citizens who could buy and sell
  their lands. City dwellers had some political
  rights.
• Slaves Indentured servants, prisoners of war,
  and criminals.
• Women domestic roles, fewer political rights,
  men controlled home and political world. Some
  roles for women in religion and some property
  rights for women.

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Social Structure

• Egypt
• Pharaohs God-King on earth rules divine
  monarchy
• Royal family and advisors
• Scribes and other government officials
• Soldiers, merchants, artisans
• Farmers and free workers
• Slaves
• Women Also mainly filled traditional roles, no
  females allowed in scribe schools
• Some female leaders as wife of the Pharaoh, did
  receive royal burial
• Goddesses important part of religion

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Cultural and Intellectual

• Mesopotamia
• Polytheistic Religion
• Animismprayed to prevent the wrath of the harsh
  world
• Code of Hammurabilaws governed crime, medicine,
  trade, and agriculture.
• Spread of Culture Syria, Near East, Egypt.

• Egypt
• Polytheistic Religion Osiris, Isis, others.
  Active after-life mythology. Mummification as
  part of death and after life.
• Short period of monotheism (Akhenaten, 1367-1350
  BC).
• Pharaoh is god Horus in human form. Divine rule.
• Ironworking form Hittites