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Mesopotamia
- "land between the rivers"- Tigris and Euphrates
- little rain=> irrigation system (6000 B.C.E)
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Food supplies increase
- Population boom
- migrants come (esp. Semites)
- Sumer becomes population center
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First cities emerge (4000 B.C.E)
- 3200-3250=> evolve into city states
- gov. sponsor building projects and irrigation
- constant attacks=> city walls and military development
- kingship evolves with cooperation with noble families and supporters
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Sargon of Akkad (2370-2315)
- attacks against king of Kish
- seizes trade routes and natural resources
- empire weakens and collapses around 2000 B.C.E
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Hammurabi (1792-1750)
- centralizes beauracracy and legalizes taxation
- capital in Babylon
- law of retribution and importance in social class
- attack from Hittites leads to collapse in 1595
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Assyrians (1300-612)
- cities: Assur and Ninevah
- strong military- chariots, professional military, archers, and iron weapons
- unpopular rule leads to rebellion
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New Babylon Empire (600-550)
- Nebuchadnezzar (605-562)
- hanging gardens of Babylon shows wealth and luxury
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Economic Specialization and Trade
- Bronze- weapons and agricultural tools
- Iron (1000 B.C.E)- weapons and tools, more widely available
- Wheel (3500 B.C.E)- helps trade, carts carry more items farther
- Shipbuilding- maritime trade, networks increase
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Social Classes
- Cities: more opportunities for wealth
- Kings (heriditary) and nobles (royal family and supporters) highest
- Priests/ Priestesses- in charge of temple communities, large income and staff
- Free commoners (peasants) and dependent clients (no property)- pay taxes and labor on building projects
- Slaves (criminals, debted servitude, POWs)- usually domestic servants
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Patriarchy
- Hammurabi's code- men head of household
- Women's power declined after 2000 B.C.E and started wearing veils 1500 B.C.E
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Written Cultural Traditions
- Cuneiform- wedge shaped rod pressed into wax tablet and baked, becomes standard, used in taxes and laws
- Education: vocational to be scribe/ government official
- Literature: astronomy, mathematics, abstract (religious and epics)
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Hebrews, Israelites, and Jews
- Hebrews: early on are pastoral nomads, settle in cities, lead to Palestine by Abraham (1850), borrow law of retribution and Mesopotamian gods
- Israelites: Hebrews that migrated to Egypt in 18th cent. B.C.E, twelve tribes became Israelites, Jerusalem- capital, Mesopotamin style monarch
- Jews: Moses, Ten Commandments, Torah, Assyrians deport Jews, they return to Judea and become very strong identity group, religion increases
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Phoenecians (3000 B.C.E)
- first settlers- 3000 B.C.E, develop into city states
- little agriculture, live on trade and communications networks
- influence Mesopotamian culture, sea trade most important- get raw materials
- develop early alphabetical script (1500 B.C.E)
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Indo-European origins
- Linguists discover similarities between languages=> must be related
- Originate in steppes of central Asia, pastoral people (4500-2500 B.C.E)
- Domesticate horses=> learn to ride=> horses+carts=> chariots
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Indo-European Expansion and Effects
- Indo-European society breaks up 3000 B.C.E=> migrate
- Hittites- Central Anatolia (2000 B.C.E), build powerful kingdoms, conquer Babylonian empire (1595 B.C.E), dissolve (1200 B.C.E), technology- light chariots and iron metallurgy
- Migrate to Asia, Greece, Britain, Italy, central and western Europe- all pastoral agriculturists, related languages and religion
- Iran and India- Aryans
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