CHAPTER 1

1. CHAPTER 1 • STONE AGE SOCIETIES AND THE EARLIEST CIVILIZATIONS OF THE NEAR EAST

2. The Development of Humankind • Most of human existence is prehistory. • Apes to humans: hominids, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens.

3. Preliterate Cultures • Practical intelligence makes up for physical limitations • Paleolithic Culture: making and using tools • The Neolithic Revolution and Advent of Agriculture.

4. Preliterate Society and Religion • Social Organization: elementary and extended families. • Customs, laws, and democracy organize early societies. • All of these advances occurred in different places on earth at different times.

5. Mesopotamia: The First Civilization • Historians argue about how to define a civilization. • A stable community, agriculture, architecture and writing • 6,000 B.C.E. The southern part of Mesopotamia, in Sumer. • Man vs. The Environment.

6. The Emergence of Civilization in Sumer • c. 3200-2800 B.C.E. • Development of language, pottery wheel, wheeled vehicle.

7. The Old Sumerian Period • 2800-2300 B.C.E. • Constant warfare erupts between cities. • Theocracy • Political upheaval arises as the result of despotic abuse of power. • Slavery

8. The Akkadian Period • C. 2300-2150 B.C.E. • Sargon I, ruler of Akkadian empire that stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

9. The Neo-Sumerian Period • c. 2150-2000 B.C.E. • Characterized by the restoration of order by the Third Dynasty of Ur. • Religion as “arm of the state.”

10. The Old Babylonian Period • c. 2000-1600 B.C.E. • Hammurabi and his code. • Mathematics and Society • Literature and Religion • The End of an Era

11. Egypt: Gift of the Nile • One of Africa’s earliest civilizations. • Attachment to the Nile River. • Predynastic Egypt

12. The Old Kingdom • c. 2700-2200 B.C.E. • All power becomes central: the pharaoh. • Pyramids

13. The Middle Kingdom • 2050-1800 B.C.E. • The Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties restore order. • Hyksos of western Asia rule much of Egypt.

14. The New Kingdom or Empire • c. 1570-1090 B.C.E. • The “aggressive state” and Thutmose II

15. Third Intermediate Period • c. 1090-332 B.C.E. • Amon priesthood ruled Upper Egypt • Libyans from the west ruled central Egypt. • Dynasty of merchant princes in the the Delta.

16. Nubia and the Kingdom of Kush • 1600 B.C.E. • Kingdom of Kush developed, relying mostly on the Nile and agriculture. • Also united Egypt with African societies to the south and east. • Eventually absorbed by the Ethiopian kingdom c. 400 C.E.

17. Egyptian Society and Economy • Social organization • Economy • Religion • Mathematics and Science • Monumentalism in Architecture • Sculpture and Painting • Writing and Literary Texts

18. The Hittites • c. 2000-1200 B.C.E. • Probably entered Asia Minor from the northeast. • Aggressive and tenuous monarchies. • The Hittite Empire • Hittite Civilization

19. The Era of Small States • C. 1200-700 B.C.E. • The Phoenicians • The Hebrew Kingdoms • Questionable accuracy of biblical accounts • Hebrew religion • The Aramaeans

20. Later Empires of Western Asia • C. 700-500 B.C.E. • The Assyrian Empire • Assyrian Culture • Downfall of the Assyrian Empire • The Lydians and the Medes • The Chaldean Empire

21. The Persian Empire • Persian Government • Persian Religion and Art

22. Conclusion • What do we know? • What were the major factors that allowed for the development of civilizations? • Why did certain civilizations develop where they did? • Make a prediction: how are these civilizations going to affect those that follow them?