Fulcher January 24 2011 History of Civilization Sumerian invention of writing Help with commerce business trade Document Create laws 3 things needed to create a civilization Economy Government Cultural Creativity Flood Stories The Epic of Gilgamesh Ancient King of Sumer 1700 BCE o From the Sumerian civilization o Heroic king that people looked up to as a leader tells stories of his journeys as he tries to seek immortal life A god Enlil warrior wants to create a flood And Utnapishtim warns Gilgamesh to take the forms of life and put them on a boat to save them Reason for the flood mankind was very noisy and the gods couldn t sleep The gods selfish How does he know the flood is over Releases a dove came back Releases a swallow came back Releases a raven stayed away o Due to this he becomes immortal Communicated humans to be orderly and keep in line and do their work and not cause trouble o Audience o Purpose To pass down the story Noah s Ark out o The Lord was sorry he even created man wanted to flood them o Communicated morality to mankind not to be wicked to be in the image of God o Believed to be written 900 721 BCE Similarities o Both used birds to find land o First thing they did after flood was a sacrifice o Both landed on a mountain o Show common interest about questions of death immortality and divine punishment Differences o Noah 40 days 40 nights 1 Fulcher January 24 2011 Gilgamesh 6 days nights Excessive human noise 7 days to build boat Noah s Ark 40 days nights Excessive Wickedness days to build boat Used birds Used birds Made sacrifice Made sacrifice Landed on mountain Landed on mountain Cities Cities o Sophisticated class structure o Stratification of labor who is going to make the food etc o Religion often served to deify the king or to give a man a diving power o Sophisticated class structure o Stratification of labor who is going to make the food etc o Religion often served to deify the king or to give a man a divine o Scribes or doctors helped the kings prestige and manage his o Middle class grew doctors managers rewarded with leisure power kingdom and status o The growth illustrated the majesty of the king Disadvantages of City Life o Impersonal you do not know everyone o Sumerians built temples to worship each god o Institutionalism of slavery as part of the class structure o Sumerians didn t need slaves they were able to do the labor 4 Ways People Entered Slavery o Sold themselves in order to help pay off debt o Born into it Parents would give their children o Prisoner of War o Punishment for Crimes Was not hereditary at this time o Sumer o Their religion was not comforting o Fear was the major motivator o Life was harsh and continuous struggle Economic fear o Believed that the afterlife was a dark place o The gods were demanding o People only existed to serve the gods Wrapping up Sumer o Class Stratification 2 Fulcher January 24 2011 o Constant Warfare o Writing System o Sophisticated farming and trading o Complex religious structure 1800 BCE o Sumerians had been absorbed by waves of invaders and it ceased to exist as an identifiable people o This is when it ended 7 locations of the earliest civilization Americas West Africa Egypt Mesopotamia Indus Valley China Chapter 3 Egypt Civilization o Most powerful stable and enduring ancient civilization o In Africa across the Mediterranean from Europe o Based around the Nile River Valley Had control floods predictable floods could get more than one harvest Self contained civilization desert on one side sea on the other less chance of invasion Ruling dynasties came from within Egypt Agriculture main source of livelihood Similar crops to Mesopotamia both River valleys 3600 BCE Villages up and down the Nile Little social stratification No trade because they produced the same crops 3300 BCE Egyptians building larger villages on higher ground to keep out of reach of flooding o Starting building canals o Created more organization within the district more of a community while working together constructing the canals o First walls appearing around towns o First elaborate tombs for rulers Social Stratification occurs when populations increase because they need to decide who is in charge and that develops into hierarchies o Different careers not everyone needs to be a farmer 3000 BCE 3 Fulcher January 24 2011 o Writing system began hieroglyphs pictographs o Started for business and commerce then into more cultural aspects o One ruler became known as a king Then the king claims to be a god on earth during this era Burial tombs showed a increasing hierarchy uneven distribution of wealth Unification created a mythology Relied on a many gods idea at first overcoming disorder making things orderly created a magical afterlife Paradise that became associated with power and prestige in the afterlife Egyptians were very optimistic First to believe in a pleasant afterlife and rebirth and salvation Mesopotamia vs Egypt o 80 Mesopotamia lived in the city o 10 of Egyptians lived in the city Egypt created a sprawling governmental structure that could still rule effectively Social and Ethical Behaviors of Egyptians Egyptians The Negative Confession o Idea of a creation story I have not stolen I have not caused pain etc o Expected to be honorable obedient and respectful of each other First unification the Old Kingdom 3000 BCE 2200 BCE o Old Kingdom Age of prosperity and innovation Made a lot of money at this time o Central Authority began to weaken Some nobility in the villages began to have rivalries Old Kingdom collapsed Egypt split in two Upper and Lower Egypt o 2000 BCE Southern King defeated Northern One and created the Middle Kingdom reuniting them Middle Kingdom o Increased trade o Increased arts literature construction o Development of a stronger government 4 Fulcher January 24 2011 Egypt became an empire spread your power to rule over distant and foreign people They left their borders and began to rule other people around them o Slavery developed Most slaves were prisoners of war o End of the middle kingdom Priests became a hereditary office Created a separate caste level of hierarchy o Indus River Civilization o Part of Pakistan or India o Based around a river o Mohenjo Daro Harappa uncovered sites thought to be part of the Indus River Civilization o Dry lowland area lower half of the valley is desert Agriculture would have been based on irrigation Annual floods from the waters around provided fertile soul Also used the river for