6,000 b.c. – 587 b.c.. the nile river 750-mile stretch to the delta provided easy travel to...
Post on 11-Jan-2016
217 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS6,000 B.C. – 587 B.C.
ANCIENT EGYPT
The Nile River 750-mile stretch to
the delta provided easy travel to Mediterranean Sea
Predictable annual floods provided fertile land
Climate and irrigation allowed for 2-3 crops per year
EGYPT (CONT)
Old Kingdom (2680 B.C. – 2180 B.C.) Pharaohs organized a
strong central state, were absolute rulers, and were considered gods
Egyptians built pyramids at Giza
Used hieroglyphics and wrote on papyrus
EGYPT (CONT)
Middle Kingdom (2050 B.C. – 1650 B.C.) Large canal project created arable
farmland Hyskos conquered lower Egypt
brought horse-drawn chariots and bronze
EGYPT (CONT)
New Kingdom (1570 B.C. – 1080 B.C.) Powerful pharaohs
created a large empire that reached the Euphrates River
Hatshepsut encouraged trade
Ramses II expanded Egyptian rule to Syria
EGYPT (CONT)
Achievements Geometry (to build
pyramids) Calendar (accurate 365
days) Later added a leap year
Medicine (including preserving bodies)
Khufu the Washington monument 346 feet
EGYPT (CONT)
Egyptians were polytheistic Amon-Re, sun god, was
most important Osiris, judged the dead and
was associated with the Nile
Believed in an afterlife Mummification prepared
people for death
EMPIRES OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT
The Fertile Crescent Formed by the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers
Flooding not as predictable as Nile
Required canals and dikes to control water levels
FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)
Sumer Cuneiform Arch Ziggurat Wheel
bricks no wood in the area; steel had not yet been invented
at the top of the structure to get it as
close as possible to the sky, where the people believed the gods lived
FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)
Babylonians Code of Hammurabi
Harsh Punishment “eye for an eye”
Varied according to status Women had some legal
and property rights
FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)
Persians Cyrus the Great
Conquered people treated fairly
allowed to keep religions and laws
Secret agents kept king informed
FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)
Persians (cont)
Darius I Organized Persia into
territories Promoted trade and
commerce Standardized monetary system
Built Royal Road 1,500 mile road with fresh
horses Tolerant of religious
practices
FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)
Persians (cont)
Xerses I Focused on military Tried to conquer Greece
Defeated Spartans Burned Athens Defeated at Salamis
FERTILE CRESCENT (CONT)
Phoenicians Traders that went as far as England Created the alphabet
Lydians Developed money economy
Canaanite to Phoenician to Greek to English
a triangleS
JUDAISM
Monotheistic – believe one god created the universe
First five books of the Bible are the Torah Law similar to Hammurabi Higher value on human
life
JUDAISM (CONT)
Abraham Father of the Jewish
people Told to leave his home to
create a great nation Blessed with a lot of
children
JUDAISM (CONT)
Moses Raised in the Pharaoh's
court God tells Moses to lead his
people on an exodus from Egypt to the promised land
God gives Moses the Torah and the Ten Commandments
top related